Four Tones Simplified
For explanation purposes we’ll use the pinyin word “hu” pronounced “who”:
1st tone - Speak “who” high and flat like an owl would such as “hoo hoo”.
2nd tone - Speak “who” as if you are asking for clarification with surprise such as “Who?”
3rd tone - This is tricky to explain. Practice tones 1, 2 and 4 first. Then follow the tone chart on the pronunciation page for tone 3. Tone 3 is typically more drawn out than the other three tones.
4th tone - Imagine saying to a naughty child “I said NO!” No is spoken hard and fast. Now speak “who!” in the same fashion and tone.
Be sure to practice and check your spoken tones against the tone chart.
Easy Guide Pronunciation Instructions
On the following pages (Easy Guide 2 - 4), you’ll find the most frequently used Chinese syllables in pinyin form. Adjacent to each syllable in parentheses is a pronunciation key that uses familiar English syllables to approximate pinyin pronunciation. The approximations are fairly accurate. In using the key, speak only the underlined portion of each English syllable (word). For letters in quotes such as “n”, simply speak the letter’s name. Combine sounds separated with “+” signs. Practice slowly and then speak the combined sounds quickly and naturally as single word.
Example: biao (bee + owl)
Biao is the pinyin spelling. First speak bee and then speak owl. Now speak “bee” and then speak “owl” but without the “l” sound. Finally, speak the same again but more quickly. For quick reference, it may be best to prepare a printed copy of Easy Guide.
