Our speaking practice lesson for today is all about tone sandhi, and particularly about how to properly pronounce the three-two combo of a dipping third tone followed up by a rising second tone. There is a particular way Chinese people pronounce this combination which actually makes the language easier to speak. Do you know the trick? Listen to our podcast if not and we'll let you in on a great secret for improving your fluency in mandarin.Since this is a speaking practice lesson, premium subscribers will find our toll-free telephone number and a personal PIN number listed on the text page. This is yet another chance to get personal feedback on your spoken Chinese! If you're a total beginner, we recommend you practice reading us the lesson vocabulary, paying special attention to the tone changes. More advanced learners are encouraged to try reading our sample sentences or composing their own stories to share. Whatever you record, our teachers will get back to you in a day or two with personal feedback on how you sound and suggestions on how to sound even better. Good luck!
orbital
said on September 30, 2009
This is a really useful point, and I was never taught it in the classroom either. Sort of wonder why in retrospect. It definitely makes speaking a hell of a lot easier not having to go up and then drop your pitch again in the middle of a word.
taibukaopuer
said on October 1, 2009
Good lesson
I am an advanced student but still have a little problem with the alternation of tones
If I take a sentence like
往事浮现在我眼前 would the last 3 characters be pronounced wo2yan3qian2 OR wo2yan4qian2 OR wo3yan4qian2
I always use option 2 but am not sure if this is 100% correct
and what if its is not a word like 警察 wich is a 3rd tone followed by second tone in a single word but rather 3rd tone followed by 2nd tone in a sentence
eg 你有什么计划 would that be ni2you4shen2meji1hua4
Thanks
marco64
said on October 1, 2009
@btaibukaopuer - I'd treat 我 sort of in second tone, slide down with 眼 and up again with 前. That feel s most natural to me. Starting with a full third tone feels off.
I don't know of any rules for when words and supposed to go together and when they get split apart though. That's the hardest part about tone sandhi for me. Maybe someone else here knows.
Echo
said on October 2, 2009
@taibukaopuer,Welcome to the site! 欢迎你！The last three characters of 往事浮现在我眼前 should be pronounced like this wo2yan3qian2. It follows the rule that when two third tones are put together, the first one is changed into the second tone.你有什么计划 should be ni2you4shen2meji1hua4. Although there is a tip here: 有 is not really fourth tone there, since it doesn't start as high as the first tone does. (Because the third tone starts lower than the first tone).--Echoecho@popupchinese.com
taibukaopuer
said on October 4, 2009
hi echo thanks but im still confused
why is the yan in the first example not changed to the 4th tone,
whilst the you turns to 4th in the second example
Essentially they are the same a sequence of 3rd 3rd and 2nd tones
Echo
said on October 5, 2009
@taibukaopuer,
不好意思, 我之前没有想得太清楚, "我眼前"应该是 wo2yan4qian2.我现在纠正一下自己的错误 :)
--Echo
echo@popupchinese.com
Gail天堂的声音
said on October 8, 2009
@taibukaopuer,@echo,
actually we still pronounce 我眼前as wo2yan3qian2, but there is another rule for the pronunciation of the third tone.
when we put the third tone befor a character with a different tone, then it should be pronounced differently. usually we just say the first half of the third tone. so it's not the 4th tone. we still say its yan3.
so the phrase is kind of special we have 332 together.
3+3should be changed to 2+3, and 3+2 should be changed to 1/2*3+2.
valluckett
said on October 23, 2009
What happens to this rule when the second third tone becomes a neutral tone? I seem to hear the first third tone keep the change to second tone. For example 小姐 (xiao3jie / Miss) sounds like xiao2jie or 哪里 (na3li / where) sound like na2li . Is that true or is it just that I am tone deaf.
Echo
said on October 25, 2009
@valluckett,
I think exactly like what you hear :) Chinese people usually don't pay much attention when they talk though.
--Echo
echo@popupchinese.com
