How to pronounce
in Mandarin Chinese
bàoFourth tone
Hear it in conversation
I'm holding them,
bào抱zhe着shū蔬cài菜
holding the vegetables,
Select a word for its meaning.
See it in a sentence.
She is holding the child in her arms.
。
He carried the child home in his arms.
Hear the difference
A syllable has a shape.
Tone marks show how pitch changes. Colors help you follow each syllable in the app.
ā →First toneHigh and level
á ↗Second toneRising
ǎ ↘↗Third toneLow, then rising in isolation
à ↘Fourth toneFalling
a ·Neutral toneShort and light
These are dictionary tones. In natural speech, tones can change with context. A third tone often stays low before another syllable.