How to pronounce
in Mandarin Chinese
páiSecond toneduìFourth tone
Hear it in conversation
pái排duì队zěn怎me么mò没pái排hǎo好
wǒ我men们pái排duì队děng等yíhuìr一会儿
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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.