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Mandarin tones and pinyin: the four tones, sandhi and stroke order
The sound system first: the four tones, the neutral tone, tone pairs, third tone sandhi and the basic stroke order rules.
This level has 5 concepts in the skill map and 5 lessons. Each one unlocks once you master what it builds on.
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Lessons
- The four tones Mandarin has four tones plus a neutral tone. The same syllable with a different tone is a different word: mā…
- The neutral tone Some syllables lose their tone and are said short and light: bàba 爸爸, xièxie 谢谢, 吗 ma.
- Tone pairs in two-syllable words Most words have two syllables, so tones are learned best in pairs: 中国 Zhōngguó (1+2), 老师 lǎoshī (3+1).
- Tone changes: 3rd tone, 不 and 一 Two third tones in a row: the first becomes second (你好 sounds like ní hǎo). 不 becomes bú and 一 becomes yí…
- Stroke order basics Characters are written in a fixed stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical.