The four tones
| Tone | Mark | Shape | Pinyin | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st — high level | ā | High and flat, like singing a note — 'mom' | mā | 媽 |
| 2nd — rising | á | Rises like a surprised 'what?' | má | 麻 |
| 3rd — low/dipping | ǎ | Dips low (often just stays low) | mǎ | 馬 |
| 4th — falling | à | Sharp falling, like a firm 'no!' | mà | 罵 |
| Neutral | a | Light, short, no tone of its own — the question particle | ma | 嗎 |
The neutral tone
Some syllables are spoken light and short — written with no tone mark. Particles (嗎, 呢, 吧, 了) and many second syllables in words are neutral: 謝謝 xièxie — the second syllable just drops lightly. Taiwan Mandarin uses the neutral tone less than the Mainland — 朋友 stays péngyǒu, 喜歡 stays xǐhuān.
| Taiwan Mandarin | Pinyin | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 謝謝 | xièxie | second syllable is neutral |
| 你好嗎 | nǐ hǎo ma | 嗎 is a neutral-tone question particle |
| 不好意思 | bù hǎoyìsi | 思 si is neutral — very common in Taiwan for 'sorry/excuse me' |
| 我們 | wǒmen | 們 is neutral in pronouns |
Three tone-change rules
Course convention: we write the changed tone for 不 and 一 (búshì, yí ge), but write 3rd-tone sandhi in its original form — 你好 is written nǐ hǎo and said ní hǎo. Three rules to know:
- 3rd + 3rd → 2nd + 3rd: two third tones in a row — the first becomes a second tone. 你好 is written nǐ hǎo but pronounced ní hǎo. Same for 很好, 可以, 我想.
- 不 bù → bú before a 4th tone: 不是 = búshì, 不用 = búyòng. Before other tones it stays bù: 不好 bù hǎo, 不吃 bù chī.
- 一 yī shifts: before a 4th tone → yí (一個 yíge, 一定 yídìng); before 1st/2nd/3rd → yì (一天 yìtiān, 一年 yìnián, 一點 yìdiǎn). This course writes the changed tone (yí / yì) — the form you actually say, not the underlying dictionary yī.
How Taiwan Mandarin sounds different
Compared with the Mainland (Beijing) standard, Taiwan Mandarin has a few signature features. None of them block communication — but recognizing them makes Taiwan audio click faster:
- Softer retroflexes: zh/ch/sh/r are pronounced with the tongue less curled, drifting toward z/c/s/l — especially in casual speech. 是 shì can sound like sì.
- Different standard readings: 垃圾 = lèsè (not lājī); 和 'and' = hàn colloquially (hé in formal/Mainland speech); 星期 stays xīngqí while the Mainland says xīngqī.
- Character note: Taiwan prints 臺灣 and 台灣 — both are correct; 台 is the everyday form.
| Word | Taiwan reading | Mainland reading |
|---|---|---|
| 垃圾 | lèsè | lājī |
| 和 (and) | hàn (colloquial) / hé | hé |
| 星期 | xīngqí | xīngqī |
| 法國 | Fǎguó (dictionary) · Fàguó (very common in Taiwan speech) | Fǎguó |
Mini practice
How is 你好 (nǐ hǎo) actually pronounced?
ní hǎo — a 3rd tone before another 3rd tone becomes a 2nd tone.
How many tones does Taiwan Mandarin have?
Four full tones plus a light neutral tone (the unmarked syllables like 嗎 ma or the -xie in xièxie).
What happens to 不 before a 4th tone?
bù → bú: 不是 búshì, 不用 búyòng. It's the one sandhi rule everyone applies automatically.
How do Taiwanese speakers say 垃圾?
lèsè — the Taiwan standard reading (the Mainland says lājī). Same characters, different standard.
