How to pronounce
in Mandarin Chinese
yàoFourth toneshiNeutral tone
Hear it in conversation
yào要jì记de得dài带yào钥shi匙
Remember to bring your key
hái还kě可yǐ以guà挂zài在yào钥shi匙huò或zhě者bāo包bāo包shàng上
Select a word for its meaning.
See it in a sentence.
。
He handed me the key.
Bring the key.
I have lost my key.
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.