How to pronounce
in Mandarin Chinese
xūFirst toneyàoFourth tone
Hear it in conversation
Just needs to be cut into slices
xū需yào要nǐ你qù去chǔ处lǐ理
We need you to handle it
nǐ你xū需yào要sān三gè个dōng东xi西
You need three things.
Select a word for its meaning.
See it in a sentence.
I need help.
I need a plate.
I need you.
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.