The Four Tones + Neutral
| Tone | Mark | Description | Example |
|---|
| 1st | ā | High and level — like singing a steady note | 妈 mā (mother) |
| 2nd | á | Rising — like asking a question | 麻 má (hemp) |
| 3rd | ǎ | Dip then rise — starts mid, dips low, rises | 马 mǎ (horse) |
| 4th | à | Sharp falling — like saying "No!" | 骂 mà (scold) |
| Neutral | a | Light and quick — no tone mark | 吗 ma (question particle) |
Essential Phrases
| English | Pinyin | Characters |
|---|
| Hello | Nǐ hǎo | 你好 |
| Thank you | Xiè xiè | 谢谢 |
| You're welcome | Bú kè qì | 不客气 |
| Sorry | Duì bu qǐ | 对不起 |
| Goodbye | Zài jiàn | 再见 |
| How much? | Duō shǎo qián? | 多少钱 |
| I don't understand | Wǒ bù dǒng | 我不懂 |
Numbers 1-10
| # | Pinyin | Character |
|---|
| 1 | yī | 一 |
| 2 | èr | 二 |
| 3 | sān | 三 |
| 4 | sì | 四 |
| 5 | wǔ | 五 |
| 6 | liù | 六 |
| 7 | qī | 七 |
| 8 | bā | 八 |
| 9 | jiǔ | 九 |
| 10 | shí | 十 |
Pronunciation Tips
| Sound | How to Make It |
|---|
| zh | Like "j" in "judge" but with tongue curled back |
| x | Like "sh" but with tongue flat behind lower teeth |
| q | Like "ch" in "cheese" with tongue behind lower teeth |
| c | Like "ts" in "cats" — crisp and aspirated |
Pro Tip: Tones are non-negotiable in Mandarin — mā (mother) and mǎ (horse) are completely different words. Spend your first week only on tone drills before vocabulary. Your accent will thank you.