Pinyin 6 of 6 · day 6
Tones that change
Two 3rds in a row, 不 bù and 一 yī change their tones, and some syllables go light. Hear what people actually say.
What to listen for
- Two 3rds in a row: the first becomes a 2nd. 可以 is said kéyǐ, though pinyin writes kěyǐ.
- 不 bù becomes 2nd before a 4th: 不要 búyào. 一 yī becomes 2nd before a 4th (一定 yídìng) and 4th before anything else (一起 yìqǐ).
- The light tone is short and unstressed. It's the difference between 东西 dōngxi, a thing, and dōngxī, east and west.
Watch
On the morning ride: watch the mouths and mime the sounds. The listening check below works on the same ride.
Hear the difference
Tap any sound. Native speakers, not a robot voice.
Two 3rds in a row
不 bù before a 4th
Only before a 4th. Before anything else it stays bù.
一 yī changes too
2nd before a 4th, 4th before anything else.
The light tone
Short, unstressed, no tone of its own.
Listening check
Ten sounds. Nine right and the unit is solid; below that, replay the pairs you missed and go again.
10 sounds · 9 right is solid
Earbuds in. Each sound plays as its question appears — replay it as often as you like, then pick what you heard.
Say it out loud
At the evening desk: hear a word, say it, record yourself, play both back. Whole words — the tone rides along.
Tutor: The survival phrases with a tone change — 可以, 不要, 一起, 谢谢, 对不起 — at full speed.
Native recordings: Chen Wang (syllables) and Yue Tan (words), from the audio-cmn project, CC BY-SA. Source