Mandarin has four tones plus a neutral one. Tone is not decoration: it is part of the word, and the same syllable said with different tones is different words.
Zhuyin marks tone differently from pinyin, and in one respect more sensibly. The first tone is left unmarked and the neutral tone gets a dot. Pinyin does the exact opposite, marking the first tone and leaving the neutral one bare.
The five tones
| Tone | Zhuyin mark | Pinyin mark | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| First toneHigh level | (no mark) | ā | ㄇㄚ 媽 mā, Mother |
| Second toneRising | ˊ | á | ㄇㄚˊ 麻 má, Hemp |
| Third toneDipping | ˇ | ǎ | ㄇㄚˇ 馬 mǎ, Horse |
| Fourth toneFalling | ˋ | à | ㄇㄚˋ 罵 mà, To scold |
| Neutral toneLight | ˙ | a | ˙ㄇㄚ 嗎 ma, Question particle |
What to notice
Where the mark goes
After the syllable, not above a letter. In vertical text it sits at the bottom of the column; the neutral tone’s dot goes at the top, before the syllable.
Reading a column
A syllable is read top to bottom: initial, then medial, then final, then the tone. ㄒㄧㄢ is x + i + an, giving xiān. Once the pieces are automatic the column reads as one unit.
Taiwanese tones in practice
Third tone in Taiwan is often said as a low dip rather than the full falling-rising shape taught in textbooks, and the neutral tone is used less than on the mainland. Neither will stop you being understood.
Practice today’s symbols
Tones need hearing rather than reading. The Listening Quiz here is a good check; Rocket Master in the app is where the speed comes from.