Pinyin
Note:
In the written examples, I use the word "ma" as
an example. It is the marks above the letter a that you
should make note of, as they tell you what to do with your
voice.
Tones
1st tone: Flat, monotone voice. Try mimicking a robot, the
tone is flat, but not lifeless. Written as mā.
2nd
tone: Rising, like at the end of a question. Written as
má.
3rd
tone: Dips then rises to original pitch. Think of when a
mother is warning her child not to do something by saying
his name. Her tone dips then comes up again. Written as
mǎ.
4th
tone: Drops, like at the end of a question that ends in
what, when, how, etc. Written as mà.
