Each syllable usually corresponds to one Chinese character, and one character generally corresponds to one syllable. Therefore, tones are often called character tones (字调). Tones in Chinese serve a distinguishing function: even if the initials and finals are exactly the same, different tones can result in completely different meanings. For example: mā, má, mǎ, mà — these four syllables share the same initial and final, but their meanings are differentiated entirely by tone.

The tones of Chinese vary in pitch and contour, creating a rhythmic beauty with rises and falls, as seen in phrases like “xīn míng yǎn liàng” (clear-minded and sharp-eyed), “shān hé měi lì” (beautiful rivers and mountains), “Zhōnghuá wěidà” (great China), “wàn lǐ héshān” (the vast land of China), “jù shǎo chéng duō” (many from few). Both in reading and listening, they sound melodious and pleasant.

Phonetic Features of Chinese

1. Syllables

The syllable is the basic unit of phonetic structure and the smallest segment of sound perceived naturally. For example, “wǒ kàn shū” (I read books) contains three syllables.

Generally, Chinese syllables correspond one-to-one with characters, though exceptions exist. For instance, in the retroflex word huār (flower), two characters combine into a single syllable.

2. Vowels and Consonants

  • Vowels (母音): Sounds produced when the airflow vibrates the vocal cords without obstruction in the oral cavity. Examples: i, ɑ, u. The pronunciation varies depending on tongue position (high/low, front/back) and lip shape.
  • Consonants (子音): Sounds produced when the airflow is obstructed in the oral cavity. Examples: b, n, h. Pronunciation differs depending on place and manner of articulation, vocal cord vibration, and airflow strength.

3. Initials, Finals, and Tones

  • Initials (声母): The consonant at the beginning of a syllable, e.g., h in huá (华), zh in zhōng (中). Some syllables lack initials, called zero-initial syllables, e.g., ā in āyí (阿姨). Modern Mandarin has 22 initials, of which 21 are consonants plus one zero initial.
  • Finals (韵母): The part following the initial, e.g., a in bā (八). A final may consist of a single vowel, two or three vowels, or a combination of vowels and consonants, such as běn (本), zhuàng (壮). Modern Mandarin has 39 (or 38) finals.
  • Tones (声调): The pitch contour of a syllable. Standard Mandarin has four tones:
    1. First tone (mā): high and level
    2. Second tone (má): rising
    3. Third tone (mǎ): falling then rising
    4. Fourth tone (mà): falling from high to low
    Tones give Chinese its rhythm and musical beauty.

Phonetic Notation in Chinese

The phonetic system of Standard Mandarin can be represented using symbols, mainly in two systems:

  1. Hanyu Pinyin Scheme: the official Romanization system of the People’s Republic of China.
  2. International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA): a universal system for representing sounds of all languages.

Both Pinyin and IPA can record initials, finals, and tones, helping learners accurately master pronunciation.