Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar

SyLLAbLe, MeAnIng, And wOrd

2.3

2.2.1.3 Abbreviation
Words and phrases that are longer than two syllables are often abbreviated to two syllables.
The two syllables that form the new, abbreviated word are typically the first syllable of each
of the words in the phrase or the first two syllables of the first word in the phrase, though other
combinations occur.
超级市场/超級市場 chāojí shìchǎng supermarket → 超市 chāoshì
公共汽车/公共汽車 gōnggòng qìchē public bus → 公车/公車 gōngchē
飞机场/飛機場 fēijīchǎng airport → 机场/機場 jīchǎng

2.3 Word-specific tone changes

In addition to the tone changes mentioned in section 1.1.3 for all third-tone syllables, there are

certain tone changes that occur in specific words.

2.3.1 Tone change in the word 不 bù

不 bù changes to bú when it occurs before another fourth-toned syllable in the same word,

phrase, or breath group:

4–4 → 2–4

不对/不對 bù duì → bú duì

not correct

不必 bù bì → bú bì

need not

2.3.2 Tone change in the numbers 一 yC ‘1,’ 七 qC ‘7,’ and 八 bA ‘8’

The tone of the numbers 一 yī ‘1,’ and, less commonly, 七 qī ‘7,’ and 八 bā ‘8’ may change

to second tone yí, qí, and bá before a fourth-toned syllable in the same word, phrase, or breath

group:

1–4 → 2–4

一共 yīgòng → yígòng

altogether

一定 yīdìng → yídìng

certainly

一輩子 yī bèizi → yí bèizi

a lifetime

七块钱/七塊錢 qī kuài qián → qí kuài qián

seven dollars

八倍 bā bèi → bá bèi

eightfold