Course in Modern Mandarin Chinese

Lesson 2 Workbook 13

1.2. Contour tone + neutral tone

Here is a list of words in which the second syllable occurs in neutral tone. Listen and repeat
each word. Which of these words have we learned in Lessons 1 and 2?

1 + neutral  2 + neutral  3 + neutral  4 + neutral

tAmen xuésheng nHmen bàba

mAma péngyou wJge nàli

dDngxi tián de wImen dìfang

1.3. Third tone change

Here are two-syllable phrases in which the basic tone of both syllables is third tone. Listen
to each syllable in its original tone and then repeat the phrase with the changed tone. For
this exercise, the changed tone is indicated in the Pinyin spelling.

3 + 3 → 2 + 3

nH hFo

wI hFo

yG hFo

yG xiFo

qHng nH

qHng wI

wI yG

nH yG

→ → → → → → → →

ní hFo

wó hFo

yé hFo

yé xiFo

qíng nH

qíng wI

wó yG

ní yG

Listen and repeat these two-syllable expressions, paying attention to the pronunciation of
the third tone.

3 + 1  3 + 2  3 + 3  3 + 4

lFoshC MGiguó nH hFo mFimài

XiFo GAo nFguó yG hFo qHng wèn

mGitiAn xiFoshí xiFomH mGilì

tIngyC FFguó shIubiFo gJdài