When you start learning Chinese, tones are probably the first thing that trips you up. The same syllable can mean completely different things depending on how you say it. Consider these four words: they all sound like “ma” to an English speaker, but in Chinese, …
Have you ever tried to imitate the Chinese pronunciation, only to accidentally mix up the four tones, turning “ǎ” into a string of “aaaa”? Don’t worry, this is a common challenge for every Chinese beginner.
In Chinese, tones refer to the pitch …
Do you want your Mandarin to sound more native-like to the ear? Understanding and applying these three tone sandhi rules can make all the difference in your pronunciation.
Mandarin Chinese is a tonal language, which means that the meaning …
When learning a new language there are literally hundreds of things you can do wrong. With a good teacher you can learn how to overcome your difficulties. Everyone makes many mistakes but some mistakes are more common than others. Here is a list of some …
