A Simple Guide to Tones in Mandarin and How to Place Tone Marks in Pinyin Spelling

Hanyu pinyin, the standard Romanization system for Mandarin Chinese, employs five distinct tone marks to represent the language's tonal nature. These marks appear above the core vowel of a syllable and are crucial for determining the Chinese characters and words that the speakers refer to, because many Chinese words or characters feature the same syllable combination. It is a rather grinding process to memorize the tone of each character, not to mention the change of tones when the tone pairs occur. But trust me, mastering the accurate tones is the secret to making you sound like a native Chinese!

What are the pinyin marks of the four tones and the neutral tone?

Let's start with some basics about Chinese pinyin tones! There are five tones in total: the flat tone, the rising tone, the falling and rising tone, the falling tone, and the neutral tone. Every Chinese character has its designated tone, but with some tone pairs, these designated tones need to be modified, which will be explained more in-depth in another section.

These tones are phonemic, meaning they change word meaning, making their accurate pronunciation and recognition fundamental to speaking and understanding Mandarin correctly.

What are the tone mark placement rules in Chinese pinyin?

Generally speaking, the rules can be explained in five points regarding how to place tone marks in standard Chinese:

a > o > e > i > u > ü

The core rule: mark the four tones following the vowel order a > o > e > i > u > ü, and the tone mark is placed on the vowel that comes first in this priority order. You don't need to transcribe the neutral tone. For example, if a syllable contains an a, the mark always goes on it.

Example: ,

If there is no a, then on o or e: These have equal priority.

Example: ,

iu, ui: the mark goes on the final vowel

This is the most common exception. When i and u combine as iu or ui, the mark goes on the final vowel.

Example: (liù)六,

The single vowel i: remove its dot

When a mark is placed on i, its dot is removed.

Example: ,

ü + j/q/x: remove its dot but still pronounce it as ü

When ü is combined with the consonants - j, q, or x, its two dots need to be removed for marking the tones in the pinyin system. Although it looks the same as u now, it is still pronounced as ü.

Example: ,

ü + n/l: mark the tone without removing the dots

When ü is with the consonants - n and l, the two dots need to be preserved.

Example: ,

Here is a Chinese poem to help you remember the tone placement in pinyin spelling

The five rules listed above may be difficult for Chinese learners to pick up and memorize. The good news is, there is a simple Chinese poem explaining the placement of tones in Mandarin, and it is so easy to for you to remember.

Here it goes:

The English translation of the poem is:

Should I type pinyin tone marks on the keyboard?

The answer is no, pretty straightforward for this question. Although pinyin and its tones are important for verbal communications, typing on a keyboard and inputting Chinese characters do not require a pinyin input with tones. Instead, Mandarin speakers use a keyboard to type pinyin without the tones and select which Chinese characters they want directly.

It's easier to start learning Chinese with a systematic approach

The first step is always difficult. That's why following a class and taking a systematic approach sometimes can make things easier. In the Chinese language, pinyin with tones not just follow the above-mentioned rules, but are also up to change when certain tone pairs and characters are combined. If you'd like to know more details on how to use tones properly, why not try our beginner courses?

They teach you Chinese pronunciation, and then 80% of the most common Chinese words and grammar patterns used in Chinese TV shows and movies. Learning a language can be a fun experience, with the help of the right media!

FAQs

Practice the tone rules of syllables when enjoying the media you like!

Think of Chinese tone marks as the emojis of speech! They are the essential pitch contours—flat, rising, dip-and-rise, and falling—that bring melody to words and prevent chaotic misunderstandings. The more media you consume, the more you are immersing yourself in the melody of Chinese sounds!

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