Chinese Speaking - Tone Shift Rules -

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Haley -

A) Are the tone shift rules in the link below correct? I'm confused because on some learning sites
I've heard phrases spoken without applying the tone shift rules.

http://www.chinese-outpost.com/langu...in-chinese.asp

B) Are there any other tone shift rules that I should be aware of?

Thanks in advance for our help.



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Jose -

Yes, the information in that website is basically right.

The other tone shift you need to be aware of is the one that affects the numeral 一 , which is
yī when pronounced on its own, but when followed by a measure word becomes yí before a fourth
tone and yì before the other tones. So, 一本书 is pronounced yìběn shū and 一辆汽车 is
yíliàng qìchē. Note that the measure word 个 is usually pronounced with a light tone, but the
original stressed reading is gè, which explains why 一 is also read as yí in front of it:
一个人 yíge rén.

I think for some speakers the numerals 七 and 八 undergo the same changes as 一, but it doen't
seem to be a universal rule, so I suppose we learners can ignore it. I always try to say 八个人
as bāge rén. I wonder if it would sound better as báge rén.










skylee -



Quote:

I wonder if it would sound better as báge rén.

It sounds strange.










againstwind -

on the sandhi of 不 and 一:
http://www. /showpo...10&postcount=5

and another on the sandhi of 3rd tone:
http://www. /showpo...10&postcount=5










Toeng-tsoi -

I was wondering..
I've heard that with the sandhi of the 3rd tone you only have to apply it when speaking, when you
write, you just write the original pinyin, but when speaking, you have to pronounce it different
as those rules say, is this right? So you just write "nǐ hǎo", but pronounce "ní hǎo".

If so, is it the same with "yī" and "bù"? Do you just write the original tone, and only notice
the difference when speaking?

Thanks
-Lorenzo










skylee -



Quote:


Originally Posted by Toeng-tsoi

I've heard that with the sandhi of the 3rd tone you only have to apply it when speaking, when you
write, you just write the original pinyin, but when speaking, you have to pronounce it different
as those rules say, is this right? So you just write "nǐ hǎo", but pronounce "ní hǎo".

If so, is it the same with "yī" and "bù"?


Yes that's right. Yes it is the same with 一 and 不.










Toeng-tsoi -

Oki, thanks for confirming that for me










shikang -

In our chinese class (and in our books) we write pinyin of the bu and yi with the tone that is
actually spoken, but with the third tone changes we don't write as second tone etc.










HashiriKata -



Quote:

we write pinyin of the bu and yi with the tone that is actually spoken, but with the third tone
changes we don't write as second tone etc.

This is exactly how it should be done because the change of tones for bu and yi is fixed whereas
the change of tone for a string of third tone syllables depends also on the speaker and how s/he
speaks.










Toeng-tsoi -

Ouch, gotto love the conflicting theorie's lol..
Personally I've seen both done very much, so that's why I was doubting.
I see people leaving the original and people writing the changed tones.
Any more who want to give their opinion on this or who know 100 % sure what the basic rule is?












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