Tone sandhi essentials

Goals

• Apply 不 tone change before tone 4
• Apply 一 tone changes in common number and verb patterns
• Change the first of two tone-3 syllables to tone 2
• Hear sandhi in high-frequency phrases like 你好 and 不是
• Separate dictionary citation tones from spoken phrase tones

Two third tones

When two tone-3 syllables meet, the first usually becomes tone 2 in speech.

Writing may still show original tones; you should pronounce the change.

你好、很好、可以 are daily sandhi examples worth drilling aloud.

不 before tone 4

不 is normally tone 4 (bù), but becomes tone 2 (bú) before another tone 4.

不是、不对、不要 are core beginner forms.

Before other tones, keep bù: 不好 bù hǎo.

一 tone changes

一 is yī alone or in counting out of context.

Before tone 4 it often becomes yí: 一个 yí ge, 一样 yíyàng.

Before tones 1–3 it often becomes yì: 一天 yì tiān, 一起 yìqǐ.

Why sandhi matters

Without sandhi, speech sounds stiff and harder for listeners to process.

You do not need every advanced sandhi rule on day one—master the big three first.

Listen in dialogues for bú and ní; your ear will start predicting the pattern.

Practice routine

Say citation forms, then immediately say the phrase forms.

Use the tone trainer items for 不 and 一, then put them into full sentences.

Record 我不是学生 and 你好 to check sandhi, not only isolated tones.

Takeaways

• Sandhi is about spoken rhythm; learn the high-frequency rules first.
• 你好 is the classic tone-3 + tone-3 example.
• Listen for bú before shì, duì, and other tone-4 words.
• Dictionary tones and spoken phrase tones can differ—both are useful.

Quick check