Tone school
Neutral tone
Light, short, and unstressed—common on particles and many second syllables.
Where it appears
Particles like 吗、呢、吧 are typically neutral. Many kinship and everyday words lighten the second syllable: 妈妈、朋友.
Neutral tone pitch depends on the previous tone; beginners should aim for short and light first.
Do not assign a full citation contour to particles.
yes/no question particle
and…? / modal particle
mom
friend
Particles
吗 turns statements into yes/no questions.
呢 often follows up: 你呢？ 吧 softens suggestions.
的/了/着 often lighten in speech—learn them as grammar later, pronounce them lightly now.
suggestion particle
modifier particle
aspect/change particle
And you?
Second syllables
Many two-syllable words reduce the second syllable: 桌子 zhuōzi, 孩子 háizi.
If you over-stress the second syllable, speech sounds textbook-stiff.
Listen for shortened length more than exact pitch.
table
child
thing
Mr. / husband
Practice approach
Say the full-tone version, then lighten the particle/second syllable.
Always include a preceding full-tone syllable so neutral has a host.
Use trainer items marked tone 5.
Okay?
Is that so?
friends
we
Practice tips
- Do not give particles a full tone contour.
- Listen for shortened second syllables in two-syllable words.
- Practice 吗/呢/吧 after real statements.
- Keep neutral syllables shorter than the stressed syllable before them.