Tone school
Tone 4: sharp falling
Start relatively high and fall quickly—decisive, not angry.
How it feels
Tone 4 is short and clear. English speakers sometimes under-fall; make the drop obvious without shouting.
Start high enough that the fall is audible.
Avoid turning tone 4 into a long frustrated sigh.
to scold
to be
to look
not (citation tone)
Everyday tone-4 words
是、在、去、要、见、饭 are common falling syllables.
Practice them in short commands and statements.
Keep emotion separate from contour.
at / in
to go
to want
rice / meal
Sandhi with 不
不 becomes bú before tone 4: 不是、不对、不要.
Practice citation bù, then phrase bú shì.
This is one of the highest-value beginner pronunciation fixes.
is not
incorrect
don’t want
it’s not me
Contrast drills
Contrast mà with mā, and shì with possible confusions in context.
Tone 4 should not sound like a lowered tone 1; it must fall.
Record 我是学生 and check 是.
level vs fall
big
look
goodbye
Practice tips
- Contrast mà with mā on purpose.
- Remember 不 becomes bú before tone 4.
- Make the fall clear without increasing volume a lot.
- Drill 是/在/去/要 as a falling warm-up.