声调shēng diào

Tone practice

Tones are the part of Mandarin that English speakers hear last and need most. Listen to a syllable and name its tone, or read a character and say how it sounds — one question at a time, with the answer straight away.

Students trying archery on an afternoon out — Archery afternoon

Students dressing up for a cultural afternoon

An afternoon at the cinema with students

Back to Practice

Tone Quiz

Listen and identify tones, or see the character and pick the right tone.

Tones you can hear in the street

The syllables in these drills are the ones our students meet on their first week in Beihai — haggling at a market stall, reading a shop sign, asking for the bill.

A visit to the aquarium in Beihai — The aquarium

Students out on a walk in the countryside — Out in the countryside

Students playing Werewolf, in Chinese, at the school — Werewolf in Chinese

A trip to the market with students — At the market