biàndiào: 变调 - Tone Sandhi, Tone Change

• Keywords: Chinese tone change, tone sandhi, Chinese tones, biandiao, 变调, third tone rule, pinyin tones, learning Chinese tones, Mandarin pronunciation rules, how to sound natural in Chinese.
• Summary: In Mandarin Chinese, 变调 (biàndiào), known as “tone sandhi,” is the essential pronunciation rule where a syllable's tone changes based on the tone of the syllable that follows it. Far from being an obscure linguistic detail, mastering tone sandhi is the key to speaking smooth, natural-sounding Chinese and being clearly understood. The most famous example is the “third tone rule,” which transforms how common words like 你好 (nǐ hǎo) are actually pronounced. This page will break down the simple, predictable rules of biàndiào to help you start speaking more like a native speaker.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): biàndiào
• Part of Speech: Noun (linguistics)
• HSK Level: N/A (This is a fundamental concept, not a vocabulary item on HSK lists)
• Concise Definition: A phonological rule in Mandarin Chinese where the original tone of a syllable is modified when combined with other specific tones in speech.
• In a Nutshell: Think of `变调` as a “pronunciation combo move.” Just like fluent English speakers naturally say “gonna” instead of “going to,” Chinese speakers automatically adjust tones to make words flow together smoothly. It’s not random—it follows a few simple rules that make the language more melodic and less clunky. The most important one involves the tricky third tone, which changes its sound to avoid awkward pronunciation gymnastics.

• 变 (biàn): To change, to transform, or to become. Think of a chameleon changing colors.
• 调 (diào): Tone, tune, or melody. This character is also used in words like “melody” (曲调 qǔdiào) and “adjust” (调整 tiáozhěng).
• Together, 变调 (biàndiào) literally means “tone change” or “tone transformation,” a perfectly descriptive name for this linguistic phenomenon.

While `变调` isn't a cultural term like 关系 (guānxi), its existence reveals something deep about the “culture” of the Chinese language itself: it is fundamentally melodic. In English, we use stress and intonation to add emotion or change a statement into a question (e.g., “You're going home.” vs. “You're going home?”). The core meaning of the word “home” doesn't change. In Chinese, however, the tone is part of the word's core identity—`mā` (妈, mom) is a completely different word from `mǎ` (马, horse). `变调` is the system that allows these meaningful tones to coexist and flow together without sounding disjointed. It's the “tonal grammar” that connects individual notes (words) into a smooth melody (a sentence). A speaker who ignores `变调` sounds robotic and foreign, like a person speaking English with the wrong syllable stress. Therefore, mastering `变调` is a sign of linguistic respect and a crucial step from just “knowing” Chinese to truly “speaking” it.

`变调` is not an optional rule for advanced speakers; it's a mandatory part of everyday spoken Mandarin. Here are the most critical rules you'll use constantly.

The third tone (a dipping-then-rising tone) is the most unstable and is almost always modified in speech.

• Rule 1: Third Tone + Third Tone
  • When two third-tone syllables are next to each other, the first third tone changes into a second (rising) tone.
  • Formula: 3 + 3 → 2 + 3
  • Example: 你好 (nǐ hǎo) is pronounced as ní hǎo.
• Rule 2: Third Tone + Any Other Tone (1st, 2nd, 4th, Neutral)
  • When a third-tone syllable is followed by any tone other than a third tone, it becomes a “half-third tone.”
  • A “half-third tone” is just the first part of the full third tone: a low, dipping sound that does not rise back up. This makes your speech much faster and more fluid.
  • Formula: 3 + [1, 2, 4, or neutral] → “half-3” + [1, 2, 4, or neutral]
  • Example: 很好 (hěn hǎo) is pronounced with the `hěn` as a low, short tone.

The tone of the number “one” changes depending on the word that follows it.

• Rule 1: Before a 4th tone, `一` (yī) becomes a 2nd tone, yí.
  • Example: 一个 (yī ge) → yí ge
• Rule 2: Before a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd tone, `一` (yī) becomes a 4th tone, yì.
  • Example: 一天 (yī tiān) → yì tiān
• Rule 3: When used alone, as an ordinal number (e.g., “first”), or at the end of a word, `一` (yī) remains the 1st tone, yī.
  • Example: 第一 (dì yī), 星期一 (xīngqī yī)

The negative word “not” has one simple rule.

• Rule 1: Before a 4th tone, `不` (bù) becomes a 2nd tone, bú.
  • Example: 不是 (bù shì) → bú shì
• Rule 2: In all other situations (before a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or neutral tone), `不` (bù) remains the 4th tone, bù.
  • Example: 不好 (bù hǎo), 不吃 (bù chī)

The following sentences are examples of `变调` in action. The word `变调` itself is a linguistic term and won't appear in the sentences.

• Example 1:
• 你好！你好吗？
• Pinyin: Ní hǎo! Nǐ hǎo ma?
• English: Hello! How are you?
• Analysis: This is the classic example of the 3+3 tone sandhi. The first `你` (nǐ) is followed by `好` (hǎo), so it changes to the 2nd tone (`ní`). In the second phrase, `你` is not followed by a 3rd tone, so it remains a 3rd tone (or half-third).
• Example 2:
• 我很好，谢谢。
• Pinyin: Wǒ hén hǎo, xièxie.
• English: I am very good, thank you.
• Analysis: Another 3+3 → 2+3 rule. `很` (hěn) changes to `hén` because it is followed by `好` (hǎo).
• Example 3:
• 你可以给我你的手机号码吗？
• Pinyin: Nǐ kéyǐ gěi wǒ nǐ de shǒujī hàomǎ ma?
• English: Can you give me your cell phone number?
• Analysis: The word `可以` (kěyǐ) is made of two 3rd tones. The first character `可` (kě) changes to a 2nd tone (`ké`).
• Example 4:
• 我想买一个苹果。
• Pinyin: Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yí ge píngguǒ.
• English: I want to buy an apple.
• Analysis: This sentence has two instances of `变调`. First, `想买` (xiǎng mǎi) is a 3+3 pair, but it's often pronounced as a half-third `xiǎng` followed by a full `mǎi`. More clearly, `一个` (yī ge) demonstrates the rule for “一”: before a 4th tone (or a neutral tone derived from a 4th tone like `个`), `yī` becomes `yí`.
• Example 5:
• 我不是美国人。
• Pinyin: Wǒ bú shì Měiguó rén.
• English: I am not American.
• Analysis: This demonstrates the rule for `不` (bù). Because it comes before `是` (shì), which is a 4th tone, `bù` changes to the 2nd tone, `bú`.
• Example 6:
• 他不知道。
• Pinyin: Tā bù zhīdào.
• English: He doesn't know.
• Analysis: Here, `不` (bù) is followed by `知` (zhī), a 1st tone. Therefore, it remains a 4th tone and does not change.
• Example 7:
• 我们去吃一点儿东西吧。
• Pinyin: Wǒmen qù chī yìdiǎnr dōngxi ba.
• English: Let's go eat a little something.
• Analysis: The rule for `一` (yī) in action. It comes before `点` (diǎn), a 3rd tone, so it changes to the 4th tone, `yì`.
• Example 8:
• 这家商店星期一关门。
• Pinyin: Zhè jiā shāngdiàn xīngqīyī guānmén.
• English: This store is closed on Monday.
• Analysis: Here, `一` (yī) is at the end of the word `星期一` (Monday), so it retains its original 1st tone. No sandhi occurs.
• Example 9:
• 这位老师教得很好。
• Pinyin: Zhè wèi lǎoshī jiāo de hěn hǎo.
• English: This teacher teaches very well.
• Analysis: An example of the half-third tone. `老` (lǎo) is a 3rd tone, and `师` (shī) is a 1st tone. In speech, `lǎo` is pronounced with a low, dipping tone that doesn't rise. You don't say `láo shī`.
• Example 10:
• 我也很好。
• Pinyin: Wǒ yé hěn hǎo.
• English: I am also very good.
• Analysis: This shows how tone sandhi works in a sequence of three 3rd tones. The phrase is broken into groups. The first two, `我` and `也`, become 2nd tones, but a more natural way is to treat `我也` and `很好` as pairs. `wǒ yě` → `wó yě` and `hěn hǎo` → `hén hǎo`. A common pronunciation is `wó yé hǎo`. The key takeaway is that you almost never pronounce three full third tones in a row.

• Mistake 1: Writing the Changed Tone. A huge point of confusion for learners. In almost all textbooks and standard Pinyin, you write the original tone, not the pronounced tone. You write `nǐ hǎo`, but you must remember to say `ní hǎo`. The change is a spoken rule, not a written one.
• Mistake 2: Ignoring Tone Sandhi. Speaking Chinese without `变调` is like speaking English without any rhythm or stress. It sounds very unnatural and can even cause misunderstanding. It is the number one sign of a beginner.
• Mistake 3: Confusing it with English Intonation. Remember, `变调` is a mandatory phonological rule, not a choice for emotional expression. Saying `bù shì` instead of `bú shì` isn't a stylistic choice; it's simply incorrect pronunciation.
• Incorrect Usage: A student sees the characters `我很好` and reads them out loud as “wǒ… hěn… hǎo…”, pronouncing each third tone fully and separately.
• Why it's wrong: While technically correct for each individual character, it's completely unnatural in a sentence. The flow of speech requires the tones to change into “wó hén hǎo” to be smooth and understandable.

• 声调 (shēngdiào) - The base concept of tones in Chinese, of which `变调` is a core rule.
• 拼音 (pīnyīn) - The official romanization system for Mandarin. Understanding pinyin and its tone marks is necessary to learn `变调`.
• 轻声 (qīngshēng) - The “neutral tone,” where a syllable loses its original tone and becomes short and unstressed. This is another form of tone modification.
• 发音 (fāyīn) - The general term for “pronunciation.” Mastering `变调` is a huge part of improving your `发音`.
• 普通话 (pǔtōnghuà) - Mandarin Chinese. These `变调` rules are specific to Standard Mandarin. Other Chinese dialects like Cantonese have their own, different tone sandhi rules.
• 声母 (shēngmǔ) - The initial consonant of a syllable (e.g., the 'b' in 'bà').
• 韵母 (yùnmǔ) - The final vowel part of a syllable (e.g., the 'a' in 'bà').