1:10
The First Tone
When attempting to master the four tones of Chinese, what better tone to start with than the very first tone? Also known as the 'flat tone', the first tone is the most consistent tone of of all in that it doesn't dip, raise, or anything. In this FluentU audio slideshow, follow along (don't be shy now) and master the sounds of the first tone while learning some essential newbie vocab while you're at it.
1:20
The Second Tone
You know how in English we raise our tone slightly at the end of a statement to create a question? Well in Chinese, the second tone sounds a lot like that. In this FluentU audio slideshow, rise to the challenge and master the second tone, also known as the 'rising tone', all while learning some of the most useful second tone words around.
1:21
The Third Tone
The third tone, or the 'dipping' tone, is arguably the funnest of the four Chinese tones. It starts a bit low, gets even lower, and then dips back up. If that's not enough to get you dropping third tones all over the place, don't worry - in this FluentU audio slideshow, practice your third tones until you master them with a multitude of slow and useful examples of some of the most common third tone words you can find.
1:11
The Fourth Tone
The fourth and final tone, also known as the falling tone. It's what gives some people the impression that Chinese speakers are arguing, when in fact they're having a calm and pleasant conversation - just with a lot of fourth tones. Well, in this FluentU audio slideshow featuring some common and useful fourth tone words, take action and learn to master this most deliberate of tones for yourself.
1:55
Tones One Through Four
So you've mastered each of the four tones individually - well, now it's time to practice all four in succession. In this FluentU audio slideshow, practice all four tones via groups of useful and essential vocabulary ordered from the first tone to the final fourth.
2:08
The Four Tones in Use
So you've started to master the tones individually, you've even practiced them alongside one another - in this FluentU audio slideshow though, get ready to put both the tones and the words you've been learning to use. Practice with expressions and full sentences each containing one of every tone, all presented in an intuitive step-by-step manner. You'll even learn a fun and easy Chinese idiom while you're at it!
