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Tone Pairs and Tone Sandhi: Producing Natural Tone Changes

Capítulo 5

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Why tone pairs and sandhi matter

In real Mandarin, tones rarely happen in isolation. Your ear and mouth must handle tone-to-tone transitions with steady timing, and you must apply a few predictable tone changes (tone sandhi) so your speech sounds natural. This chapter trains two skills: (1) moving smoothly between any two tones, and (2) applying the most frequent sandhi rules automatically in phrases.

(1) Tone pair practice grid (1-1, 1-2, 1-3…)

Use a small set of high-frequency syllables so you can focus on pitch movement, not vocabulary. Keep each syllable the same length (consistent timing). Aim for one clean pitch target per syllable, then connect them smoothly.

Core syllables for the grid

mā (ma), mí (mi), hǎo (hao), shì (shi)
These syllables are common and easy to pronounce clearly.

Practice method (repeatable routine)

Step 1: Tap timing (two equal taps): tap once per syllable to prevent rushing the second syllable.
Step 2: Hum the tones on “mm” first (no consonants), then add the syllables.
Step 3: Keep volume steady: don’t get louder on falling tones; let pitch do the work.
Step 4: Record 3–5 repetitions per pair; choose the best one and repeat it 5 more times.

Tone pair grid (use mā + target syllable)

Pair	Example	What to watch
1-1	mā mā	Two level targets; avoid drifting upward on the second.
1-2	mā má	Second syllable rises; don’t start the rise too late.
1-3	mā mǎ	Third tone is low; keep it compact in connected speech (don’t over-dip).
1-4	mā mà	Clean drop on the second; keep first tone steady.
2-1	má mā	Rise then level; don’t let the first rise turn into a question-like extra lift.
2-2	má má	Two rises; keep them separate (rise twice, not one long glide).
2-3	má mǎ	Rise then low; land the second syllable low without adding a late rise.
2-4	má mà	Rise then fall; make the switch crisp at the syllable boundary.
3-1	mǎ mā	Low then level; avoid “popping up” too high into tone 1.
3-2	mǎ má	Low then rise; keep the rise on the second syllable, not at the end of the first.
3-3	mǎ mǎ	Two lows; in real speech this often triggers sandhi (covered next).
3-4	mǎ mà	Low then fall; keep the fall strong without shortening the second syllable.
4-1	mà mā	Fall then level; don’t let tone 1 start too low after the fall.
4-2	mà má	Fall then rise; keep the rise clear and not “flat.”
4-3	mà mǎ	Fall then low; keep the second syllable low and stable.
4-4	mà mà	Two falls; avoid turning it into one long fall across both syllables.

Quick “smooth transition” drill (30 seconds)

Pick one row (e.g., all 1-x pairs) and do: mā mā → mā má → mā mǎ → mā mà. Keep the first syllable identical each time; only change the second tone.

(2) Third-tone sandhi (3+3 → 2+3)

When two third tones occur back-to-back, the first one changes to a second tone in normal speech. This is not optional in natural Mandarin.

Rule

3 + 3 → 2 + 3

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How to produce it (step-by-step)

Step 1: Identify 3rd tones in the phrase (look at tone marks).
Step 2: If you see 3+3, change the first to tone 2.
Step 3: Say it with equal timing: don’t rush the second syllable.
Step 4: Keep the second syllable low (third tone target) and avoid adding an extra rise unless the phrase ends and you naturally lift.

Examples (with tone marks and sandhi result)

Underlying tones	Written	Spoken (sandhi)	Say it like
3 + 3	nǐ hǎo	ní hǎo	rise + low
3 + 3	lǎo shǔ	láo shǔ	rise + low
3 + 3	hěn hǎo	hén hǎo	rise + low

Listening identification (train your ear)

Play or ask a partner/teacher/TTS to say each phrase naturally. Your job is to decide whether the first syllable sounds like tone 2 (rising) or tone 3 (low). Use this checklist:

If the first syllable clearly rises into the second, it’s likely sandhi (2+3).
If both syllables sound low and heavy, it may be careful speech or unnatural pacing; in fluent speech, 3+3 usually becomes 2+3.

Production drill (minimal pairs style)

Alternate “careful” vs “natural” to feel the difference, then commit to the natural version.

Careful (slow, dictionary): nǐ hǎo (3+3)  — for awareness only
Natural (normal speed):     ní hǎo (2+3)

Careful: lǎo shǔ (3+3)
Natural: láo shǔ (2+3)

Careful: hěn hǎo (3+3)
Natural: hén hǎo (2+3)

Tip: If your “natural” version still sounds like 3+3, slightly start higher on the first syllable and let it rise; then keep the second syllable low and steady.

(3) “Bù” sandhi and “yī” tone change

A. “Bù” sandhi: bù → bú before 4th tone

Rule: bù changes to bú when the next syllable is 4th tone.

Underlying	Spoken	Phrase	Notes
bù + shì (4)	bú shì	不是	Rise then fall; keep the boundary clear.

Step-by-step:

Step 1: Look ahead: is the next tone 4th?
Step 2: If yes, say bú (tone 2) instead of bù (tone 4).
Step 3: Practice as a tone pair: 2-4 (bú shì), not 4-4.

B. “Yī” tone change: yī → yí / yì depending on context

Core idea: yī changes tone when it comes before another syllable.

Before a 4th tone: yī → yí (tone 2)
Before a 1st/2nd/3rd tone: yī → yì (tone 4)
When said alone or for counting/numbering: often stays yī (tone 1)

Context	Underlying	Spoken	Phrase	Tone pair to feel
Before 4th tone	yī + tiān (1+1? actually tiān is 1, but example requested)	yì tiān	一天	4-1
Before 4th tone	yī + gè (gè is 4)	yí gè	一个	2-4
Before 3rd tone	yī + běn (běn is 3)	yì běn	一本	4-3
Alone / number	yī	yī	一	1 (single)

Step-by-step for “yī”:

Step 1: Check the next syllable’s tone.
Step 2: If next is 4th tone, use yí (tone 2).
Step 3: If next is 1st/2nd/3rd, use yì (tone 4).
Step 4: Drill as tone pairs (2-4, 4-1, 4-3) until automatic.

(4) Phrase-level practice: mark tones → predict sandhi → listen → repeat + record

This is where tone rules become speech habits. For each sentence: (1) mark tones, (2) predict sandhi, (3) listen to a natural model, (4) repeat, (5) record yourself and compare.

How to mark and predict (simple workflow)

Step 1: Write tone marks above each syllable (or use numbered tones).
Step 2: Circle any 3+3 sequences and apply 3+3 → 2+3.
Step 3: Underline bù before 4th tone and change to bú.
Step 4: Box any yī before another syllable and change to yí (before 4th) or yì (before 1/2/3).

Practice set (short, high-utility sentences)

Sentence (characters)	Pinyin (underlying)	Predict sandhi (what you should say)
你好！	nǐ hǎo	ní hǎo
很好。	hěn hǎo	hén hǎo
不是。	bù shì	bú shì
一个人。	yī gè rén	yí gè rén
一天很好。	yī tiān hěn hǎo	yì tiān hén hǎo
一本书。	yī běn shū	yì běn shū
你好，不是很好。	nǐ hǎo, bù shì hěn hǎo	ní hǎo, bú shì hén hǎo

Listening + repetition protocol (do this exactly)

1st listen: Don’t speak. Just track where pitch rises/falls.
2nd listen: Whisper the rhythm only (tap syllables), no pitch.
3rd listen + speak: Speak softly, matching pitch movement.
Record: Say the sentence 3 times. On playback, check: (a) did you apply sandhi, (b) are syllables evenly timed, (c) are tone transitions clear?

Self-check cues (fast diagnostics)

If ní hǎo sounds like two low syllables, your first syllable didn’t rise enough (you kept 3 instead of changing to 2).
If bú shì sounds like two falls, you forgot bù sandhi; reset and drill 2-4 slowly, then speed up.
If yí gè sounds like yì gè, you used the wrong rule: before 4th tone, it must be yí.

Now answer the exercise about the content:

In normal speech, how should you pronounce two third tones back-to-back (3+3) to sound natural?

You are right! Congratulations, now go to the next page

You missed! Try again.

When two third tones occur together, the first one changes to tone 2 in natural speech: 3+3 → 2+3. This creates a rise on the first syllable followed by a low third-tone target.