Magic Chinese

FOUNDATION II

Pinyin Pronunciation and Tones: Exercise

(一) Pronunciation

The Hanyu PinyinSystem (a.k.a. Pinyin) is the primary phonetic system used in this book.Pinyinhas three components: the initial, the final, and the tone. There are 21initials and 38 finals inmodern Chinese. A pinyinsyllable may have three elements (an initial, medial and a final together) or simply with a final standing alone as the sound, but a pinyin syllable cannot be composed of an initial alone. Now, let’s take a look at the three components here:Initial (consonant): see first column below; Medial (vowel on –glide): i, u, ü; Final/Rhyme(e.g.,chao,dang, lao, pie, piao,tian, bang, mian, qiang)

Initials / Medial / Finals / Combined Finals
b / a / (i) ya, ia
P / o / yo
m / e / ye, -ie
f / ê
d / ai
t / ei
n / ao / yao, -iao
l / ou / you, -iu
g / an / yan, -ian
k / en / yin, -in
h / ang / yang, -iang
j / eng / ying,-ing
q / er / (u) wa,-ua
x / i / yi, -i / wo,-uo
zh(i) / u / wu ,-u / wai,-uai
ch(i) / ü / yu,-u / ü / wei, -ui
sh(i) / wan, -uan
r(i) / wen, -un
z(i) / wang, -uang
c(i) / weng, -ong
s(i) / (ü) yue, -üe
yuan, -üan
yun, -ün
yong. -iong

(二) Tone

Some people saythat Chinese is musical, because Chinese is a language with tones. Different tones express different meanings. The great Chinese Linguist Y. R. Chao (1892-1982) even drew tones on a musical scale to reflect the tonal differences of Chinese sounds. There are four basic tones in addition to a neutral tone whichare represented by the following tone-indicators:

Pitch Values of tones:

1. 1st tone: / — / 55 highest pitch, prolong /ma1/ (mother)
2. 2nd tone: / ˊ / 35 rising tone /ma2/ (hemp)
3. 3rd tone: / ˇ / 214 low dipping /ma3/ (horse)
4. 4th tone: / ˋ / 51 high-falling, abrupt, short /ma4/ (to scold)
5. Neutral: / Position varied /ma/ (interrogative particle)

Practice the four tones

b1 b2b3 b4 y9y0y- y=

1i 2i 3i 4ish9 sh0 sh- sh=

w5i w6i w7i w8i y1n y2n y3n y4n

z1o z2o z3o z4o l% l/ l& l*

Practice disyllabic words

1st tone + 1st tone

x9gu1 (watermelon) j9nti1n(today) y9ngg1i(should)

1st + 2nd tone

h5ch2 zh!ngw6n y9nggu@

(drink tea) (Chinese language) (England)

1st tone + 3rd tone

h5ib3ndu!sh3ozh!ngw&

(black board)(how many)(noon)

1st + 4th tone

gu1nsh4ngji1ji4oy9nw8i

(close)(tutor)(because)

2nd tone + 1st tone

ni/n3igu@ji1chu2nzh5n

(milk)(country)(fax)

2nd tone + 2nd tone

m0ngti1nch/f2ngn2nh2i

(tomorrow)(kitchen)(boy)

2nd tone + 3rd tone

p6ngy#ur/gu#p0nggu#

(friend)(if)(apple)

2nd + 4th tone

ch6ngsh= n2nk4nqi2nmi4n

(city)(ugly)(in front)

3rd + 1st tone

x-hu1nhu#ch5m7ij9n

(like)(train)(US dollar)

3rd + 2nd tone

d3qi/l{x0ngy-qi2n

(to play ball)(to travel)(before)

3rd + 3rd tone

z#ngt#ngli3ngb3ishu-gu#

(president)(two hundred)(fruit)

3rd + 4th tone

z3osh4ngq-ngk8k7l8

(morning)(invite)(cola)

4th + 1st tone

mi4nb1od4ng1oxi4nj9n

(bread)(cake)(cash)

4th + 2nd tone

d4xu6 d=t/s=sh0

(university)(map)(forty)

4th + 3rd tone

li*di3n h4nb3o di4ny-ng

(six o’clock) (hamburger) (movie)

4th + 4th tone

r8nsh=ku4il8g4os*

(to know)(happy)(to tell)

Practice neutral tone

ku4iziw#menxi1nshengxi8xie

(chopsticks)(we)(Mr.)(thanks)

b4bam1may6yen3inai

(father)(mother)(grandpa)(grandma)

Combination Practice:

(一)Chinese Poem Read Aloud詩歌朗誦(sh9g5 l3ngs$ng)

Appreciation of a Tang Poem by Luo, Binwang (638-684 A.D.)
This is a very famous Chinese poem ‘Yong E’written by China’s Lu$ B9nw2ng (唐朝駱賓王)during the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618-907).It is said that he wrote this poem when he was at the age of seven. See if you can recite this poem with a joyful, poetic tone of voice and pay attention to the tone inflection at the same time. Have fun reciting!
/
咏鵝Y#ng [
/ Goose Rhapsody
Goose, goose, goose,

(二)Tongue Twisters

Read them slowly the first few times to ensure accuracy of tone and pronunciation. Then, do your best to perform with speed.

1. Ch9p/t2ob*t&p/t2op0 ,b*ch9p/t2od4ot&p/t2op0. 。

The person who eatsgrapefruits doesn’t spit the peels (skins) out; yet, he whodoesn’t eat grapefruitsspit the peels out.

2. M1ma q0 m3, m3 m4n, m1ma m4 m3.

Mother rides her horse; slowly the horse walks. Mother scolds the horse.

3. Zh8r y0g$ng y#u s=sh0s= zh9 sh9zi，

b*zh9 sh= s=sh0s= zh9 s- sh9zi,

h2ish= s=sh0s= zh9 sh0sh9zi?

Here are forty-four lions altogether, but it is unknown that they are forty-four dead lions, or forty-four stone lions.

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