汉字

Language & Characters

Demystify the world's oldest writing system. From Mandarin tones and pinyin to radical decomposition and stroke order, learn Chinese characters step by step.

Beginner

四声

The Four Tones of Mandarin

tones

Mandarin Chinese is a tonal language with four tones (plus a neutral tone). The same syllable spoken with different tones can mean completely different things — understanding tones is the essential first step.

tonespronunciationmandarinbeginner