Mandarin tones are one of the hardest things about learning to speak Mandarin. There are four tones plus a neutral one, and if you have not been exposed to speaking with the tones in Chinese, it is quite a challenge. It's easy enough to get the rudiments...
More
Mandarin tones are one of the hardest things about learning to speak Mandarin. There are four tones plus a neutral one, and if you have not been exposed to speaking with the tones in Chinese, it is quite a challenge. It's easy enough to get the rudiments with plenty of practice, but to truly master the tones is something else again.
The tones in Mandarin do matter, too -- when I was growing up, my father and our many Chinese friends took delight in telling me when I pronounced the tones wrong. Often, when I tried to say "hello" I said instead, "You are a good horse."
Less
