4 Tones

In Mandarin there are four tones; four tones which are proving to be quite difficult for me to master.  First tone is simple enough, it is just a straight tone which is slightly held out.  I remember it by thinking it sounds like singing a single note!  Second tone is by far the hardest for me.  With this tone you raise your voice up.  My trick for this tone is it sounds as if you are asking a question when you use it.  Third tone is often considered a tricky one, but once you get it, it is pretty easy.  This tone dips down then back up.  Fourth tone is by far my favorite tone, your voice drops down, and in my opinion, it sounds more stern than the other ones.  I find it to be quite fitting that "bu" (no) is in fourth tone.  Now, although I can do all four tones one at a time, the real pain comes when I try to use them all back to back, such as in sentences.  Going from third to second is a particularly hard combination for me.  I often find when I am speaking Chinese, I say "to hell with the tones", and just drop them.  The problem with this of course is the fact that the tones signify the meaning of the word, and therefore by using the wrong tone or no tone at all, it can completely change the meaning of what you are saying.  UGH!  These tones are so difficult!  But, none the less, as much as I might gripe about them, the tones are what give Chinese the melodic quality which I love.  So, I guess what I am left to do is stop my whining, and keep practicing!