Tips & Tricks

Tips for learning Chinese: tones, phonetics, writing, and more.

  • 不 bù before fourth tone becomes second tone (bú)

    The negation 不 bù changes to bú (second tone) when followed by a fourth-tone syllable. Examples: 不去 búqù (not go), 不好 búhǎo (not good).

  • Two third tones in a row: the first becomes second tone

    When two consecutive syllables both have third tone, the first changes to second tone. Examples: 你好 nǐhǎo → níhǎo (hello), 老鼠 lǎoshǔ → láoshǔ (mouse).