Why Learn Chinese Pronunciation?Why would one want to do so much for correct pronunciation of Chinese?
There are several factors to consider for learning Chinese pronunciation. Maybe the most important reason would be that the native Chinese speakers appreciate correct pronunciation far more than correct grammar. That is quite reasonable, just consider what the benefit of having perfectly correct grammar is, if none of the words are understood.
Second, if you get the Mandarin pronunciation wrong from the beginning, it will be a lot harder to correct later. What adds to that point, is the fact that learning Chinese pronunciation does have a few similarities with English, but it does also have quite a few difficult differences.
The third reason is a bit softer, but not to be neglected though. When you have good Chinese pronunciation, the Chinese will commend you for speaking their language very clearly and being easy to understand, adding to your self-confidence, and encouraging you to continue extending your vocabulary and knowledge of grammar.
Chinese is a tonal language. Tones are the changes of the pitch in pronunciation of a syllable. There are 4 tones in Mandarin Chinese. Each Chinese word (character) carries a tone. Different tones carry different meanings.
Click on the Pinyin in the table below you will hear different tones.