Learn Mandarin Chinese Tones and Pronunciation 2

Question 1

Which of the following pinyin initials represents a sound NOT found in English?

Accepted Answer

x

Answer

The Mandarin 'x' is a palatal fricative, a sound that does not exist in English and requires special practice.

Question 2

In pinyin, the letter combination 'zh' is pronounced similarly to which English sound?

Accepted Answer

j in 'judge'

Answer

'zh' in pinyin is a retroflex consonant similar to the 'j' sound in English, but with the tongue curled back.

Question 3

What is the neutral (fifth) tone in Mandarin also called?

Accepted Answer

Light tone

Answer

The neutral tone is commonly called the 'light tone' because it is spoken quickly and lightly without a distinct pitch contour.

Question 4

Which Mandarin final (rhyme) is represented by 'ü' in pinyin?

Accepted Answer

A rounded front vowel like French 'u'

Answer

'ü' represents a rounded front vowel, pronounced by rounding your lips as if saying 'oo' while saying 'ee'.

Question 5

In Mandarin, tone sandhi refers to which phenomenon?

Accepted Answer

A tone changing when followed by another specific tone

Answer

Tone sandhi is the process by which a tone changes depending on the tone of the following syllable, most notably two third tones in a row become third + second.

Learn Mandarin Chinese Practice Test

Learn Mandarin Chinese Practice Test

Learn Mandarin Chinese Tones and Pronunciation 2