The Confusing Side of Changing Tones in Mandarin Chinese

Chinese is a tonal language and it can be very confusing. None of the overdose of memorizations in Chinese has done a thing. I tried using the Taoli application updates and found myself not hitting the 75% mark in the Pinyin lessons. I do feel I didn't master the subject until I hit 75% (passing) then tried to reach 80%. The final lesson in the Taoli Pinyin course is tonal change. If I still had that weekly report card from the Pinyin course, I think I'd get a red mark with a score I had with only 68% during my exercise last night.

It can be very confusing but here are a few rules to remember:

Vivid Chinese

This can be very confusing. From the Vivid Chinese, we can read this general rule of thumb to follow:

不 usually pronouns as “bù.” But it can change to “bú” when it follows by a 4th tone word.

一 pronouns as “yī.” But it can change to “yí” or “yì.”

And if you see two third tone in a row, the pronunciation of the first word will change to the second tone.

This can get confusing and hence why Pinyin, though easier, can eventually still be complicated. Maybe, I'd say that Pinyin is only slightly easier than Zhuyin. Despite using the Latin alphabet, Pinyin has a lot of rules. Sure, I don't have to memorize the pesky old Bopomofo table. However, Pinyin is basically Bopomofo transliterated into the Latin alphabet. I still call Pinyin "Bopomofo" (read here) because it serves the same purpose--to teach you how to read Chinese.

From Mandarin Blue Print, this can be a comment that I didn't throw back at any Chinese language teacher in the past:

OK OK, so we already know about Mandarin tones, but there are also tone changes. “Geez, Luke & Phil” you might be thinking, “First it’s tones, then it’s tone pairs, now this?! Why don’t I just switch my learning focus to rocket science or brain surgery? Clearly much easier than Mandarin Chinese!”
Alright alright, calm down hypothetical hyperbolic protestor, we’ve got you. Besides, everything seems harder than it is when you first look at it.

The tonal rules in Pinyin and Zhuyin are still the same. In Zhuyin, you needed to memorize a different set of characters. In Pinyin, you learned to combine the familiar Latin alphabet to transliterate the Zhuyin for non-Chinese speakers or to get a business permit in a non-Chinese-speaking area.

It's More Fun In The Philippines Thanks to the Filipino First Policy

I guess it can be called a day, right? This April 1, 2023 , I'm finally calling it quits with fighting for economic liberalization! Yes, that's right! All the advocacy for economic liberalization is just garbage. Why did I even spend so much time writing this blog only to find out that I've been duped? I hereby renounce everything I wrote here. I finally saw how brilliant the Filipino First Policy is. Man, what have I done? How much damage have I caused in advocating for economic liberalization? The greatest president we ever had was... High School Philippine History Movement It's time to listen to the economic genius known as the late Carlos P. Garcia. Yes, he has to be one of the greatest presidents that ever existed. I took this note from the Bohol Provincial Library and found this about CPG's Filipino First Policy ; CPG adopted the “Filipino First” Policy to promote greater Filipino participation in business, and to put the Filipinos in control of the economy...

Pinoy Pride Economics Helps in Drug Mule Recruitment

Al Jazeera Who can remember the execution of three drug mules in China on March 30, 2011 ? These were three separate cases where the three convicts were Sally Villanueva , Ramon Credo (who was cremated before his remains were brought home, and Elizabeth Batain (whose face was never shown). Sally had an episode in the GMA-7 TV show Magpakailanman, where her husband was personally interviewed by Mel Tiangco. We never got Sally on the big screen. The husband's side of the story said that his wife was guilty of a frame-up, while Mel herself said, "If the offer is too good to be true, don't take it, or you could end up in the same pickle." Take note that I'm just paraphrasing Mel's words, not saying the words she said. Reviewing the three drug mules who got arrested, based only on what's available for public viewing on the Internet If we read through the circumstances , this is how they were arrested, proving they weren't a trio: China has brushed aside...

The Good Old Days when Gasoline was Cheaper Under the Late Noynoy Aquino

Millennials' Voice I would like to clarify first and foremost that this post isn't an attempt to say that the late Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III's legacy was all bad. Some good things happened. However, let me be clear that it's stupid to say, " We don't need economic cha-cha because of the late Noynoy. " However, let me clear that I decided to write this because of a Facebook post called Millennials' Voice , which wrote this: Did you know that during President Noynoy Aquino's time, the price of oil in the world market was high, between $100 and $110 per barrel. But even with those high prices, gasoline and diesel at local pumps in the country were still relatively affordable. Under President Duterte, world oil prices went up and down, from a low of $41 to a high of $101 per barrel. The big jump to $101 in 2022 happened because of the war between Russia and Ukraine. Now, under the current president, world oil prices have gone up again to around $...

Yes, the Philippines Can Self-Industrialize Because Filipinos Are the Most Powerful Race in the World (NO JOKE)

Yes, you got that right! This meme is a fact that Filipinos are the most powerful race in the world. That has been proven by the Trust Me Bro Factcheckers of the Philippines. It's the case of Filipino Exceptionalism. One can read on Facebook something like, "How many times do I have to tell you that the Philippines isn't Vietnam/Singapore/China/Taiwan/Japan, etc.?" Ever read that? If you haven't then you must be exceptionally stupid. That's why the Philippines should never learn from other countries, especially from Singapore. Why are you always listening to foreigners? Why listen to the advice of a stinky Indian when you can have the advice of the best constitutionalist in the world, Atty. Hilario G. Davide Jr.? You say that nations of the world go to Kishore Mabhubani in Singapore instead. Forget them because the Philippines is so unique that it can do everything on its own. It was proven by the greatest president that the Philippines always had, namely Carl...

The Filipino First Policy Caused the Philippines to Succeed!

High School Philippine History Movement Yes, you read it right! I found a hidden gem that I should've read years ago! It's the book Nationalist Economics by the late Alejandro Lichauco, who is part of the magnificent IBON Foundation. It's a shame I refused to read it. I should've read Lichauco's book instead of the late Lee Kuan Yew's book From Third World to First . What a shame that I didn't look into the details that LKY was a dictator, that Flor Contemplacion was indeed innocent, and that Singapore is a state comparable to Nazi Germany. As I bought my copy of Nationalist Economics from the Trust Me Bro School of Economics--I'm now convinced that the Filipino First Policy caused us to succeed! LKY ruled Singapore for 31 years, meaning it's a frightening thing indeed! Six years is the magic number ot establish a benevolent rule! Who should we all listen to? Should we listen to foreigners or should we listen to our fellow Filipino? We must think st...

Business & Economics Perspective Blogger

Search This Blog