Ch 2 · Lesson 17Mandarin · Chapter 2 · Lesson 17 · Grammar primer
不 changes tone: bù becomes bú
Before a fourth tone, is said bú: bú shì, bú qù. Before anything else it stays bù. The character never changes.
The short version
bú shì
Why?Hide
(bù) is fourth tone by default, but right before another fourth-tone syllable it is said bú: (bú shì), (bú qù), (bú yào). Before any other tone it stays bù: bù hǎo, bù lái, bù shuō. This is a rule of (bù) itself ( (yī) has a similar one), not a ban on two fourth tones in a row: (zàijiàn) and (diànshì) keep both. The character never changes.
The tone change: bù becomes bú before a fourth tone
is a fourth-tone syllable, bù. But when the syllable after it is also fourth tone, is said with a rise, as a second tone: bú. The character never changes.
| Written | Said | Why |
|---|---|---|
| bú shì | shì is fourth tone | |
| bú qù | qù is fourth tone | |
| bú yào | yào is fourth tone | |
| bù hǎo | hǎo is third tone | |
| bù lái | lái is second tone | |
| bù shuō | shuō is first tone |
This is special to and (yī): other fourth tones keep their tone before a fourth tone, so is zàijiàn. (méi) has no tone change at all. The rule is in tone pairs.
Going further: The two negators at a glance and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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Lesson 17 of 44 in this chapter