声调(shēng diào) - tone (in a tonal language) in Mandarin

普pǔ通tōng话huà有yǒu四sì个gè声shēng调diào。

Mandarin has four tones.

声shēng调diào不bú对duì，别bié人rén可kě能néng听tīng不bù懂dǒng。

If your tones are wrong, people may not understand you.

我wǒ的de声shēng调diào总zǒng是shì不bù准zhǔn。

My tones are never quite right.

学xué中zhōng文wén的de时shí候hou，声shēng调diào是shì最zuì难nán的de地dì方fang之zhī一yī。

When learning Chinese, tones are one of the hardest parts.

老lǎo师shī让ràng我wǒ们men先xiān听tīng声shēng调diào，再zài跟gēn着zhe读dú。

The teacher had us listen to the tones first, then read along.