Tones are what make Mandarin sing — and they're easier for children to pick up by ear than many parents expect. This free book introduces the four tones using three simple sounds, ma, ba and tang, so your child can hear how the very same syllable means something completely different depending on how it's said.
Say ma with a high, flat first tone and it's 妈 (mā, mother). Let it rise like a question and it's 麻 (má, tingly). Dip it down and back up and it's 马 (mǎ, horse). Make it sharp and falling and it's 骂 (mà, to scold). The pattern repeats with ba — 八 (bā, eight), 拔 (bá, to pull), 把 (bǎ, handle) and 爸 (bà, dad) — and again with tang: 汤 (tāng, soup), 糖 (táng, candy), 躺 (tǎng, to lie down) and 烫 (tàng, hot). Tap each card to hear the tone clearly in a gentle voice and copy it together.
Made for toddlers, preschoolers and bilingual families, this book needs no sign-up and works on any phone or tablet. Don't worry about getting every tone perfect yourself — let the audio lead, and explore the four tones at your child's pace. When you're ready for more, try our free numbers, colours and animals books.