Chart legend

ā

1st tone — high level

A flat high mark (¯). Hold the pitch steady, like singing one note.

mā · 妈 · mother

á

2nd tone — rising

A rising mark (´), like asking a short question in English.

má · 麻 · hemp / numb

ǎ

3rd tone — dipping

A scoop mark (ˇ). Dip down then up — often the hardest for beginners.

mǎ · 马 · horse

à

4th tone — falling

A falling mark (`). Sharp drop, like a firm command.

mà · 骂 · scold

ü

ü (umlaut u)

Rounded lips, tongue forward — like French u. After j/q/x it is written as u but still pronounced ü (e.g. 女 nǚ).

nǚ · 女 · woman

字

Character + pinyin lines

NidNoi cards show Hanzi large, then pinyin with tone marks, then English. Learn to glance at the character first; use pinyin as backup.

人 · rén · person