四声 (sì shēng) — the four tones of Standard Chinese (first, second, third, fourth); the fourth tone (falling tone) in Standard Chinese

Definition

Literally 'four tones' — collectively refers to the four Mandarin tones (一声/二声/三声/四声). By contrast, 声调 is the more common term for the tone system or the pitch contour of a single syllable.

noun
the four tones of Standard Chinese (first, second, third, fourth)the fourth tone (falling tone) in Standard Chinese

Examples

  • ，四声。
    Pǔ tōng huà yǒu sì gè shēng diào, chēng wéi sì shēng.
    Standard Chinese has four tones, called the four tones.
  • 四声，。
    Zhè ge zì de shēng diào shì sì shēng, yào dú chéng xià jiàng de.
    The tone of this character is the fourth tone; it should be read as falling.
  • 四声，。
    Xué xí sì shēng shí, yào zhù yì měi gè shēng diào de gāo dī biàn huà.
    When studying the four tones, pay attention to the pitch changes of each tone.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

四sìfourth
声shēngtone

四 supplies the number fourth, and 声 names a tone, so the term means the fourth tone, not all four tones.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 四 was drawn as a nose breathing out. It later came to be used for the word four.

Open 四 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 聲; 声 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
耳耳ěrear
Sound part声符shēngfú
殸
殸qìng聲shēng
Same sound today

The traditional form 聲 pairs 耳 (ear) with 殸 as a sound part; the simplified 声 is a shorthand and does not show those original parts.

Open 声 →

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