阳平 (yáng píng) — second (rising) tone in Mandarin Chinese

Definition

阳平 is the second of Mandarin's four tones — a rising pitch. It contrasts with 上声 (third tone, dipping) and the level 第一声 (first tone).

noun
second (rising) tone in Mandarin Chinese

Examples

  • ，阳平。
    Hàn yǔ yǒu sì gè shēng diào, yáng píng shì qí zhōng yí gè.
    Mandarin has four tones, and the rising tone is one of them.
  • 阳平？
    Zhè ge zì dú yáng píng ma?
    Is this character pronounced with the rising tone?
  • 阳平。
    Lǎo shī jiào wǒ men liàn xí yáng píng de fā yīn.
    The teacher taught us to practice the pronunciation of the rising 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.

阳yángyang
平píngping tone

阳 refers to the yang class and 平 to the ping tone class, so together they give a specific tone.

Characters in this word

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 陽; 阳 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阜阜fùhill
Sound part声符shēngfú
昜
昜yáng陽yáng
Same sound today

In the traditional form 陽, 阜 shows a hill and 昜 is the older character for the word, tied to sunshine and the sound; simplified 阳 is a later shorthand.

Open 阳 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The origin is uncertain. One explanation combines 八 (division) and 亏 (exhaled air) to show smooth speech.

Open 平 →

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