语气 (yǔqì) refers to the tone of voice or manner of speaking that conveys a speaker's attitude or emotion in a specific utterance. It differs from 声调 (shēngdiào), which is the fixed pitch pattern of a syllable; from 口气 (kǒuqì), which often implies a more forceful or opinionated tone; and from 心情 (xīnqíng), which is an internal emotional state, not a way of speaking. In grammar, 语气 also means 'mood' (e.g., indicative, imperative).