These tones apply to certain words and syllables that usually have the fourth tone (the falling tone) in their isolated form. However, when they are combined with other words in a phrase, they lose their fourth tone and become "neutral."
Here's a breakdown:
* First Tone: mā (妈) "mother"
* Second Tone: mā (吗) "question particle"
* Third Tone: mā (马) "horse"
* Fourth Tone: mā (吗) "question particle"
When these words are combined, the fourth tone changes to a neutral tone:
* 妈妈 (māma): "mother" (mā is neutral, ma is first tone)
* 是吗 (shìma): "is it so?" (shì is first tone, ma is neutral)
* 白马 (báimǎ): "white horse" (bái is second tone, mǎ is neutral)
It's important to note that the neutral tone isn't a distinct tone like the other four. Instead, it's more like a slight dip in pitch that doesn't fully resemble any of the four main tones.
Learning the neutral tone is crucial for speaking Mandarin Chinese fluently and naturally.