Pronunciation Guide
Third tone sandhi: why 你好 sounds like ní hǎo
When two third tones appear together, the first one usually surfaces like a rising tone. This is why 你好 is pronounced more like ní hǎo in real speech.
How to shape the sound
- Keep the second syllable as the true low third-tone target.
- Let the first syllable rise into the next one instead of dipping heavily.
- Practice pairs as one unit so the sandhi happens automatically.
Common mistakes
- Pronouncing both syllables as full citation Tone 3.
- Turning the first syllable into a full Tone 2 with too much height.
- Breaking the phrase with a pause that destroys the sandhi pattern.
Practice with example words
雨伞 (yǔ sǎn)
umbrella. Keep yǔ rounded and forward, then let the first third tone rise into the next syllable.
你好 (nǐ hǎo)
hello. Treat the first syllable as a light rise so the phrase flows naturally into hǎo.
水果 (shuǐ guǒ)
fruit. Let shuǐ rise into guǒ instead of dipping fully on both syllables.
不要 (bú yào)
don't want. Practice 不要 (bú yào) as one phrase so the third-tone sandhi happens smoothly in connected speech.
房子 (fáng zi)
house. Practice 房子 (fáng zi) as one phrase so the third-tone sandhi happens smoothly in connected speech.
很好 (hěn hǎo)
very good. Practice 很好 (hěn hǎo) as one phrase so the third-tone sandhi happens smoothly in connected speech.
Practice with example sentences
你很好。 (nǐ hěn hǎo.)
You are very good.. The first two syllables both surface higher because each leads into another third-tone environment.
你好。 (nǐ hǎo.)
Hello.. Practice 你好。 (nǐ hǎo.) as one phrase so the third-tone sandhi happens smoothly in connected speech.
你好吗？ (nǐ hǎo ma?)
How are you?. Practice 你好吗？ (nǐ hǎo ma?) as one phrase so the third-tone sandhi happens smoothly in connected speech.
很好吃。 (hěn hǎo chī.)
Very delicious.. Practice 很好吃。 (hěn hǎo chī.) as one phrase so the third-tone sandhi happens smoothly in connected speech.
FAQ
Is the first syllable really Tone 2?
In teaching terms, it behaves like a rising tone, but the key point is that it changes because of the following third tone.
Do I need to think about sandhi every time?
At first yes, but with repetition the pattern becomes automatic in common expressions.
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