Lessons in the Shanghai Dialect

by F. L. Hawks Pott

TONE SIGNS

° to the left of a word indicates the tone to be °zang-sung.

° to the right indicates the chui-sung. Final h or k indicate the zeh-sung. All other words are in the bing-sung.

SOUNDS OF THE TONES

The sounds of the tones of course can only be learnt from the Chinese teacher.

The Bing-sung is an even tone, the voice being level, with a slight falling inflection, as when we say “Come,” “Hear,” in our imperatives.

The Zang-sung in the upper series is a twanging sound, and sounds something like the vibration of a string of a musical instrument.

In the lower series it has a wave sound which can be symbolized to the eye by the curve

; the voice first falls and then rises.