tứ thanh
Definition
- Noun:
- The Four Tones (of Middle Chinese): A traditional classification system for the four lexical tones of Middle Chinese: bình (level), thượng (rising), khứ (departing), and nhập (entering).
- The Four Tones (in later systems): In some later tonal systems, such as that of Mandarin, the four tones are reinterpreted, often as: first tone (dương bình), second tone (âm bình), third tone (thượng thanh), and fourth tone (khứ thanh).
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Học tiếng Trung, việc đầu tiên là phải phân biệt rõ tứ thanh. (When learning Chinese, the first thing is to clearly distinguish the four tones.)
- Sự biến đổi của tứ thanh lịch sử đã hình thành các hệ thống thanh điệu khác nhau trong các phương ngôn tiếng Trung hiện đại. (The historical evolution of the four tones formed the different tonal systems in modern Chinese dialects.)
Advanced Usage
- The (entering) tone is characterized by syllables ending in stop consonants (-p, -t, -k). In many modern Chinese varieties, this tone has merged with others.
- The concept of is fundamental to the study of Chinese historical phonology and poetry, where tonal patterns are strictly regulated.
Variants and Related Words
- Thanh điệu (n): tone, the pitch contour of a syllable.
- Tiếng Việt có sáu thanh điệu. (Vietnamese has six tones.)
- Bình thanh (n): the level tone (often referring to the first tone in Mandarin).
- Khứ thanh (n): the departing tone (often referring to the fourth tone in Mandarin).
Synonyms
- Four tones
- Four tonal categories (of Middle Chinese)
Related Concepts
- Bát thanh (n): The "eight tones," a further subdivision of the based on the voicing of the initial consonant, creating a distinction between (yin) and (yang) registers for each of the four original tones.