First tone Mandarin words (mā)
Tone 1 · High and flat · 阴平 yīnpíng
The first tone is high and flat. The first tone sits high in your voice and stays there. The trick is to keep it flat the whole way through - no dip at the start, no fall at the end. Pitch it near the top of your comfortable speaking range and hold it, like humming one steady musical note.
Below are the 290 single-syllable Mandarin words that carry the first tone in our deck, ordered most-common-first. Each shows tone-coloured pinyin and its meaning — tap the character to hear it, and follow the link to a full word page where one exists.
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Drill the first tone with audio
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Frequently asked questions
What is the first tone in Mandarin?+
The first tone (阴平 yīnpíng) is high and flat, pitch 55 (high level). The first tone sits high in your voice and stays there. The trick is to keep it flat the whole way through - no dip at the start, no fall at the end. Pitch it near the top of your comfortable speaking range and hold it, like humming one steady musical note.
What are some first-tone words in Chinese?+
This page lists 290 single-syllable first-tone words ranked by frequency. The most common include tā (他, he / him), zhōng (中, In), dōu (都, all / both), shuō (说, to speak / say).
How do I practise the first tone?+
Hear it, then say it. Tap any word above to play native audio for the first tone, then repeat it. ToneDeck scores your pronunciation so you know when the contour is right.
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How it sounds, the contour, and common mistakes.
Hear a tone, guess it, sharpen your accuracy.
The top 1,000 words by frequency, with audio.
Every word grouped by official HSK level 1–6.
Back to the Mandarin vocabulary hub.