Second tone Mandarin words (má)
Tone 2 · Rising · 阳平 yángpíng
The second tone is rising. The second tone rises from the middle of your range up towards the top, the way your voice climbs at the end of a question in English. Think of an incredulous 'Me?'. The key is a clear, continuous climb - it should clearly end higher than it started.
Below are the 220 single-syllable Mandarin words that carry the second 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 second tone with audio
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Frequently asked questions
What is the second tone in Mandarin?+
The second tone (阳平 yángpíng) is rising, pitch 35 (mid rising). The second tone rises from the middle of your range up towards the top, the way your voice climbs at the end of a question in English. Think of an incredulous 'Me?'. The key is a clear, continuous climb - it should clearly end higher than it started.
What are some second-tone words in Chinese?+
This page lists 220 single-syllable second-tone words ranked by frequency. The most common include hé (和, And), rén (人, person), nián (年, year), lái (来, to come).
How do I practise the second tone?+
Hear it, then say it. Tap any word above to play native audio for the second tone, then repeat it. ToneDeck scores your pronunciation so you know when the contour is right.
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Words in the other tones
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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.
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