轻声

輕聲

qīngshēng

noun #17,139

Meanings

1 in a quiet voice; softly
2 neutral tone; unstressed syllable

Characters

light; gentle; soft

sound; voice; tone

Examples

HSK 1

「的」这个字在很多时候要读轻声。

" De " zhège zì zài hěnduō shíhou yào dú qīngshēng.

The character 的 is often pronounced with a neutral tone.

HSK 2

她轻声对我说了一句话。

Tā qīngshēng duì wǒ shuō le yí jù huà.

She whispered something to me.

Tips

grammar

In Mandarin phonology, 轻声 (neutral tone) is an unstressed, short syllable with no fixed tone contour. Common examples: 吗, 的, 了, 子. It's sometimes called the 'fifth tone' though it isn't truly a tone.

Stroke Order

轻 qīng

声 shēng