Find a Chinese tutor near you in Swalwell

Chinese tones interact, and the 3-3 rule means the first of two third tones is pronounced as a rising tone instead.

The rule applies like this:

• When you say "hello" in Chinese, 你好 shifts from 3-3 to 2-3 automatically.
• Other common words follow the same pattern: 很好 (hěn hǎo) becomes "hén hǎo".
• Native speakers apply this rule without thinking, so it sounds unnatural if you keep both third tones flat.

The reason: two dipping tones in sequence are awkward to pronounce, so the language naturally adjusts.

In Swalwell, private Chinese tutoring runs about £20/h per session.

What affects the cost:

• Beginner, intermediate, or advanced courses each have different pricing
• The tutor's qualifications, native speaker status, and teaching experience
• Lesson format: online sessions, in-person at home, or at the tutor's location
• Session duration and how often you meet, with packages typically reducing the hourly rate

Many tutors offer the first lesson free, so you can test their teaching style before committing.

The foundation of Chinese numeracy is mastering these ten basic numerals and their tones.

Each number, character, and pronunciation:

• 1-3: 一 yī, 二 èr, 三 sān
• 四 (sì) = 4, 五 (wǔ) = 5, 六 (liù) = 6
• 七 (qī) = 7, 八 (bā) = 8, 九 (jiǔ) = 9, 十 (shí) = 10

Tones matter here: mixing up sì (four) and shí (ten) changes meaning entirely.

Practise saying these aloud daily until the tones become automatic.

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