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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:

• The classic example is 你好 (nǐ hǎo), which becomes "ní hǎo" in natural speech.
• Other common words follow the same pattern: 很好 (hěn hǎo) becomes "hén hǎo".
• Ignoring tone sandhi makes speech choppy, which is why practising this early matters.

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

In York, private Chinese tutoring runs about £17/h per session.

What affects the cost:

• The student's level, from complete beginner to advanced or business Chinese
• The tutor's qualifications, native speaker status, and teaching experience
• The choice between face-to-face, online, or hybrid learning
• 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:

• 一 (yī) = 1, 二 (èr) = 2, 三 (sān) = 3
• 四 (sì) = 4, 五 (wǔ) = 5, 六 (liù) = 6
• 7-10: 七 qī, 八 bā, 九 jiǔ, 十 shí

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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Students often praise tutors for clear explanations of tones and characters, patience with beginners, and structured lesson plans.