Tones and Jyutping
The 6 Cantonese tones and the Jyutping romanization system
I can recognize and produce the 6 Cantonese tones.
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
你好，我叫阿明。
Hello, my name is Ah Ming.
一二三四五六。
One two three four five six.
我食飯。
I eat rice.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
The 6 Cantonese Tones
Cantonese has 6 tones. Each tone changes the meaning of a syllable completely. Jyutping uses numbers 1-6 after each syllable.
| Tone | Number | Pitch | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High level | 1 | 55 | si1 詩 | poem |
| High rising | 2 | 25 | si2 史 | history |
| Mid level | 3 | 33 | si3 試 | try |
| Low falling | 4 | 21 | si4 時 | time |
| Low rising | 5 | 23 | si5 市 | city |
| Low level | 6 | 22 | si6 事 | matter |
Jyutping Basics
Jyutping (粵拼) is the standard romanization for Cantonese, developed by the Linguistic Society of Hong Kong. Each syllable = initial + final + tone number.
Key differences from Pinyin: j = /j/ (like English "y"), z = /ts/, c = /tsʰ/, eo = /ɵ/, oe = /œ/.
Confusing tones 3 and 6 (both level, different pitch). Using stress instead of tone.
你好，我叫阿明。
Hello, my name is Ah Ming.
nei5 hou2 — tone 5 (low rising) + tone 2 (high rising). The most common greeting.
一二三四五六。
One two three four five six.
jat1 ji6 saam1 sei3 ng5 luk6 — each number demonstrates a different tone.
我食飯。
I eat rice.
ngo5 sik6 faan6 — three syllables showing tones 5, 6, 6.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Put it into practice
Try a free exercise from the courseFrequently asked questions
- When is 聲調同粵拼 used?
- Cantonese has 6 tones. Each tone changes the meaning of a syllable completely. Jyutping uses numbers 1-6 after each syllable.
- How is 聲調同粵拼 formed?
- Jyutping (粵拼) is the standard romanization for Cantonese, developed by the Linguistic Society of Hong Kong. Each syllable = initial + final + tone number. Key differences from Pinyin: j = /j/ (like English "y"), z = /ts/, c = /tsʰ/, eo = /ɵ/, oe = /œ/.
- What are common mistakes with 聲調同粵拼?
- EN speakers: Confusing tones 3 and 6 (both level, different pitch). RU speakers: Using stress instead of tone. CS speakers: Short/long vowel habits don't map to tones. Mandarin speakers: Cantonese tone 4 is NOT Mandarin tone 4.