Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The Level Tone is the 'default' pitch; keep your voice flat and steady, like you are singing a single musical note.
- Keep the pitch mid-high and steady throughout the syllable: 'ba'.
- Do not let the voice rise or fall at the end: 'ma'.
- It is the only tone without a diacritic mark: 'ca'.
Tone Characteristics
| Tone Name | Diacritic | Pitch | Shape |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Thanh Ngang
|
None
|
Mid-High
|
Flat
|
Meanings
The Level Tone (Thanh Ngang) is the base pitch in Vietnamese, characterized by a flat, mid-to-high frequency without inflection.
Base Pitch
The standard, unmarked pitch for syllables.
“Ba”
“Mẹ”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subject + Verb
|
Tôi đi.
|
|
Negative
|
Subject + không + Verb
|
Tôi không đi.
|
|
Question
|
Subject + Verb + không?
|
Anh đi không?
|
|
Short Answer
|
Verb
|
Đi.
|
|
Variation
|
Noun + Adjective
|
Nhà to.
|
|
Variation
|
Pronoun + Verb
|
Anh ăn.
|
フォーマル度スペクトル
Tôi đi. (Daily life)
Tôi đi. (Daily life)
Đi thôi. (Daily life)
Đi nè. (Daily life)
The Tone System
Level
- Thanh Ngang Level Tone
レベル別の例文
Tôi là người Việt.
I am Vietnamese.
Anh đi đâu?
Where are you going?
Cơm này ngon quá.
This rice is very delicious.
Tôi đang làm việc.
I am working.
Anh ấy đang suy nghĩ về tương lai.
He is thinking about the future.
Sự thanh bình của nơi này thật tuyệt.
The tranquility of this place is wonderful.
間違えやすい
Both are low-ish, but one is flat and one falls.
Learners often raise pitch for Thanh Ngang.
Both can sound short.
よくある間違い
Rising pitch
Flat pitch
Falling pitch
Flat pitch
Adding a mark
No mark
Too low
Mid-high
Dipping
Flat
Too short
Sustained
Too loud
Natural
Context-dependent shift
Stable
Vowel distortion
Clear vowel
Hyper-correction
Natural
Prosodic interference
Lexical tone
Rhythmic disruption
Flowing
Dialectal confusion
Standard
Over-emphasis
Subtle
文型パターン
Tôi ___.
Anh ___ không?
Tôi ___ nhà.
___ là người Việt.
Real World Usage
Cho tôi cà phê.
Chào anh.
Đi thôi.
Tôi làm việc tốt.
Tôi đi Hà Nội.
Cho tôi cơm.
Stay flat
Don't rise
Hum it
Listen
Smart Tips
Imagine a flat line.
Keep the energy up.
Hum the note.
Focus on the flat pitch.
発音
Flat pitch
Keep the vocal cords at a constant tension.
Level
ma ->
Steady, neutral
暗記しよう
記憶術
Think of a flat, straight line on a piece of paper.
視覚的連想
Imagine a calm, flat lake surface. The Level Tone is as smooth as that water.
Rhyme
Level tone is flat and clear, no mark on the letter, have no fear.
Story
A robot named 'Ba' walks on a flat road. He never goes up or down. He just says 'Ba, ba, ba' in a perfectly flat voice.
Word Web
チャレンジ
Record yourself saying 'Tôi đi' 10 times, ensuring the pitch never changes.
文化メモ
The tone is very clear and distinct.
The tone might sound slightly lower.
The tone can be quite sharp.
The tone system evolved from Middle Chinese influence and indigenous Austroasiatic roots.
会話のきっかけ
Anh khỏe không?
Anh đi đâu?
Anh ăn gì?
Anh làm việc ở đâu?
日記のテーマ
よくある間違い
Test Yourself
a) ba, b) bà, c) bá, d) bả
Tôi ___ đi.
Find and fix the mistake:
Tôi đi (rising).
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Tôi / đi / nhà.
True or False?
A: Anh khỏe không? B: ___.
Say 'ba' 5 times.
Score: /8
練習問題
8 exercisesa) ba, b) bà, c) bá, d) bả
Tôi ___ đi.
Find and fix the mistake:
Tôi đi (rising).
ba - level, bà - falling
Tôi / đi / nhà.
True or False?
A: Anh khỏe không? B: ___.
Say 'ba' 5 times.
Score: /8
よくある質問 (8)
No, it is the easiest.
No, it is unmarked.
Hum the note.
Yes, everywhere.
You are rising your pitch.
Similar to the first tone.
Slightly, but it is always flat.
Thanh Sắc.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
First tone (Ping)
Vietnamese has more tones.
None
Spanish uses stress, not pitch.
None
French is not tonal.
None
German uses stress.
Pitch accent
Japanese is not a full tonal language.
None
Arabic uses consonantal roots.
