bin3 jam1變音变音
Jyutpingbin3 jam1
Yalebin yām
Definition
To change the tone of a spoken syllable or musical note.
neutralcommunication
How it's used
Refers specifically to the phenomenon where a character's tone shifts depending on its position in a word or phrase. It is most commonly discussed in the context of Cantonese tone sandhi, where certain characters change from a higher tone to a lower one to sound more natural in speech. Teachers often use this term to explain why a word sounds different in isolation compared to when it is part of a compound.
Examples
You need to change the tone when pronouncing this character.
Related words
Common phrases
pronunciation tone change
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with the concept of changing the entire pronunciation or character. It strictly refers to the pitch contour of the syllable, not the consonant or vowel sounds.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
