soeng5 sing1上聲上声
Jyutpingsoeng5 sing1
Yaleséuhng sīng
Definition
The rising tone category in Chinese languages.
neutralother
How it's used
Refers strictly to a technical category within traditional Chinese phonology rather than a descriptive term for pitch contours in modern speech. While the name suggests a rising pitch, it functions primarily as a classification label within the four tones system. In the context of Cantonese, it is crucial to remember that this category encompasses both the second tone and the fifth tone.
Examples
Do you know if the rising tone belongs to the level tone or the oblique tone?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly assume that all characters classified as 上聲 must have a rising pitch contour in modern Cantonese, which is not necessarily the case. It is a historical classification category rather than a phonetic description of current pronunciation.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
