zak1 sing1仄聲仄声
Jyutpingzak1 sing1
Yalejāk sīng
Definition
Oblique tones in traditional Chinese phonology, comprising the rising, departing, and entering tones.
neutralother
How it's used
Refers specifically to the tonal categories of 上聲, 去聲, and 入聲 in classical Chinese phonology. It acts as the binary opposite to 平聲, which covers the level tones. You will mostly encounter this term when studying traditional poetry, Cantonese opera, or the historical evolution of the language.
Examples
This character is read in an oblique tone, not a level tone.
Do you know which characters belong to the oblique tones?
Related words
Common phrases
level and oblique tones
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the modern Cantonese tone numbers, as the classification of tones into平仄 is based on Middle Chinese categories rather than the current six or nine tone systems used in linguistics.
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.
