Re: Question about Questions

Nimen hao!
> > Maybe. "Ma" is traditionally said to be in the "neutral tone",
> > meaning it has no tone of its own, and where it is realized depends
> > on the syllable before it. But then , "ba" is also neutral tone, but
> > the intonation outcomes are different.
> >
> > Qu4 ma? Are you going?
> > Qu4 ba. Let's go. Why don't you go.
>
> For let's go, I would have used "zou3 ba1". I've got Western ears ;o)
> but I guess I always heard the "ba" in the first tone.
I don't know.
My cassettes for the textbook(s) all pronounce the phrase "Wo3men zou3
ba" with "ba" toneless.

I guess it's a question of whether you want to speak correct Putonghua
or the living language.

Zai xie, (since I'm not going to see any of you :-)
Pavel