The Tone Changes Rules of “一”
1. 一 is pronounced as the 1st tone “yī” when
- it’s by itself,
- it works as a number,
- it is put at the end of the word, phrase or sentence.
e.g.
一 （yī）
唯一 (wéi yī) the one and only
2. 一 is read as the 4th tone “yì” when it’s followed by a 1st tone, 2nd tone or 3rd tone syllable.
e.g.
| 一 + 1st Tone | 一斤（yì jīn） |
| 一 + 2nd Tone | 一台（yì tái） |
| 一 + 3rd Tone | 一把（yì bǎ） |
3. 一 becomes the 2nd tone “yí” when it precedes a 4th tone syllable.
e.g.
| 一 + 4th Tone | 一样 （yí yàng） |