However, since the tone split from Middle Chinese, characters still depend on the voicing of the initial consonant.
These constitute just three phonemic tones: ping, shang, and qu.
你ni2SG我ŋu1SG個kəʔGEN朋友põ.jɤfriend啘。uePTCL你 我 個 朋友 啘。ni ŋu kəʔ põ.jɤ ue2SG 1SG GEN friend PTCLYou are my friendThe first example can be compared with Japanese: あなたは私の友達だよ。(anata wa watashi no tomodachi dayo.)
渠(其)ɡ̊i3SG你ɲi2SG老師lɔ.sʐteacher啘，ue,PTCL,要iɔhave尊重t͡seɲ.d̥͡ʒ̊õrespect人家。niŋ.kɒother渠(其) 你 老師 啘， 要 尊重 人家。ɡ̊i ɲi lɔ.sʐ ue, iɔ t͡seɲ.d̥͡ʒ̊õ niŋ.kɒ3SG 2SG teacher PTCL, have respect otherHe/she is your teacher, and you have to respect him/her.鉛筆kæ.piəʔpencil借t͡ʃiɒborrow支t͡sʐCL我ŋu1SG好伐？xɔ.fɐ̞ʔINTERR鉛筆 借 支 我 好伐？kæ.piəʔ t͡ʃiɒ t͡sʐ ŋu xɔ.fɐ̞ʔpencil borrow CL 1SG INTERRCan I borrow a pencil?飯v̥ærice/meal再t͡seagain喫t͡ɕʰiəʔeat碗uəbowl添，tʰie,PTCL?多tumore吃t͡ɕʰiəʔeat些兒ʃinmore+啊。oPTCL飯 再 喫 碗 添， 多 吃 些兒 啊。v̥æ t͡se t͡ɕʰiəʔ uə tʰie, tu t͡ɕʰiəʔ ʃin orice/meal again eat bowl PTCL?
more eat more+ PTCLIf you want to eat more, then eat more if you'd like.感冒藥kə.mɔ.jɐ̞ʔcold medicine喫嘞t͡ɕʰiəʔ.ləʔtaking/eating朆v̥ənINTERR你，ɲi,2SG,覅fiɔNEG記弗着t͡ɕʰi.fəʔ.t͡ʃɐ̞ʔverb-remember/NEG掉tɔPTCL唻！leIMP感冒藥 喫嘞 朆 你， 覅 記弗着 掉 唻！kə.mɔ.jɐ̞ʔ t͡ɕʰiəʔ.ləʔ v̥ən ɲi, fiɔ t͡ɕʰi.fəʔ.t͡ʃɐ̞ʔ tɔ le{cold medicine} taking/eating INTERR 2SG, NEG verb-remember/NEG PTCL IMPHave you taken your cold medicine yet?