<p>Interesting question. Why change tone? </p>

<p>English is called a stress-timed language. In English, we often shift the stress to change from verb to noun as in:</p>

<p>v. produce, n. produce, v. refuse, n. refuse</p>

<p>I wonder if this is also generally true for Chinese? It is worth looking into.</p>

<p>"My understanding for the pronunciation of 將 is 4th tone for verb " you may be a little confused there.</p>

<p>jiāng has a lot of possibilities. Here are some.</p>

<ol>
<li>快要：～要。～至。～来。即～。</li>
<li>带领，扶助：～雏。扶～。～军。</li>
<li>拿，持：～心比心。</li>
<li>把：～门关好。</li>
</ol>

<p>jiàng does not have so many, but, for simple cases, it is nominal in nature.</p>

<p>　1. 军衔的一级，在校以上，泛指高级军官：～领。</p>

<p>　2. 统率，指挥：～百万之众。</p>

<p>This <a href="http://www.zdic.net/z/18/xs/5C06.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">link</a> has so many uses for 将 you could get dizzy! There is no clear distinction verb/noun -- jiāng/jiàng</p>

<p>btw is Vibius Vibidius Zosimus really your name?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-11T23:17:43.647Z
2017-11-11T23:17:43.647Z
Pedroski
<p>Generally, in modern Chinese, 将 is a noun when it pronounced as jiàng, and a verb as jiāng. </p>

<p>However, in traditional Chinese, 将 jiàng could be used as verb, meaning  统率，指挥, leading as a general. Say, 将百万之众.</p>

<p>将 jiàng as a noun means 'senior general' or 'high-ranking officer' in military. </p>

<p>將軍 or 將 in 象棋 are pronounced as jiāng when it means to check (attacking to 將 jiàng). A chess man in 象棋 is called 將 jiàng as a noun. </p>

<p>將軍 or 将军 (jiāng), as a set, can also be a noun, meaning general or admiral.  </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-12T01:17:23.770Z
2017-11-12T01:17:23.770Z
dan
<p>in 廣韻, 將 has two pronunciations:</p>

<p>one is in volume 2, lower level tone (下平聲), 陽韻:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>將﹒送也﹒行也﹒大也﹒助也﹒辝也﹒又姓﹒後趙録有常山太守將容﹒即良切﹒又子諒切六</p>
</blockquote>

<p>another one is in volume 4, departing tone (去聲), 漾韻:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>將﹒將帥﹒子亮切</p>
</blockquote>

<p>according to the usage, difference tone was used for long time.</p>

<p>most of the time, when 將 is used as verb, adjective, or surname, it was pronounced as level tone.</p>

<p>when it was used as noun, in a military title, it was pronounced as departing tone.</p>

<p>have fun :) </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-12T06:22:28.660Z
2017-11-12T06:22:28.660Z
水巷孑蠻
<p>My understanding for the pronunciation of 將 is 4th tone for verb (e.g. <a href="https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E9%81%8E%E7%A7%A6%E8%AB%96/%E4%B8%8A" rel="nofollow noreferrer">將數百之衆，轉而攻秦</a>) and 1st tone for noun (e.g. 將軍; 將 in 象棋).</p>

<p>So why is it that for 上將 as in 海軍上將, the character is in 4th tone? My hypothesis is that it is from the usage of 將領 as a noun without a change in tone?</p>

<tones>
上[將] in 4th tone instead of 1st tone?
# 上[將] in 4th tone instead of 1st tone?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-11-11)

My understanding for the pronunciation of 將 is 4th tone for verb (e.g. [將數百之衆，轉而攻秦](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E9%81%8E%E7%A7%A6%E8%AB%96/%E4%B8%8A)) and 1st tone for noun (e.g. 將軍; 將 in 象棋).

So why is it that for 上將 as in 海軍上將, the character is in 4th tone? My hypothesis is that it is from the usage of 將領 as a noun without a change in tone?

**Tags:** tones


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-11-11. Score: 1

Interesting question. Why change tone?

English is called a stress-timed language. In English, we often shift the stress to change from verb to noun as in:

v. produce, n. produce, v. refuse, n. refuse

I wonder if this is also generally true for Chinese? It is worth looking into.

"My understanding for the pronunciation of 將 is 4th tone for verb " you may be a little confused there.

jiāng has a lot of possibilities. Here are some.

1. 快要：～要。～至。～来。即～。
2. 带领，扶助：～雏。扶～。～军。
3. 拿，持：～心比心。
4. 把：～门关好。

jiàng does not have so many, but, for simple cases, it is nominal in nature.

　1. 军衔的一级，在校以上，泛指高级军官：～领。

　2. 统率，指挥：～百万之众。

This [link](http://www.zdic.net/z/18/xs/5C06.htm) has so many uses for 将 you could get dizzy! There is no clear distinction verb/noun -- jiāng/jiàng

btw is username_0 Vibidius Zosimus really your name?


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### Answer by username_2 on 2017-11-12. Score: 0

Generally, in modern Chinese, 将 is a noun when it pronounced as jiàng, and a verb as jiāng.

However, in traditional Chinese, 将 jiàng could be used as verb, meaning 统率，指挥, leading as a general. Say, 将百万之众.

将 jiàng as a noun means 'senior general' or 'high-ranking officer' in military.

將軍 or 將 in 象棋 are pronounced as jiāng when it means to check (attacking to 將 jiàng). A chess man in 象棋 is called 將 jiàng as a noun.

將軍 or 将军 (jiāng), as a set, can also be a noun, meaning general or admiral.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2017-11-12. Score: 0

in 廣韻, 將 has two pronunciations:

one is in volume 2, lower level tone (下平聲), 陽韻:

> 將﹒送也﹒行也﹒大也﹒助也﹒辝也﹒又姓﹒後趙録有常山太守將容﹒即良切﹒又子諒切六

another one is in volume 4, departing tone (去聲), 漾韻:

> 將﹒將帥﹒子亮切

according to the usage, difference tone was used for long time.

most of the time, when 將 is used as verb, adjective, or surname, it was pronounced as level tone.

when it was used as noun, in a military title, it was pronounced as departing tone.

have fun :)


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