<p>一 is First tone here, meaning first class, the best.</p>

<p>Other examples: 一等奖, first prize; 第一, first.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-05T23:37:17.427Z
2015-08-05T23:37:17.427Z
nieschumi
<p>一线城市 is the first tone</p>

<p>Rule number 1: If "一" is for "order", then it is the first tone.</p>

<p>However, 一线天， is the second tone.</p>

<p>Rule number 2: If "一" is for "quantity", then it is the second tone.</p>

<p>Again, in oral Chinese,  sometimes rules above are not always right, </p>

<p>e.g. 一辈子， usually ppl use second tone for that, because that can give this word a special emotion (for complaining something.)  It is very similar as you are saying this: "I have been working on this sh*t job for my whooooooole life"</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-28T05:40:13.650Z
`一线天`有好几种理解，但是都是读第二声不是特例：一种理解是“线”是量词，“一”表示数量，所以读第二声，另一种理解是“一条线状的天”，“一”用作数量，也是读二声。
imkzh
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-06T07:21:22.857Z
2015-08-06T07:21:22.857Z
peter
<p>See <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/2045/pronunciation-of-%E4%B8%80-in-%E4%B8%80%E4%B8%AA?rq=1">this question</a>  about the pronunciation of "一".</p>

<p>To be simple, in <code>一线城市</code>， <code>一</code> is used as an <strong>ordinal number</strong>, so it is the first tone. Here <code>一</code> means first.  </p>

<p>In general, <code>一</code> is used as a <strong>cardinal number</strong>, its prononciation varies in function of the context.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-06T16:27:37.670Z
2015-08-06T16:27:37.670Z
2017-04-13T12:48:06.457Z
Gab是好人
<p>I wonder about the idea that yi is read first tone here because it is an "ordinal."  According to Chao Yuen Ren's <em>A Grammar of Spoken Chinese</em> (p. 568):</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>In lexical compounds with stressed yi as 'one', it does not have the tone sandhi, resulting in the 4th or 2nd tone, but always has the 1st tone</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Here are some examples of lexical compounds ('words' and 'chengyu') where yi certainly does not mean first.  It seems to me that yi is first tone in most of these, but I am not a native speaker. </p>

<p>一刀兩斷<br>
一毛不拔<br>
一股作氣<br>
一目了然<br></p>

<p>一般<br>
一心<br>
一經<br>
一路<br></p>

<p>What do you think?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-28T05:42:52.737Z
@user4072 一般 can be `yi1 ban1` or `yi4 ban1` depends on preference.
imkzh
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-07T07:12:21.533Z
2015-08-07T07:12:21.533Z
wpt
<p>Quick question: Is "一“ in 一线城市 first or second tone?
If it is first tone, is this because it is being used as a number?</p>

<p>Cheers,</p>

<p>Stephen </p>

<pronunciation><tones>
Is "一“ in 一线城市 first or second tone?
# Is "一“ in 一线城市 first or second tone?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-08-05)

Quick question: Is "一“ in 一线城市 first or second tone?
If it is first tone, is this because it is being used as a number?

Cheers,

username_0

**Tags:** pronunciation, tones


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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-08-05. Score: 7

一 is First tone here, meaning first class, the best.

Other examples: 一等奖, first prize; 第一, first.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2015-08-06. Score: 2

一线城市 is the first tone

Rule number 1: If "一" is for "order", then it is the first tone.

However, 一线天， is the second tone.

Rule number 2: If "一" is for "quantity", then it is the second tone.

Again, in oral Chinese, sometimes rules above are not always right,

e.g. 一辈子， usually ppl use second tone for that, because that can give this word a special emotion (for complaining something.) It is very similar as you are saying this: "I have been working on this sh\*t job for my whooooooole life"

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: `一线天`有好几种理解，但是都是读第二声不是特例：一种理解是“线”是量词，“一”表示数量，所以读第二声，另一种理解是“一条线状的天”，“一”用作数量，也是读二声。  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2015-08-06. Score: 1

See [this question](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/2045/pronunciation-of-%E4%B8%80-in-%E4%B8%80%E4%B8%AA?rq=1) about the pronunciation of "一".

To be simple, in `一线城市`， `一` is used as an **ordinal number**, so it is the first tone. Here `一` means first.

In general, `一` is used as a **cardinal number**, its prononciation varies in function of the context.


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### Answer by username_5 on 2015-08-07. Score: 0

I wonder about the idea that yi is read first tone here because it is an "ordinal." According to Chao Yuen Ren's *A Grammar of Spoken Chinese* (p. 568):

> In lexical compounds with stressed yi as 'one', it does not have the tone sandhi, resulting in the 4th or 2nd tone, but always has the 1st tone

Here are some examples of lexical compounds ('words' and 'chengyu') where yi certainly does not mean first. It seems to me that yi is first tone in most of these, but I am not a native speaker.

一刀兩斷  
一毛不拔  
一股作氣  
一目了然

一般  
一心  
一經  
一路

What do you think?

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: @user4072 一般 can be `yi1 ban1` or `yi4 ban1` depends on preference.  

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