<p><strong>The</strong> is rarely explicitly expressed in Chinese. Like the comments mentioned below your question, the closest equivalent is going to be a combination of 这 (this) or 那 (that) and the appropriate measure word. You might notice Chinese ESL speakers struggle with definite articles in English and that is because similar usage is not found in Chinese.</p>

<hr>

<p>As for the specific sentence you’re trying to write, you’re better off with saying something more general like:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>(我的)口音很重</p></li>
<li><p>(我)说话不标准</p></li>
<li><p>(我说话)有点洋腔洋调的</p></li>
<li><p>(我的中文)说得不好</p></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-13T04:37:27.257Z
2019-11-13T06:05:15.037Z
2019-11-13T06:05:15.037Z
Mou某
<p>Seems you have the same problem as me! :(</p>

<p>I cannot pronounce the four tones well.
我不能准确地发音四个声调。</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-13T02:52:10.893Z
2019-11-13T02:52:10.893Z
Pedroski
<p>The definite article has no equivalence in Chinese. Its functions, however, can be found in Chinese.</p>

<ol>
<li>Something previously mentioned or known</li>
</ol>

<p>Compare:</p>

<p>He is a murderer. 他是<strong>个</strong>杀人犯。(杀人犯 is <strong>a murderer</strong>, a man that has commited murder. 个 is like the indefinite article.)</p>

<p>He is the murderer.</p>

<p>By using nouns inherently specific.</p>

<p>他就是凶手。(凶手 is <strong>the murderer</strong> , it cannot be used without context.
他是个凶手(incorrect))</p>

<p>By using demonstratives: 这/那/这些/那些/此/彼</p>

<p>他就是这个杀人犯。</p>

<ol start="2">
<li>Something unique or identified by the speaker, terminologies.</li>
</ol>

<p>I cannot pronounce the four tones well.</p>

<p>我发不好<strong>四声</strong>。(平上去入(tradition)/阴阳上去(modern mandarin), as a whole isn't referred as 四个声调)</p>

<p>Particularly, these sets of similar things are usually referred without measure words.</p>

<p>四书/十三经/六艺/五行/四君子/十八罗汉/一百零八星宿......</p>

<p>Unique things, such as the sun, the moon... are referred exactly its name (Actually the definite article is unnecessary semantically)</p>

<p>As for "I want to go to a/the park", it's not hard to appreciate that 我想去公园。 already fully conveys the two possible interpretation, depending on the listener.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-14T03:13:51.097Z
In a general sense, is the inclusion or exclusion of a measure word (个 for instance) the difference between definite and indefinite quantities? For instance, 我有三书 vs 我有三本书, would the former translate as "I have the 3 books" and the latter translate as "I have 3 books" or is the former just grammatically incorrect? An example I found online is "三书六礼" (aka Three Letters and Six Etiquette) or is this an exception because it is a proper noun?
小奥利奥
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-14T08:35:02.153Z
@小奥利奥 我有三书 is incorrect. The measure word shouldn't be dropped there.
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-14T14:17:50.947Z
This kind of abbreviation is just for proper nouns. "I have three books."我有三本书。 "I have the three books"我有那三本书。/三本书我有。
Toosky Hierot
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-13T05:45:46.003Z
2019-11-13T05:45:46.003Z
Toosky Hierot
<p>I'm trying to convey the sentence "我不会好好发音四个声调" But that more directly translates as "I cannot pronounce four tones well" which is a bit ambiguous... that begs the question, which four tones? I'm sure anyone I say this to would understand but it doesn't sit well with me. In English it is easy, I'd say "I cannot pronounce <strong>the</strong> four tones well" which implies the existence of exactly 4 tones, all of which I have trouble pronouncing. So far I have not seen a Chinese equivalent?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-13T01:01:03.617Z
First thought **the** could be translated to **這**, sometimes is equivalent to **this**
Conifers
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-13T01:33:20.147Z
普通话的四声, or 普通话的声调, or even just 声调
Stumpy Joe Pete
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-13T02:31:29.190Z
mā (妈) má (麻) mǎ (马) mà (骂) ma (吗) <- 4 tones or 5 tones?
Becky 李蓓
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-13T16:58:03.190Z
this Chinese sentence is grammatically incorrect. 发音 is a noun, you can say 我不会好好发四个声调, and 好好 sounds wired here too, because this way, it's very subjective, and it sounds like you don't want to pronounce the four tones correctly. I would simply not use 好好 （我不会发四个声调）, or just say 我发不好四个声调
sylvia
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-13T21:28:28.610Z
@sylvia I just threw this sentence together and even I doubted it was grammatically correct but somehow nobody corrected it until now lol
小奥利奥
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-14T01:45:46.063Z
@sylvia I would just say 我发不了声调, since it's implied with proper context (like just saying it in Chinese by itself) that the 声调 are Chinese.
explicitEllipticGroupAction
<usage>
How to express "the" in Chinese
# How to express "the" in Chinese

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-11-13)

I'm trying to convey the sentence "我不会好好发音四个声调" But that more directly translates as "I cannot pronounce four tones well" which is a bit ambiguous... that begs the question, which four tones? I'm sure anyone I say this to would understand but it doesn't sit well with me. In English it is easy, I'd say "I cannot pronounce **the** four tones well" which implies the existence of exactly 4 tones, all of which I have trouble pronouncing. So far I have not seen a Chinese equivalent?

**Tags:** usage

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: First thought **the** could be translated to **這**, sometimes is equivalent to **this**  
> **username_2**: 普通话的四声, or 普通话的声调, or even just 声调  
> **username_3**: mā (妈) má (麻) mǎ (马) mà (骂) ma (吗) <- 4 tones or 5 tones?  
> **username_4**: this Chinese sentence is grammatically incorrect. 发音 is a noun, you can say 我不会好好发四个声调, and 好好 sounds wired here too, because this way, it's very subjective, and it sounds like you don't want to pronounce the four tones correctly. I would simply not use 好好 （我不会发四个声调）, or just say 我发不好四个声调  
> **username_0**: @username_4 I just threw this sentence together and even I doubted it was grammatically correct but somehow nobody corrected it until now lol  
> **username_5**: @username_4 I would just say 我发不了声调, since it's implied with proper context (like just saying it in Chinese by itself) that the 声调 are Chinese.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_8 on 2019-11-13. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

The definite article has no equivalence in Chinese. Its functions, however, can be found in Chinese.

1. Something previously mentioned or known

Compare:

He is a murderer. 他是**个**杀人犯。(杀人犯 is **a murderer**, a man that has commited murder. 个 is like the indefinite article.)

He is the murderer.

By using nouns inherently specific.

他就是凶手。(凶手 is **the murderer** , it cannot be used without context.
他是个凶手(incorrect))

By using demonstratives: 这/那/这些/那些/此/彼

他就是这个杀人犯。

2. Something unique or identified by the speaker, terminologies.

I cannot pronounce the four tones well.

我发不好**四声**。(平上去入(tradition)/阴阳上去(modern mandarin), as a whole isn't referred as 四个声调)

Particularly, these sets of similar things are usually referred without measure words.

四书/十三经/六艺/五行/四君子/十八罗汉/一百零八星宿......

Unique things, such as the sun, the moon... are referred exactly its name (Actually the definite article is unnecessary semantically)

As for "I want to go to a/the park", it's not hard to appreciate that 我想去公园。 already fully conveys the two possible interpretation, depending on the listener.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: In a general sense, is the inclusion or exclusion of a measure word (个 for instance) the difference between definite and indefinite quantities? For instance, 我有三书 vs 我有三本书, would the former translate as "I have the 3 books" and the latter translate as "I have 3 books" or is the former just grammatically incorrect? An example I found online is "三书六礼" (aka Three Letters and Six Etiquette) or is this an exception because it is a proper noun?  
> **username_9**: @username_0 我有三书 is incorrect. The measure word shouldn't be dropped there.  
> **username_8**: This kind of abbreviation is just for proper nouns. "I have three books."我有三本书。 "I have the three books"我有那三本书。/三本书我有。  

---

### Answer by username_6 on 2019-11-13. Score: 3

**The** is rarely explicitly expressed in Chinese. Like the comments mentioned below your question, the closest equivalent is going to be a combination of 这 (this) or 那 (that) and the appropriate measure word. You might notice Chinese ESL speakers struggle with definite articles in English and that is because similar usage is not found in Chinese.

---

As for the specific sentence you’re trying to write, you’re better off with saying something more general like:

* (我的)口音很重
* (我)说话不标准
* (我说话)有点洋腔洋调的
* (我的中文)说得不好


---

### Answer by username_7 on 2019-11-13. Score: -1

Seems you have the same problem as me! :(

I cannot pronounce the four tones well.
我不能准确地发音四个声调。


---

