Why Tones in Chinese are So Important

This is a funny example illustrating why the tones (rising/falling pitches) in Chinese are so important.

These two example sentences are pronounced the same way, as you can see from the Pinyin (English pronunciation guide), but the tones are different.

The first sentence says, "Miss, how much does it cost for a bowl of dumplings?"

The second sentence says, "Miss, how much does it cost to sleep [together] for a night?"

Very different meanings...