The present study explored the interplay between L1 language background and universally applicable constraints. It specifically delved into the influence of French prosodic structures on the acquisition of Mandarin tones among learners. In French, a rising pitch pattern often characterizes the final syllable within a prosodic phrase. We hypothesized that French learners would demonstrate a tendency toward final rising pitch at the prosodic phrase level, potentially resulting in errors in tonal production. Additionally, given the prevalence of final lengthening at the prosodic phrase level in French, we anticipated that this duration pattern might manifest in the learners’ developing linguistic system as well. Acoustic data revealed that novice female learners applied the prosodic patterns of French in their Mandarin by including a pitch rise in tones at phrase-final positions. Phrase-final lengthening was observed among French learners at beginner and intermediate levels, whereas this pattern was absent among native Mandarin speakers. These findings suggest that cross-linguistic prosodic similarities may extend to suprasegmentals, exerting an influence on the acquisition of Mandarin tones.