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Contents
- 1 Vowels
- 2 Consonants
- 3 Basic combinations of vowels and consonants
- 4 Pronunciation of vowels
- 5 Pronunciation of consonants
- 6 Pinyin syllable table
- 7 Tones
Vowels
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| Pinyin | IPA |
|---|---|
| a | [a] |
| e | [ə] |
| ê | [ɛ] |
| i | [i] |
| -i (after zh,ch,sh,r) | [ʅ] |
| -i (after z,c,s) | [ɿ] |
| o | [o] |
| u | [u] |
| ü | [y] |
- "u" after "j, q, x, y" is pronounced as "ü" (the two dots is omitted in spelling)
- "e" after "i, u, ü, y" is pronounced as "ê" (the hat "^" is omitted in spelling)
- "e" before "i" is pronounced as "ê" (the hat "^" is omitted in spelling)
- "o" before "ng" is pronounced as "u" ("u" is written as "o" in spelling)
Consonants
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| b | p | m | f | w |
| d | t | n | l | |
| g | k | ng | h | |
| j | q | x | y | |
| zh | ch | sh | r | |
| z | c | s |
Basic combinations of vowels and consonants
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| ai | ei | ao | ou | |
| an | en | ang | eng | ong |
- "ei" is pronounced as "êi" ("êi" is written as "ei" in spelling)
- "ong" is pronounced as "ung" ("ung" is written as "ong" in spelling)
Pronunciation of vowels
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| Pinyin | IPA | Explanation | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | [a] | as the vowel in father | bàba (papa) |
| e | [ə] | as the vowel in "stir" | gēge (elder brother) |
| ê | [ɛ] | as the vowel in "their" | xièxie (thank) |
| i | [i] | as the vowel in "bit" | dìdi (younger brother) |
| -i (after zh,ch,sh,r) | [ʅ] | similar to the consonant "r" in "rank", but with the lips spread and with the tongue curled upwards | zhīchí (support) |
| -i (after z,c,s) | [ɿ] | similar to the consonant in "zoo" | zìsī (selfish) |
| o | [o] | as the vowel in "law" | lǎopo (wife) |
| u | [u] | as the vowel in "food" | mǔqin (mother) |
| ü | [y] | as in German "üben" or French "lune" (To get this sound, say "ee" with rounded lips) | lǚyóu (travel), yǔyán* (language) |
- The two dots of ü is omitted after "j, q, x, y".
Pronunciation of consonants
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| Pinyin | IPA | Explanation | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| b | [p] | p unaspirated, as in sport | Běijīng (capital of China) |
| p | [pʰ] | p aspirated, as in port | piányi (cheap), piàoliang (beautiful) |
| m | [m] | as in English | miàntiáo (noodles) |
| f | [f] | as in English | fācái (get rich) |
| w | [w] | as in English | wàiguórén (foreigner) |
| d | [t] | t unaspirated, as in stand | dà (big) |
| t | [tʰ] | t aspirated, as in tent | tàipíng (peace) |
| n | [n] | as in English | nánrén (man) |
| l | [l] | as in English | lǎorén (old man) |
| g | [k] | k unaspirated, as in sky | guójiā (country) |
| k | [kʰ] | k aspirated, as in kit | kèrén (guest) |
| ng | [ŋ] | as in English | fēngzi (lunatic), ńg (huh?) |
| h | [x] | like the English h if followed by "a"; otherwise it is pronounced more roughly (not unlike the Scots ch) | hāhā (sound of laughter), hēshuǐ (drink water) |
| j | [tɕ] | like q, but unaspirated. (To get this sound, first take the sound halfway between joke and check, and then slowly pass it backwards along the tongue until it is entirely clear of the tongue tip.) While this exact sound is not used in English, the closest match is the j in ajar, not the s in Asia; this means that "Beijing" is pronounced like "bay-jing", not like "beige-ing". You may simply pronounce it as zh and a Chinese may understand it. | jiàotáng (church), jiā (home or family) |
| q | [tɕʰ] | like church, but with less of the "ch"/"h" sound; pass it backwards along the tongue until it is free of the tongue tip | shēngqì (get angry) |
| x | [ɕ] | like sh, but with less of the "s" sound. Take the sound and pass it backwards along the tongue until it is clear of the tongue tip; similar to the final sound in German ich, Portuguese enxada, luxo, xícara, puxa, and to huge or Hugh in some English dialects | xiǎohái (child), Xīzàng (Xizang/Tibet) |
| y | [j] | as in English | yuèliang (moon) |
| zh | [tʂ] | ch with no aspiration (take the sound halfway between joke and church and curl it upwards); very similar to merger in American English, but not voiced | Zhōngguó (China), zháohuǒ (catch fire) |
| ch | [tʂʰ] | as in chin, but with the tongue curled upwards; very similar to nature in American English, but strongly aspirated | chīfàn (have a meal), chǎojià (quarrel) |
| sh | [ʂ] | as in shinbone, but with the tongue curled upwards; very similar to undershirt in American English | shāmò (desert), Shànghǎi (city in China) |
| r | [ɻ] | similar to the English r in rank, but with the lips spread and with the tongue curled upwards | rè (hot), rèqíng (passion) |
| z | [ts] | unaspirated c (halfway between beds and bets), (more common example is suds) | zǎoshànghǎo (good morning!), qīzi (wife), Zhāng Zǐyí (name of a Chinese actress) |
| c | [tsʰ] | like ts, aspirated (more common example is cats) | cǎo (grass), cì, time |
| s | [s] | as in sun | Lāsà (Lhasa, capital of Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region), Sūzhōu (capital of the province of Jiangsu, near Shanghai) |
- Nearly all consonants in Chinese are voiceless.
Pinyin syllable table
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| a | e | i | o | u/ü* | ai | ei | ao | ou | an | en | ang | eng | ong | n | ng | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | e | o | ai | ei | ao | ou | an | en | ang | n | ng | |||||||
| b | ba | bi | bo | bu | bai | bei | bao | ban | ben | bang | beng | |||||||
| p | pa | pi | po | pu | pai | pei | pao | pou | pan | pen | pang | peng | ||||||
| m | ma | me | mi | mo | mu | mai | mei | mao | mou | man | men | mang | meng | |||||
| f | fa | fo | fu | fei | fou | fan | fen | fang | feng | |||||||||
| w | wa | wo | wu | wai | wei | wan | wen | wang | weng | |||||||||
| d | da | de | di | du | dai | dei | dao | dou | dan | den | dang | deng | dong | |||||
| t | ta | te | ti | tu | tai | tao | tou | tan | tang | teng | tong | |||||||
| n | na | ne | ni | nu/nü* | nai | nei | nao | nou | nan | nen | nang | neng | nong | |||||
| l | la | le | li | lo | lu/lü* | lai | lei | lao | lou | lan | lang | leng | long | |||||
| g | ga | ge | gu | gai | gei | gao | gou | gan | gen | gang | geng | gong | ||||||
| k | ka | ke | ku | kai | kei | kao | kou | kan | ken | kang | keng | kong | ||||||
| h | ha | he | hu | hai | hei | hao | hou | han | hen | hang | heng | hong | hng | |||||
| j | ji | ju* | ||||||||||||||||
| q | qi | qu* | ||||||||||||||||
| x | xi | xu* | ||||||||||||||||
| y | ya | ye | yi | yo | yu* | yao | you | yan | yang | yong | ||||||||
| zh | zha | zhe | zhi | zhu | zhai | zhei | zhao | zhou | zhan | zhen | zhang | zheng | zhong | |||||
| ch | cha | che | chi | chu | chai | chao | chou | chan | chen | chang | cheng | chong | ||||||
| sh | sha | she | shi | shu | shai | shei | shao | shou | shan | shen | shang | sheng | ||||||
| r | re | ri | ru | rao | rou | ran | ren | rang | reng | rong | ||||||||
| z | za | ze | zi | zu | zai | zei | zao | zou | zan | zen | zang | zeng | zong | |||||
| c | ca | ce | ci | cu | cai | cei | cao | cou | can | cen | cang | ceng | cong | |||||
| s | sa | se | si | su | sai | sao | sou | san | sen | sang | seng | song | ||||||
| bi | bie | biao | bian | bin | bing | |||||||||||||
| pi | pie | piao | pian | pin | ping | |||||||||||||
| mi | mie | miu | miao | mian | min | ming | ||||||||||||
| di | die | diu | diao | dian | ding | |||||||||||||
| ti | tie | tiao | tian | ting | ||||||||||||||
| ni | nie | niu | niao | nian | niang | nin | ning | |||||||||||
| li | lia | lie | liu | liao | lian | liang | lin | ling | ||||||||||
| ji | jia | jie | jiu | jiao | jian | jiang | jiong | jin | jing | |||||||||
| qi | qia | qie | qiu | qiao | qian | qiang | qiong | qin | qing | |||||||||
| xi | xia | xie | xiu | xiao | xian | xiang | xiong | xin | ||||||||||
| yi | yin | ying | ||||||||||||||||
| du | dui | duo | duan | dun | ||||||||||||||
| tu | tui | tuo | tuan | tun | ||||||||||||||
| nu | nue | nuo | nuan | |||||||||||||||
| lu | lue | luo | luan | lun | ||||||||||||||
| gu | gua | gui | guo | guai | guan | guang | gun | |||||||||||
| ku | kua | kui | kuo | kuai | kuan | kuang | kun | |||||||||||
| hu | hua | hui | huo | huai | huan | huang | hun | |||||||||||
| ju* | jue | juan | jun | |||||||||||||||
| qu* | que | quan | qun | |||||||||||||||
| xu* | xue | xuan | xun | |||||||||||||||
| yu* | yue | yuan | yun | |||||||||||||||
| zhu | zhua | zhui | zhuo | zhuai | zhuan | zhuang | zhun | |||||||||||
| chu | chua | zhui | chuo | chuai | chuan | chuang | chun | |||||||||||
| shu | shua | shui | shuo | shuai | shuan | shuang | shun | |||||||||||
| ru | rui | ruo | ruan | run | ||||||||||||||
| zu | zui | zuo | zuan | zun | ||||||||||||||
| cu | cui | cuo | cuan | cun | ||||||||||||||
| su | sui | suo | suan | sun |
- "u" after "j, q, x, y" is pronounced as "ü" (the two dots is omitted in spelling), but the two dots of "nü" and "lü" cannot be omitted.
Tones
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There are four tone marks in Pinyin and they are essential to correct pronunciation, written above the main vowel of the syllables of words (See also the Chinese wikibook page on using tones).
Unstressed syllable also called neutral tone which is unmarked, for example yuèliang (moon).
Alternative methods are used when diacritics are not convenient.
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