Contents
VowelsEdit
| 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)
ConsonantsEdit
| 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 consonantsEdit
| 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 vowelsEdit
| Pinyin | IPA | Explanation | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | [a] | as the vowel in "star" without the "r" sound | 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 consonantsEdit
| Pinyin | IPA | Explanation | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| b | [b] | b, as in bit | Běijīng (capital of China) |
| p | [p] | as in English | piányi (cheap), piàoliang (beautiful) |
| m | [m] | as in English | miàntiáo (noodles) |
| f | [f] | as in English | fācái (get rich) |
| d | [d] | d, as in dark | dà (big) |
| t | [t] | as in English | tàipíng (peace) |
| n | [n] | as in English | nánrén (man) |
| l | [l] | as in English | lǎorén (old man) |
| g | [g] | g, as in gill, never as |
guójiā (country) |
| k | [k] | as in English | kèrén (guest) |
| 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; very 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 (Tibet) |
| 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 nurture 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 | Lhasa (capital of Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region), Suzhou (capital of the province of Jiansu, near Shanghai) |
| y | [j] | as in English | yuèliang (moon) |
| w | [w] | as in English | wàiguórén (foreigner) |
| ng | [ŋ] | as in English | fēngzi (lunatic), ńg (huh?) |
Pinyin syllable tableEdit
| 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.
TonesEdit
There are four tone marks in Hanyu Pinyin and they are essential to correct pronunciation: ā, á, ǎ, à, written above the first vowel of the word (the vowel "a" in this example). (See also the Chinese wikibook page on using tones).
Unstressed syllables may also have "zero tone" which is unmarked, for example yuèliang (moon). Alternative methods are used when diacritics are not convenient.