Introduction to Chinese alphabet (Pinyin)
The Mandarin language has 21 consonants and 16 vowels. They can be combined together to create more than 400 mono-syllabic sounds.
Many of the sounds of Mandarin are not used in English. Althoug h they may be similar to English, you should try to hear the differences and work on getting the correct pronunciation.
Here is a chart of the 37 sounds of Mandarin with a sound clip of each. Practice these as much as you can - they will provide the foundation learning how to pronounce Mandarin.
Learning Mandarin Initial
Some Chinese consonants are rather similar to English consonants, but it's important to hear the differences and get all details as accurate as possible!
Labial: a sound made with use of one or both your lips, such as: b、p、m、f；
Alveolar: formed with the tip of the tongue against the bony ridge behind the upper front teeth, such as: d、t、n、l；
Velar: formed with the back of the tongue close to or touching the soft part of the roof of the mouth, such as: g、k、h；
Palatal: formed with the back and middle of the tongue close to or touching the roof of the mouth, such as: j、q、x；
Dental sibilant: formed with the tip of the tongue close to or touching the back of the upper front teeth, such as z、c、s；
Retroflex: formed with the tongue curled back so that it touches (or almost touches) the hard part of the roof of the mouth, such as zh、ch、sh、r;
Other comments on initial letters in Mandarin Chinese, such as w、y.
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Initial |
Explanation |
Sound Clip |
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b |
similar to 'b' in the English 'boat' - softened to approach a 'p' sound |
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p |
similar to 'p' in the English 'top' - with more aspiration |
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m |
same as 'm' in the English 'mat' |
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f |
same as 'f' in the English 'fat' |
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d |
similar to 'd' in the English 'down' - softened to approach a 't' sound |
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t |
similar to 't' in the English 'top' - with more aspiration |
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n |
similar to 'n' in the English 'name' |
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l |
similar to 'l' in the English 'look' |
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g |
similar to 'g' in the English 'go' - softened to approach a 'k' sound |
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k |
similar to 'k' in the English 'kiss' - with more aspiration |
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h |
similar to 'h' in the English 'hope' - with a slight rasp as in 'loch' |
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j |
similar to 'j' in the English 'jeep' - tongue is positioned below lower teeth |
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q |
similar to 'ch' in the English 'cheap' - tongue is positioned below lower teeth |
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x |
similar to 'sh' in the English 'sheep' - tongue is positioned below lower teeth |
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zh |
similar to 'j' in the English 'jam' |
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ch |
similar to 'ch' in the English 'cheap' |
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sh |
similar to 'sh' in the English 'ship' |
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r |
similar to 'z' in the English 'azure' |
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z |
same as 'ds' in the English 'woods' |
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c |
similar to 'ts' in the English 'bits' |
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s |
similar to 's' in the English 'see' |
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(y)i |
similar to 'ee' in the English 'bee' |
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(w)u |
similar to 'oo' in the English 'room' |
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yu |
purse your lips and position the tongue high and forwards |
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