Pinyin & Pronunciation
Mandarin Chinese pronounces meaning through sounds and tones, so learning pīnyīn 拼音 and tones first gives you a clear roadmap to speaking and understanding.
Tones
Mandarin has four main tones plus a neutral tone; each tone changes a syllable's meaning, so marking tones is essential for clear communication.
| Tone | Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (high) | 妈 | mā | mother |
| 2 (rising) | 麻 | má | hemp |
| 3 (fall-rise) | 马 | mǎ | horse |
| 4 (fall) | 卖 | mài | sell |
| Neutral | 吗 | ma | question particle |
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| Hanzi Sentence | Pinyin Sentence | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 🌳树上的鸟唱着第一声的歌。 | Shù shàng de niǎo chàng zhe dì yī shēng de gē. | The bird on the tree sings a first tone song. |
| 🌬️风吹落了第二声的叶子。 | Fēng chuī luò le dì èr shēng de yèzi. | The wind blew down the second tone leaves. |
| 🌧️雨打着第三声的窗子。 | Yǔ dǎ zhe dì sān shēng de chuāngzi. | The rain taps on the third tone window. |
| 🔥火照亮了第四声的山谷。 | Huǒ zhào liàng le dì sì shēng de shāngǔ. | The fire lights up the fourth tone valley. |
Pinyin
Pīnyīn 拼音 is the system that shows Mandarin sounds using the Latin alphabet, guiding you exactly how to pronounce each syllable.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Pinyin | English | Hint |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 八 | b | bā | eight | “b” in “bat” |
| 爬 | p | pā | climb | aspirated “p” like “p” in “pat” |
| 妈 | m | mā | mother | “m” in “mom” |
| 发 | f | fā | send/emit | “f” in “fun” |
| 打 | d | dā | hit/beat (or play) | “d” in “dog” |
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| Hanzi | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 妈 | mā | mother |
| 麻 | má | hemp |
| 马 | mǎ | horse |
| 卖 | mài | sell |
| 吗 | ma | question particle |
Initials (Consonants)
Initials are consonant sounds that start a syllable. Some sound like English letters and others are different, so listen and imitate carefully.
| Initial | Hanzi | Pinyin | English | Hint |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| j | 鸡 | jī | chicken | “j” as in “jeep” but tongue behind lower teeth |
| q | 七 | qī | seven | like “chee” but sharper |
| x | 西 | xī | west | like “she” but tongue flat |
| zh | 珍 | zhēn | precious | “j” in “judge” |
| ch | 吃 | chī | eat | “ch” in “church” |
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| Hanzi Sentence | Pinyin Sentence | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 🍞 我想买包新鲜的面包。 | Wǒ xiǎng mǎi bāo xīnxiān de miànbāo. | I want to buy a loaf of fresh bread. |
| 🍎 桌上有一篮红艳的苹果。 | Zhuō shàng yǒu yī lán hóng yàn de píngguǒ. | There is a basket of bright red apples on the table. |
| ☕ 你喜欢咖啡还是茶？ | Nǐ xǐhuān kāfēi háishì chá? | Do you like coffee or tea? |
| 🥖 街角有家卖法式长棍的店。 | Jiē jiǎo yǒu jiā mài fǎ shì cháng gùn de diàn. | There is a shop on the corner selling French baguettes. |
Finals (Vowels / Ending Sounds)
Finals are vowel or vowel-plus-consonant sounds that come after an initial. They determine the syllable's tone and melody. Practice clearly so each word sounds distinct.
| Final | Hanzi | Pinyin | English | Hint |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | 妈 | mā | mother | “a” as in “father” |
| o | 波 | bō | wave | “o” as in “bore” |
| e | 哥 | gē | older brother | “e” as in “her” |
| i | 咪 | mī | meow (sound) | “ee” as in “see” |
| u | 木 | mū | wood | “oo” as in “moon” |
| ü | 绿 | lǜ | green | like German ü, lips rounded |
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| Hanzi Sentence | Pinyin Sentence | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 🍊 桔子汁甜甜的，很好喝。 | Júzi zhī tián tián de, hěn hǎo hē. | The tangerine juice is sweet and very tasty. |
| 🌾 田里的稻谷金黄金黄的。 | Tián lǐ de dàogǔ jīn huáng huáng de. | The rice in the field is golden yellow. |
| 🥚 早餐有煮鸡蛋和面包片。 | Zǎocān yǒu zhǔ jīdàn hé miànbāo piàn. | Breakfast has boiled eggs and slices of bread. |
| 🧃 我带了几瓶果汁去野餐。 | Wǒ dài le jǐ píng guǒzhī qù yěcān. | I brought several bottles of juice to the picnic. |
Neutral Tone
The neutral tone is light and quick without a defined pitch; it often appears in common particles and endings, making speech sound natural and fluent.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 包子 | bāozi | bun | neutral tone on second syllable |
| 什么 | shénme | what | neutral tone on second syllable |
| 谢谢 | xièxie | thanks | neutral tone on second syllable |
| 妈妈 | māma | mom | neutral tone on second syllable |
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| Hanzi | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 袋子 | dàigzi | bag |
| 妈妈 | māma | mother |
| 桌子 | zhuōzi | table |
| 什么 | shénme | what |
| 朋友 | péngyou | friend |
Summary
Pinyin shows you how syllables sound using Latin letters, tones (1–4 and neutral) change meaning, initials are syllable-opening consonants, and finals are the vowel or vowel-plus-consonant sounds that follow.
Initials
Initials are consonant sounds that start a syllable; they set the syllable's opening sound and are mostly similar to sounds in English.
| Initial | Example Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| b | 包 | bāo | bag |
| p | 苹 | pīng | apple (part) |
| m | 妈 | mā | mother |
| f | 佛 | fú | Buddha |
| d | 大 | dà | big |
Finals
Finals are the vowel or vowel-plus-consonant sounds that follow an initial; they determine the syllable's tone and melody.
| Final | Example Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | 吧 | bā | (particle / bar) |
| o | 波 | bō | wave |
| ɡ | 烤 | kāo | roast |
| u | 云 | yún | cloud |
| ɰ | 马 | mǎ | horse |
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025