How to Read Pinyin

Posted by Mollan Mo 6471

Reading Pinyin is not really so difficult as the alphabet only has 63 letters. If you pay close attention, you can memorize the sounds in less than a couple days.

Introduction to Pinyin

Pinyin is the romanized spelling of Chinese character sounds. They have both initial and final sounds. The finals sound loud while the initials are a bit quieter. The finals are divided into two groups: single finals and compound finals. The single finals contain only one vowel. The compound finals contain several vowels or a combination of vowel sounds.

Once you learn the sounds of the individual letters and the combinations in pinyin, you can really speed up your Chinese learning pace. Contact us at Hanbridge to jumpstart your Chinese learning with a free trial class.

Pinyin table with tones

ā

á

ǎ

à

āng

áng

ǎng

àng

ē

é

ě

è

ēng

éng

ěng

èng

ī

í

ǐ

ì

īng

íng

ǐng

ìng

üē

üé

üě

üè

ō

ó

ǒ

ò

ōng

óng

ǒng

òng

er

 

 

 

ē

é

ě

è

b

P

m

f

ān

án

ǎn

àn

ǖ

ǘ

ǚ

ǜ

d

T

n

l

ēn

én

ěn

èn

āi

ái

ǎi

ài

g

K

h

 

īn

ín

ǐn

ìn

ēi

éi

ěi

èi

j

Q

x

 

ūn

ún

ǔn

ùn

zh

Ch

sh

r

ǖn

ǘn

ǚn

ǜn

āo

áo

ǎo

ào

z

C

s

 

 

ōu

óu

ǒu

òu

y

W

 

 

 

Combination of Pinyin

 

a

o

e

i

u

ü

ai

ei

ui

ao

ou

Iu

ie

üe

er

b

ba

bo

 

bi

bu

 

bai

bei

 

bao

 

 

bie

 

 

p

pa

po

 

pi

pu

 

pai

pei

 

pao

pou

 

pie

 

 

m

ma

mo

me

mi

mu

 

mai

mei

 

mao

mou

miu

mie

 

 

f

fa

fo

 

 

fu

 

 

fei

 

 

fou

 

 

 

 

d

da

 

de

di

du

 

dai

dei

dui

dao

dou

Diu

die

 

 

t

ta

 

te

ti

tu

 

tai

 

tui

tao

tou

 

tie

 

 

n

na

 

ne

ni

nu

nai

nei

 

nao

nou

niu

nie

nue

 

l

la

 

le

li

lu

lai

lei

 

lao

lou

liu

lie

lue

 

g

ga

 

ge

 

gu

 

gai

gei

hui

gao

gou

 

 

 

 

k

ka

 

ke

 

ku

 

kai

 

kui

kao

kou

 

 

 

 

h

ha

 

he

 

hu

 

hai

 

hui

hao

hou

 

 

 

 

j

 

 

 

ji

 

ju

 

 

 

 

 

jiu

jie

jue

 

q

 

 

 

qi

 

qu

 

 

 

 

 

qiu

qie

que

 

x

 

 

 

xi

 

xu

 

 

 

 

 

xiu

xie

xue

 

zh

zha

 

zhe

zhi

zhu

 

zhai

 

zhui

zhao

zhou

 

 

 

 

ch

cha

 

che

chi

chu

 

chai

 

chui

chao

chou

 

 

 

 

sh

sha

 

she

shi

shu

 

shia

shei

shui

shao

shou

 

 

 

 

r

 

 

re

ri

ru

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

z

za

 

ze

zi

zu

 

zai

zei

zui

zao

zou

 

 

 

 

c

ca

 

ce

ci

cu

 

cai

 

cui

cao

cou

 

 

 

 

s

sa

 

se

si

su

 

sai

 

sui

sao

sou

 

 

 

 

y

ya

 

ye

yi

 

yu

 

 

 

yao

you

 

 

yue

 

w

wa

wo

 

 

wu

 

wai

wei

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

an

en

in

Un

ün

ang

eng

ing

ong

b

ban

ben

bin

 

 

bang

beng

bing

 

p

pan

pen

pin

 

 

pang

peng

ping

 

m

man

 

min

 

 

mang

meng

ming

 

f

fan

fen

nin

 

 

fang

feng

 

 

d

dan

 

 

dun

 

dang

deng

ding

dong

t

tan

 

 

tun

 

tang

teng

ting

tong

n

nan

nen

nin

 

 

nang

neng

ning

nong

l

lan

 

lin

lun

 

lang

leng

ling

long

g

gan

gen

 

gun

 

gang

 

 

gong

k

kan

ken

 

kun

 

kang

keng

 

kong

h

han

hen

 

hun

 

hang

heng

 

hong

j

 

 

jin

 

jun

 

 

jing

 

q

 

 

qin

 

qun

 

 

qing

 

x

 

 

xin

 

xun

 

 

xing

 

zh

zhan

zhen

 

zhun

 

zhang

zheng

 

zhong

ch

chan

chen

 

chun

 

chang

cheng

 

chong

sh

shan

shen

 

shun

 

shang

sheng

 

 

r

ran

 

 

 

 

rang

reng

 

rong

z

zan

zen

 

 

 

zang

zeng

 

zong

c

can

cen

 

 

 

cang

ceng

 

cong

s

san

sen

 

 

 

 

 

 

song

y

yan

 

yin

 

yun

yang

 

ying

yong

w

wan

wen

 

 

 

wang

weng

 

 

Three Spelling Syllable Table

 

ia

iao

ian

iang

iong

ua

uo

uai

uan

uang

Üan

b

 

biao

bian

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

p

 

piao

pian

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

m

 

miao

mian

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

f

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

d

 

diao

dian

 

 

 

duo

 

duan

 

 

t

 

tiao

tian

 

 

 

tuo

 

tuan

 

 

n

 

niao

nian

niang

 

 

nuo

 

nuan

 

 

l

 

liao

lian

liang

 

 

luo

 

luan

 

 

g

 

 

 

 

 

gua

guo

guai

guan

guang

 

k

 

 

 

 

 

kua

kuo

kuai

kuan

kuang

 

h

 

 

 

 

 

hua

huo

huai

huan

huang

 

j

jia

jiao

jian

jiang

jiong

 

 

 

 

 

juan

q

qia

qiao

qian

qiang

qiong

 

 

 

 

 

quan

x

xia

xiao

xian

xiang

xiong

 

 

 

 

 

xuan

zh

 

 

 

 

 

zhua

zhuo

zhuai

zhuan

zhuang

 

ch

 

 

 

 

 

chua

chuo

chuai

chuan

chuang

 

sh

 

 

 

 

 

shua

shuo

shuai

shuan

shuang

 

r

 

 

 

 

 

 

ruo

 

ruan

 

 

z

 

 

 

 

 

 

zuo

 

zuan

 

 

c

 

 

 

 

 

 

cuo

 

cuan

 

 

s

 

 

 

 

 

 

suo

 

suan

 

 

y

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

yuan

w

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Chinese, a syllable is formed by combining the initial sound with the final, the content at the beginning of syllable is initial, and the remain part is known as the final.

There are 21 initials and 38 finals.

The finals connect with the Intitial sounds to create the one syllable words that are the basis of the Chinese language.

Although all Chinese words are one syllable, they are often combined to create terms made from several words.

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