Chinese Pinyin Chart
Pinyin is the official romanization of Mandarin Chinese. Master these sounds and you can pronounce any Chinese word.
The Four Tones
Every Chinese syllable has one of four tones (plus a neutral/5th tone). The same syllable with different tones means completely different things. Tones are not optional.
First Tone
High and flat — hold it steady at a high pitch, like a musical note.
Second Tone
Rising — start low and rise quickly, like asking a question in English.
Third Tone
Dipping — start mid, fall low, then rise. The hardest for beginners.
Fourth Tone
Falling — start high and drop sharply, like a command.
Initials (声母) — Consonants
21 initials (plus y and w). Most are similar to English sounds — the tricky ones are marked below.
| Pinyin | Sounds Like | Example | Watch Out |
|---|---|---|---|
| b | Like English "b" but unaspirated (no puff of air) | 爸 bà (dad) | |
| p | Like English "p" with a puff of air | 怕 pà (afraid) | |
| m | Like English "m" | 妈 mā (mom) | |
| f | Like English "f" | 飞 fēi (fly) | |
| d | Like English "d" but unaspirated | 大 dà (big) | |
| t | Like English "t" with a puff of air | 他 tā (he) | |
| n | Like English "n" | 你 nǐ (you) | |
| l | Like English "l" | 来 lái (come) | |
| g | Like English "g" but unaspirated | 个 gè (individual) | |
| k | Like English "k" with a puff of air | 可 kě (can) | |
| h | Harsher than English "h" — like clearing your throat gently | 好 hǎo (good) | |
| j | Like English "j" in "jeep" — but tongue flat | 鸡 jī (chicken) | Only with i, ü finals |
| q | Like "ch" in "cheese" — tongue flat | 去 qù (go) | Only with i, ü finals |
| x | Like "sh" in "sheep" — tongue flat | 西 xī (west) | Only with i, ü finals |
| zh | Like "j" in "judge" — tongue curled back | 中 zhōng (middle) | Retroflex — curl tongue! |
| ch | Like "ch" in "church" — tongue curled back | 吃 chī (eat) | Retroflex — curl tongue! |
| sh | Like "sh" in "shore" — tongue curled back | 是 shì (is) | Retroflex — curl tongue! |
| r | Between English "r" and "zh" — tongue curled back | 人 rén (person) | No English equivalent |
| z | Like "ds" in "beds" | 字 zì (character) | Not English "z" |
| c | Like "ts" in "cats" with a puff of air | 错 cuò (wrong) | |
| s | Like English "s" | 四 sì (four) |
Simple Finals (单韵母)
| Final | Tone 1 (ˉ) | Tone 2 (ˊ) | Tone 3 (ˇ) | Tone 4 (ˋ) | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | ā | á | ǎ | à | 啊 (ah) |
| o | ō | ó | ǒ | ò | 哦 (oh) |
| e | ē | é | ě | è | 鹅 (goose) |
| i | ī | í | ǐ | ì | 衣 (clothes) |
| u | ū | ú | ǔ | ù | 屋 (house) |
| ü | ǖ | ǘ | ǚ | ǜ | 鱼 (fish) |
Compound Finals (复韵母)
| Final | Tone 1 (ˉ) | Tone 2 (ˊ) | Tone 3 (ˇ) | Tone 4 (ˋ) | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ai | āi | ái | ǎi | ài | 爱 (love) |
| ei | ēi | éi | ěi | èi | 诶 (hey) |
| ao | āo | áo | ǎo | ào | 好 (good) |
| ou | ōu | óu | ǒu | òu | 偶 (chance) |
| ia | iā | iá | iǎ | ià | 家 (home) |
| ie | iē | ié | iě | iè | 爷 (grandpa) |
| iao | iāo | iáo | iǎo | iào | 叫 (call) |
| iou | iōu | ióu | iǒu | iòu | 有 (have) |
| ua | uā | uá | uǎ | uà | 花 (flower) |
| uo | uō | uó | uǒ | uò | 多 (many) |
| uai | uāi | uái | uǎi | uài | 快 (fast) |
| uei | uēi | uéi | uěi | uèi | 对 (right) |
| üe | üē | üé | üě | üè | 月 (moon) |
Nasal Finals (鼻韵母)
| Final | Tone 1 (ˉ) | Tone 2 (ˊ) | Tone 3 (ˇ) | Tone 4 (ˋ) | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| an | ān | án | ǎn | àn | 安 (peace) |
| en | ēn | én | ěn | èn | 恩 (grace) |
| in | īn | ín | ǐn | ìn | 音 (sound) |
| un | ūn | ún | ǔn | ùn | 温 (warm) |
| ün | ǖn | ǘn | ǚn | ǜn | 云 (cloud) |
| ang | āng | áng | ǎng | àng | 方 (direction) |
| eng | ēng | éng | ěng | èng | 能 (can) |
| ing | īng | íng | ǐng | ìng | 明 (bright) |
| ong | ōng | óng | ǒng | òng | 中 (middle) |
| ian | iān | ián | iǎn | iàn | 天 (sky) |
| iang | iāng | iáng | iǎng | iàng | 想 (think) |
| iong | iōng | ióng | iǒng | iòng | 用 (use) |
| uan | uān | uán | uǎn | uàn | 完 (finish) |
| uang | uāng | uáng | uǎng | uàng | 床 (bed) |
| ueng | uēng | uéng | uěng | uèng | 翁 (old man) |
| üan | üān | üán | üǎn | üàn | 远 (far) |
Special Final
| Final | Tone 1 (ˉ) | Tone 2 (ˊ) | Tone 3 (ˇ) | Tone 4 (ˋ) | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| er | ēr | ér | ěr | èr | 儿 (child) |
Initial + Final Combination Chart
Not all initial-final combinations exist in Mandarin. Valid combinations are shown; empty cells are not used.
| Initial ↓ / Final → | a | o | e | ai | ao | an | ang | en | eng | ou | u | i | ia | ie | iao | ian | iang | in | ing | ua | uo | uai | uan | uang | ü | üe | üan | ün |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| b | ba | bo | bai | bao | ban | bang | ben | beng | bu | bi | bie | biao | bian | bin | bing | |||||||||||||
| p | pa | po | pai | pao | pan | pang | pen | peng | pou | pu | pi | pie | piao | pian | pin | ping | ||||||||||||
| m | ma | mo | me | mai | mao | man | mang | men | meng | mou | mu | mi | mie | miao | mian | min | ming | |||||||||||
| f | fa | fo | fan | fang | fen | feng | fou | fu | ||||||||||||||||||||
| d | da | de | dai | dao | dan | dang | den | deng | dou | du | di | die | diao | dian | ding | dua | duo | duan | ||||||||||
| t | ta | te | tai | tao | tan | tang | teng | tou | tu | ti | tie | tiao | tian | ting | tuo | tuan | ||||||||||||
| n | na | ne | nai | nao | nan | nang | nen | neng | nou | nu | ni | nie | niao | nian | niang | nin | ning | nuo | nuan | nü | nüe | nün | ||||||
| l | la | lo | le | lai | lao | lan | lang | leng | lou | lu | li | lia | lie | liao | lian | liang | lin | ling | luo | luan | lü | lüe | lün | |||||
| g | ga | ge | gai | gao | gan | gang | gen | geng | gou | gu | gua | guo | guai | guan | guang | |||||||||||||
| k | ka | ke | kai | kao | kan | kang | ken | keng | kou | ku | kua | kuo | kuai | kuan | kuang | |||||||||||||
| h | ha | he | hai | hao | han | hang | hen | heng | hou | hu | hua | huo | huai | huan | huang | |||||||||||||
| j | ji | jia | jie | jiao | jian | jiang | jin | jing | ju | jue | juan | jun | ||||||||||||||||
| q | qi | qia | qie | qiao | qian | qiang | qin | qing | qu | que | quan | qun | ||||||||||||||||
| x | xi | xia | xie | xiao | xian | xiang | xin | xu | xue | xuan | xun | |||||||||||||||||
| zh | zha | zhe | zhai | zhao | zhan | zhang | zhen | zheng | zhou | zhu | zhi | zhua | zhuo | zhuai | zhuan | zhuang | ||||||||||||
| ch | cha | che | chai | chao | chan | chang | chen | cheng | chou | chu | chi | chua | chuo | chuai | chuan | chuang | ||||||||||||
| sh | sha | she | shai | shao | shan | shang | shen | sheng | shou | shu | shi | shua | shuo | shuai | shuan | shuang | ||||||||||||
| r | re | rao | ran | rang | ren | reng | rou | ru | ri | rua | ruo | ruan | ||||||||||||||||
| z | za | ze | zai | zao | zan | zang | zen | zeng | zou | zu | zi | zuo | zuan | |||||||||||||||
| c | ca | ce | cai | cao | can | cang | cen | ceng | cou | cu | ci | cuo | cuan | |||||||||||||||
| s | sa | se | sai | sao | san | sang | sen | seng | sou | su | si | suo | suan | |||||||||||||||
| y | ya | yo | ye | yao | yan | yang | you | yu | yi | yin | ying | yue | yuan | yun | ||||||||||||||
| w | wa | wo | wai | wan | wang | wen | weng | wu |
⚠️ Common Pronunciation Traps
x, j, q
These are NOT like English "sh/j/ch". Press your tongue flat against your lower teeth. Your tongue should NOT curl back.
zh, ch, sh, r
These ARE retroflex — curl your tongue tip backward toward the roof of your mouth. Opposite of j/q/x.
ü (the u-umlaut)
Round your lips to say "oo," then try to say "ee." Same as French "u" or German "ü." After j/q/x, written as u (but still pronounced ü).
zi, ci, si, zhi, chi, shi, ri
The "i" here is not really /i/. It's a buzzy syllabic consonant — just hold the consonant sound: "zzz," "rrr."
e by itself
Not like English "e." It's a mid-back unrounded vowel — like a grunt: "uh" but slightly higher.
Tone 3 sandhi
Two consecutive 3rd tones: the first becomes 2nd tone. 你好 → ní hǎo. 可以 → kéyǐ.
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