{"id":7159,"date":"2020-06-26T20:47:09","date_gmt":"2020-06-26T19:47:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/?p=7159"},"modified":"2022-11-25T18:08:15","modified_gmt":"2022-11-25T18:08:15","slug":"the-utalk-guide-to-mandarin-pronunciation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/the-utalk-guide-to-mandarin-pronunciation\/","title":{"rendered":"The uTalk Guide to Mandarin Pronunciation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2121\" height=\"1414\" src=\"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/GettyImages-997790960.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7160\" srcset=\"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/GettyImages-997790960.jpg 2121w, https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/GettyImages-997790960-250x167.jpg 250w, https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/GettyImages-997790960-700x467.jpg 700w, https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/GettyImages-997790960-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/GettyImages-997790960-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/GettyImages-997790960-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/GettyImages-997790960-120x80.jpg 120w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2121px) 100vw, 2121px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<style>\n.videoWrapper {\n  position: relative;\n  padding-bottom: 56.25%; \/* 16:9 *\/\n  height: 0;\n}\n.videoWrapper iframe {\n  position: absolute;\n  top: 0;\n  left: 0;\n  width: 100%;\n  height: 100%;\n}\n\n.info {\nbackground-color: #300d62;\ntext-align: center;\ncolor: #ffffff;\npadding: 1%;\nborder-radius: 10px;\nwidth: 80%;\nmargin-left: auto;\nmargin-right: auto;\nmargin-top: 5%;\nmargin-bottom: 5%;\nbox-shadow: 0 4px 8px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.2), 0 6px 20px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.19);\n}\n\nh2 {\nmargin: 2%;\n}\n\nh3 {\nmargin: 2%;\n}\n\nh4 {\nmargin: 2%;\n}\n\n#toc_container {\nbackground: #f9f9f9 none repeat scroll 0 0;\nborder: 1px solid #aaa;\ndisplay: table;\nfont-size: 125%;\nmargin: 2em 0 2em 0;\npadding: 20px;\nwidth: auto;\n}\n.toc_title {\nfont-weight: 700;\ntext-align: center;\nfont-size: 150%;\ncolor: #300d62\n}\n#toc_container li, #toc_container ul, #toc_container ul li{\nlist-style: outside none none !important;\n}\n<\/style>\n\n\n\n<p><em>If you\u2019ve started learning Mandarin Chinese and don\u2019t have any knowledge of any other east Asian languages, you might have noticed that there\u2019s a bit of a learning curve when it comes to good pronunciation. In fact, at first glance, it might not be clear what\u2019s going on at all! Read this post, the first in uTalk\u2019s series of longer guides to target the nitty-gritty of language learning, to find out more about how to get your Mandarin pronunciation \u5f88\u5389\u5bb3! (h\u011bn l\u00echai &#8211; amazing)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"toc_container\">\n<p class=\"toc_title\">Contents<\/p>\n<ul class=\"toc_list\">\n<li><a href=\"#question_1\">1. What is Pinyin?<\/a>\n<li  style=\"text-indent: 20px;\"><a href=\"#question_2\">1.1 Initials<\/a>\n<li style=\"text-indent: 20px;\"><a href=\"#question_3\">1.2 Finals<\/a>\n<li style=\"text-indent: 20px;\"><a href=\"#question_4\">1.3 Which of these are similar to English?<\/a>\n<li style=\"text-indent: 20px;\"><a href=\"#question_5\">1.4 Common difficulties in pronunciation<\/a>\n<li style=\"text-indent: 40px;\"><a href=\"#question_6\">1.4.1 &#8216;c&#8217; and &#8216;z&#8217;<\/a>\n<li style=\"text-indent: 40px;\"><a href=\"#question_7\">1.4.2 &#8216;ch&#8217;, &#8216;sh&#8217;, and &#8216;zh&#8217;<\/a>\n<li style=\"text-indent: 40px;\"><a href=\"#question_8\">1.4.3 &#8216;r&#8217;<\/a>\n<li style=\"text-indent: 40px;\"><a href=\"#question_9\">1.4.4 &#8216;j&#8217;, &#8216;q&#8217;, and &#8216;x&#8217;<\/a>\n<li style=\"text-indent: 40px;\"><a href=\"#question_10\">1.4.5 Vowels<\/a>\n\n<li><a href=\"#question_11\">2. What are Tones?<\/a>\n<li style=\"text-indent: 20px;\"><a href=\"#question_12\">2.1 Chinese tones<\/a>\n<li style=\"text-indent: 40px;\"><a href=\"#question_13\">2.1.1. The first tone: high<\/a>\n<li style=\"text-indent: 40px;\"><a href=\"#question_14\">2.1.2 The second tone: rising<\/a>\n<li style=\"text-indent: 40px;\"><a href=\"#question_15\">2.1.3 The third tone: low \/ dipping<\/a>\n<li style=\"text-indent: 40px;\"><a href=\"#question_16\">2.1.4 The fourth tone: falling<\/a>\n<li style=\"text-indent: 40px;\"><a href=\"#question_17\">2.1.5 Neutral tone<\/a>\n<li style=\"text-indent: 20px;\"><a href=\"#question_18\">2.2 Tone sandhi<\/a>\n<li style=\"text-indent: 20px;\"><a href=\"#question_19\">2.3 Why are tones important?<\/a>\n<li><a href=\"#question_20\">3. How to Improve Your Pronunciation<\/a>\n<li style=\"text-indent: 20px;\"><a href=\"#question_21\">3.1 Master the basics<\/a>\n<li style=\"text-indent: 20px;\"><a href=\"#question_22\">3.2 Input, input, input!<\/a>\n<li style=\"text-indent: 20px;\"><a href=\"#question_23\">3.3 Practise output<\/a>\n<li style=\"text-indent: 20px;\"><a href=\"#question_24\">3.4 Learn from your mistakes<\/a>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Our app teaches you Mandarin as it\u2019s spoken in China and, although we don\u2019t ever claim to be a source for learning Chinese characters, we do have those, as well as a useful romanisation system: pinyin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"info\">Romanisation: the conversion of writing from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"question_1\" class=\"whatispinyin\">1. What is Pinyin?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Simply, pinyin is the standard system used to romanise Standard Chinese. It is used all across mainland China and also in parts of Taiwan. If you\u2019ve seen a Chinese name, then you\u2019ll have seen pinyin before, albeit without the tones.*<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#whataretones\">*Don\u2019t worry, we\u2019ll get to those shortly!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"info\">Some famous Chinese names \u2013 you\u2019ve probably seen pinyin and didn\u2019t even realise it! \u2013 include: <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ai_Weiwei\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ai Weiwei<\/a> (artist and activist); <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jet_Li\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Li Lianjie<\/a> (aka. Jet Li, actor, martial artist); <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yao_Ming\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Yao Ming<\/a> (professional basketball player); <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Zhang_Ziyi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zhang Zi Yi<\/a> (actress); <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jackie_Chan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chan Kong-sang<\/a> (a.k.a. Jackie Chan, martial artist, actor, stuntman\u2026 the list is pretty long!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The pinyin system was developed in the 1950s by a large group of linguists \u2013 including Zhou Youguang, the \u2018father of pinyin\u2019 \u2013 and was based on earlier forms of Chinese romanisation, including Gwoyeu Romatzyh (1928), Latinxua Sin Wenz (1931) and the diacritic markings from zhuyin (bopomofo). Before this, the Wade-Giles system was used, which you might notice occasionally when it comes to referring to certain places or people. An example is Sichuan (a province in China) versus Szechuan \u2013 Sichuan is the pinyin form, Szechuan from Wade-Giles. There have been romanised forms of Chinese since the publication of Xizi Qiji in 1605 by a Jesuit missionary, but the earlier forms were intended more for Western audiences than for the Chinese population.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1958, the Chinese government published the pinyin system that had been developed but it has been revised several times since. This was part of an attempt to encourage more literacy, as Chinese characters are not phonetic, so a phonetic system could be used as a learning aid. There have been attempts to make pinyin a standard system in Taiwan, too, but Taiwan still technically has no standardised spelling system; instead, there are several rival systems in use, including the previously mentioned bopomofo.&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the fact that pinyin has been the standard form of romanising Standard Chinese in China since 1958, it didn\u2019t come into use in Western publications until the 1980s \u2013 after the normalisation of diplomatic relations between the USA and the People\u2019s Republic of China in 1979. If you learn Mandarin Chinese now, you will almost certainly begin by learning it through the medium of pinyin.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"info\">\u62fc\u97f3 (p\u012bny\u012bn) is how \u2018pinyin\u2019 is written in Chinese characters; it literally translates as \u2018spelt sounds\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"question_2\">1.1 Initials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So, how does pinyin work? Each Mandarin syllable is represented by a cluster of letters, made up of one initial (the sound at the beginning) and one final (the sound at the end). Initials are usually consonants and finals are usually made up of vowels, and every syllable can be spelt with exactly one initial followed by one final. Initials can never occur alone (but finals can!).<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The only exception to this is a special syllable, &#8211;<em>er,<\/em> or a trailing <em>-r<\/em>, when it is considered to be part of a syllable. This changes the vowel that comes before it in a unique way that also occurs in English (think \u2018farm\u2019 or \u2018bird\u2019). This <em>-r<\/em>, however, is mainly found in sub dialects and is not often used in official publications; e.g. \u54ea\u91cc (n\u01celi) \u2018where?\u2019 in Standard Chinese is often said as \u54ea\u513f (n\u01cer or n\u01ce\u2019er) \u2018where?\u2019 according to the Beijing dialect.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are the initials in pinyin (in their conventional order):<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:center\">b-, p-, m-, f-, d-, t-, n-, l-, g-, k-, h-, j-, q-, x-, zh-, ch-, sh-, r-, z-, c-, s-<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"question_3\">1.2 Finals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Finals come \u2013 surprise, surprise \u2013 after initials. The vast majority of finals are vowels or diphthongs (e.g. -a, -e, -i, -o, -u; -ai, -ei, -ou), though there are three that are consonants: -n, -ng, and -r. Chinese syllables that end with any other consonant are either from non-Mandarin languages or indicate the use of a non-pinyin romanisation system (some final consonants are used in these systems to represent the tones).<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"info\">Diphthong: a sound formed by the combination of two vowels in a single syllable, in which the sound begins as one vowel but moves to the other (as in: coin or loud).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are six simple finals: -a, -o, -e, -i, -u, and -\u00fc. Although we\u2019ve written -\u00fc&nbsp;with the umlaut here, you will actually only see it with the umlaut in the wild (as it were) if it is combined with an initial that can <em>also<\/em> combine with -u.&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore, as n\u00fc and nu exist, the first one needs the umlaut in pinyin; yu, on the other hand, is only ever y- + -\u00fc, so is written as yu.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pinyin then features nine compound finals (or diphthongs) \u2013 compound, as they are made of more than one simple vowel: -ai, -ei, -ao, -ou, -iu, -ui, -ie, -\u00fce, and -er. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, there are nine nasal finals, -an, -en, -in, -un, -\u00fcn, -ang, -eng, -ing, and -ong. These are, like the name suggests, pronounced rather nasally!<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a chart of all those initials and finals together:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/mandarinpronunciation_initalsfinals.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7192\" width=\"750\" height=\"521\" srcset=\"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/mandarinpronunciation_initalsfinals.png 1000w, https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/mandarinpronunciation_initalsfinals-250x174.png 250w, https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/mandarinpronunciation_initalsfinals-700x487.png 700w, https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/mandarinpronunciation_initalsfinals-768x534.png 768w, https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/mandarinpronunciation_initalsfinals-120x83.png 120w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>So, if we look at some Chinese cities:<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beijing (\u5317\u4eac b\u011bij\u012bng) \u2013 B (initial) + ei (final) \/ j (initial) + ing (final)<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shanghai (\u4e0a\u6d77 sh\u00e0ngh\u01cei) \u2013 Sh (initial) + ang (final) \/ h (initial) + ai (final)<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chengdu (\u6210\u90fd ch\u00e9ngd\u016b) &#8211; Ch (initial) + eng (final) \/ d (initial) + ai (final)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"question_4\">1.3 Which of these are similar to English?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are plenty of sounds represented by pinyin that are similar to sounds in English. These are not exactly the same, of course, and you should make sure to try and practise the correct pronunciation wherever possible, but these are the ones you may need to worry about less at the beginning of your Mandarin journey.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>b- \u2013 actually, this may sometimes sound a little more like a \u2018p\u2019 to English speakers, but you will most likely still be understood if you pronounce \u2018b\u2019 the way you do in English.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>p- \u2013 sounds like English \u2018p\u2019.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>m- \u2013 sounds like English \u2018m\u2019.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>f- \u2013 sounds like English \u2018f\u2019.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>d- \u2013 like \u2018b\u2019, this is very close to an English \u2018d\u2019 sound but it may also sound like a \u2018t\u2019 to you sometimes. You can use \u2018d\u2019 as you start out.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>t- \u2013 sounds like English \u2018t\u2019.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>n- \u2013 sounds like English \u2018n\u2019.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>l- \u2013 sounds like English \u2018l\u2019.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>s- \u2013 sounds like English \u2018s\u2019.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>g- \u2013 joins our new \u2018b\u2019 and \u2018d\u2019; this can sound like it\u2019s somewhere between \u2018k\u2019 and \u2018g\u2019. Just use \u2018g\u2019 for now.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>k- \u2013 sounds like English \u2018k\u2019.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>h- \u2013 sometimes this sounds like a regular \u2018h\u2019 but it can also sound like the throatier \u2018h\u2019 you might hear when a Scottish person says loch. However, this is a natural variation so you can use whichever is more comfortable for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"question_5\">1.4 Common difficulties in pronunciation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Those are the easy ones. Some of the initials, however, and most of the finals, are quite different to what you might expect if you look at the pinyin and try to read it like English.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s start with the initials first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"question_6\">1.4.1 &#8216;c&#8217; and &#8216;z&#8217;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>These can be difficult for some learners.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>c- \u2013 this is a \u2018ts\u2019 sound. Think ra<strong>ts<\/strong> or ca<strong>ts<\/strong> or ma<strong>ts<\/strong>. Where this gets difficult for some learners is that this sound always comes at the beginning of a word in Mandarin, where it is always in the middle or at the end of a word in English. So, be prepared to practise!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>z- \u2013 this is a similar sound to c- and the English \u2018dz\u2019 sound. Think roa<strong>ds<\/strong> and loa<strong>ds<\/strong> and co<strong>des<\/strong> (since we don\u2019t pronounce that \u2018e\u2019!). Like c-, z- is always an initial in Mandarin, whereas it is in the middle or at the end of a word in English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"question_7\">1.4.2 &#8216;ch&#8217;, &#8216;sh&#8217;, and &#8216;zh&#8217;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>These are all similar sounds in Mandarin, which is why it\u2019s a good idea to learn them together (because you\u2019ll learn how to differentiate between them!).&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, good news? They\u2019re actually not that different to saying \u2018ch\u2019, \u2018sh\u2019 or \u2018j\u2019 in English. Yep, that \u2018zh\u2019 is pronounced a lot like \u2018j\u2019. Pretty easy, right?<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What is interesting about these initials is how they change the final, -i, when it follows them. Most of the time, i- is pronounced \u2018ee\u2019, but after ch-, sh-, and zh-, it is shortened.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>chi \u2013 try saying \u2018chirp\u2019 but stop as you get to the \u2018r\u2019 sound.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>shi &#8211; try saying \u2018shirt\u2019 but stop as you get to the \u2018r\u2019 sound.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>zhi &#8211; try saying \u2018jerk\u2019 but stop as you get to the \u2018r\u2019 sound.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"question_8\">1.4.3 &#8216;r&#8217;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Mandarin r- does not exist in English but, oddly, the way you pronounce it is very similar to those ch-, sh- and zh- sounds. That\u2019s because it is what\u2019s called a retroflex sound \u2013 when you say it, the tip of your tongue should be pointed up toward the roof of your mouth and also be quite far back.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Make that \u2018j\u2019 sound like in lei<strong>s<\/strong>ure or plea<strong>s<\/strong>ure and try pulling the tip of your tongue further into the back of your mouth. As you move further back, the sound will start to sound more like an \u2018r\u2019 \u2013 and that\u2019s it, you\u2019ve got it!<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Again, there\u2019s an acceptable range on the pronunciation here \u2013 no one expects you to be perfect!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"question_9\">1.4.4 &#8216;j&#8217;, &#8216;q&#8217;, and &#8216;x&#8217;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>These ones don\u2019t exist in English at all! That\u2019s fun, right, three new sounds for you to learn?<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>x- \u2013 try and make a \u2018sh\u2019 sound while the tip of your tongue is down below your lower front teeth. The middle of your tongue should rise to the roof of your mouth to make the sound. If you can smile comfortably while saying it, you\u2019re there or close \u2013 it\u2019s more difficult to smile while making the \u2018sh\u2019 sound.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>q- \u2013 try and make a \u2018ch\u2019 sound while the tip of your tongue is down below your lower front teeth and, again, the middle of your tongue should lift.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>j- \u2013 just like for x- and q-, get the tip of your tongue behind your front teeth and try making that \u2018j\u2019 sound.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"info\">Note: the initials j-, q-, and x- never combine with -a, -o, and -u. Remember, that means whenever you see ju, qu, or xu, all those u sounds are actually \u00fc!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"question_10\">1.4.5 Vowels<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>-a \u2013 sounds like \u2018a\u2019 in \u2018father\u2019.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-o \u2013 can sound like \u2018oh\u2019 but often is a kind of \u2018oo-uh\u2019 sound.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-e \u2013 sounds like English \u2018duh\u2019 or \u2018uhhh\u2019.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-i \u2013 sounds like \u2018ee\u2019; note that the syllable \u2018yi\u2019 rhymes with this as \u2018y\u2019 as an initial generally makes no special sound.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-u \u2013 sounds like English \u2018oo\u2019.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-\u00fc \u2013 make an \u2018ee\u2019 sound and then slowly round your lips to get this sound \u2013 your tongue needs to stay tense but your lips must be rounded.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-ai \u2013 sounds like \u2018ai\u2019 in \u2018aisle\u2019.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-ei \u2013 sounds like \u2018ei\u2019 in \u2018eight\u2019.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-ui \u2013 technically, this is -uei, but these three vowels are never written together in a pinyin syllable. Sounds like \u2018ay\u2019 in \u2018way\u2019.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-ao \u2013 sounds like \u2018ao\u2019 in \u2018tao\u2019 (unsurprisingly, as it was borrowed from Chinese!) or \u2018ow\u2019 in \u2018how\u2019.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-ou \u2013 sounds like English \u2018oh.\u2019<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-iu \u2013 sounds like \u2018ee-ow\u2019, so like \u2018low\u2019 or \u2018go\u2019; this is actually a combination of -i and -ou, it\u2019s just that the \u2018o\u2019 is omitted when it\u2019s written down like this.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-ie \u2013 the \u2018e\u2019 here is like \u2018eh\u2019, so ye (y- + -ie = ye) is pronounced like the \u2018ye\u2019 from \u2018yes\u2019 in English.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-\u00fce \u2013 add \u2018eh\u2019 to the original \u2018\u00fc\u2019 sound.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-er \u2013 when your tongue is in the correct position for \u2018e\u2019, roll the tip up to make \u2018er\u2019, sounds a lot like \u2018are\u2019 in English.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-an \u2013 sounds like \u2018on\u2019 or sometimes like the vowel in \u2018can\u2019; this isn\u2019t a perfect match, but it\u2019s close.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-en \u2013 sounds like the -e sound followed by an \u2018n\u2019. A little like \u2018un\u2019 in \u2018sun\u2019.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-in \u2013 the \u2018ee\u2019 sound for \u2018i\u2019 and then just an \u2018n\u2019 on the end.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-un \u2013 \u2018u\u2019 plus an \u2018n\u2019 sound.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-\u00fcn \u2013 \u2018\u00fc\u2019 plus an \u2018n\u2019 sound.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-ang \u2013 similar to \u2018ong\u2019 in \u2018kong\u2019 because of the nasalised -ng ending.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-eng \u2013 similar to \u2018ung\u2019 in \u2018sung\u2019 because of the nasalised -ng ending.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-ing \u2013 this can vary depending where you are in China; in southern China, it is pronounced just like yin, but with a final -ng instead of -n. In northern China, the -ing sound is yi followed by -eng, so sounds kind of like \u2018ee-ung\u2019 in English.&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-ong \u2013 the \u2018oh\u2019 sound for the \u2018o\u2019 and then the nasalised \u2018ng\u2019 on the end.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a video to give you a rundown of all those sounds we just covered:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"videoWrapper\">\n  <!-- Copy & Pasted from YouTube -->\n  <iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/91RVKGKzRlA\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div> <br>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"question_11\">2. What are Tones?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Like all varieties of Chinese, Standard Chinese is tonal. So, you don\u2019t just have to worry about the initials and finals \u2013 words are also distinguished from each other by their pitch contour.&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While this can be difficult for a learner to master, it turns out that tones are as important as vowels in Mandarin \u2013 a word being pronounced with the wrong tone in Chinese is like saying the word \u2018bud\u2019 in English to mean \u2018not good\u2019 (bad) or \u2018the thing I sleep in\u2019 (bed).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But don\u2019t let that put you off! With some practice, you can get the hang of them and fortunately, in Mandarin, there are only four (well, <em>maybe<\/em> five) tones to master!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"question_12\">2.1 Chinese tones<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When you start learning Mandarin and read pinyin, you\u2019ll notice that there are marks over almost every word. Some of them even have two marks or more! These are tone markings, used to help you get used to which tone is used when.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Initially, you will learn these tones on finals, then with one syllable (e.g. m\u0101, m\u00e1, m\u01ce, m\u00e0) and then you should try to practise multisyllabic words and sentences. This is because, although each word has a tone, this tone <em>can<\/em> sometimes change.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Still, let\u2019s introduce the tones first, shall we?<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"question_13\">2.1.1. The first tone: high<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The first tone is called the high tone. It is a steady high sound and think of it as being more sung than spoken.&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An example: \u4e00 (y\u012b) &#8211; one<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"question_14\">2.1.2 The second tone: rising<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Like the name suggests, this is a tone that rises from middle to high pitch. Think of it like the English exclamation, \u201cWhat?!\u201d&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An example: \u4eba (r\u00e9n) &#8211; person<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"question_15\">2.1.3 The third tone: low \/ dipping<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This tone descends from mid-low to low and then goes back up again, though this rise is normally only heard if the tone appears at the end of a sentence or before a pause. Without the rise, it is sometimes called a half third tone. A fun way to practise this is to dip your chin as you go down in pitch, then lift up again as you raise your tone.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An example: \u4f60 (n\u01d0) &#8211; you<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"question_16\">2.1.4 The fourth tone: falling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This tone is a sharp fall from high to low \u2013 like you might hear in curt commands in English. If it is followed by another fourth-tone syllable, this fall may not be as sharp on the first syllable.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An example: \u56db (s\u00ec) &#8211; four<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"question_17\">2.1.5 Neutral tone<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are reading pinyin and see a word without tone markings, then it is probably said with a neutral tone. This is also considered to sometimes be a lack of tone, and the pitch is determined by the tone of the preceding syllable.&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Linguists consider the neutral tone to not be a fully-fledged tone; rather, it may result from a \u2018spreading out\u2019 of the tone on the syllable that came before it. This means that this is something you will generally pick up through repeated exposure to different words and phrases in Chinese.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Oh, and when you put all those initials and finals and tones together, things start to look like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/mandarinpronunciation_wo.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7201\" width=\"500\" height=\"348\" srcset=\"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/mandarinpronunciation_wo.png 1000w, https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/mandarinpronunciation_wo-250x174.png 250w, https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/mandarinpronunciation_wo-700x487.png 700w, https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/mandarinpronunciation_wo-768x534.png 768w, https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/mandarinpronunciation_wo-120x83.png 120w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/mandarinpronunciation_hao.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7202\" width=\"500\" height=\"348\" srcset=\"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/mandarinpronunciation_hao.png 1000w, https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/mandarinpronunciation_hao-250x174.png 250w, https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/mandarinpronunciation_hao-700x487.png 700w, https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/mandarinpronunciation_hao-768x534.png 768w, https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/mandarinpronunciation_hao-120x83.png 120w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"question_18\">2.2 Tone sandhi<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Tone sandhi is when a tone changes because of the word or phrase it is in. It is really most important when referring to the third tone, though it does, of course, occur with other tones as well.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The main rule with third tone sandhi is that when there are two third-tone syllables in a row, the first one changes and is pronounced with a second tone.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"info\">Reminder: the third tone is the low or dipping tone; it descends from mid-low to low and then goes back up again, though this rise is normally only heard if the tone appears at the end of a sentence or before a pause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You will learn third tone sandhi when you first start learning Chinese: \u4f60 (n\u01d0) and \u597d (h\u01ceo) both have the third tone separately, but when they come together to make \u2018hello\u2019, you pronounce \u4f60\u597d (n\u00edh\u01ceo).&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When there are more than two third tones in a row, the situation becomes a bit more complicated, but general rules are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><p style=\"font-size: 120%;\">\u2022 If the first word is two syllables and the second word is one syllable, then the first two syllables become second tones.<\/p><ul><li><p style=\"font-size: 120%;\">\u2022 \u4fdd\u7ba1\u597d b\u01ceogu\u01cen h\u01ceo \u2013 to take good care of \u2013 takes the pronunciation b\u00e1ogu\u00e1n h\u01ceo<\/p><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><p style=\"font-size: 120%;\">\u2022 If the first word is one syllable and the second word is two syllables, the second syllable becomes second tone, but the first syllable remains third tone.<\/p><ul><li><p style=\"font-size: 120%;\">\u2022 \u8001\u4fdd\u7ba1 l\u01ceo b\u01ceogu\u01cen \u2013 to take care of all the time \u2013 takes the pronunciation l\u01ceo b\u00e1ogu\u01cen<\/p><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u4e0d b\u00f9 is also a special case \u2013 this means \u2018not\u2019, so it is especially important to know about it as it will come up a lot.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When followed by another fourth tone, b\u00f9 becomes b\u00fa; so \u2018to not be\u2019 is \u4e0d\u662f b\u00fash\u00ec. It can also be neutral in tone in the particular instance of being between words in certain question forms, e.g. \u662f\u4e0d\u662f sh\u00ecbush\u00ec \u2013 is \/ is not.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u4e00 y\u012b, one, has several rules, since it is so often combined with other words and syllables.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When followed by a fourth tone, it is pronounced with a second tone. It is pronounced with a fourth tone when it comes before a first, second, or third tone syllable.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When it is the final part of a sentence or comes at the end of a multisyllabic word (regardless of the first tone of the next word), it is pronounced with the first tone. It can also become neutral in tone when it is used between two reduplicated words, e.g. \u770b\u4e00\u770b k\u00e0nyik\u00e0n, to take a look at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"question_19\">2.3 Why are tones important?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Like we said before, tones in Mandarin are considered as important as vowels in English. This is especially true once you progress past the \u2018first words\u2019 stage and become able to discuss a wider variety of ideas \u2013 if your tones are off at first, but you only know how to order a coffee and say hello, then it\u2019s likely whoever you\u2019re speaking to will be able to guess where you went wrong. However, once you get to more intermediate or advanced speaking, you really want to be able to get things right.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two key things to remember about Chinese tones:<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><p style=\"font-size: 120%;\">\u2022 They are not like English tone of voice; they don\u2019t convey your attitude or emotions. They\u2019re attached to words and carry <em>meaning<\/em>.<\/p><\/li><li><p style=\"font-size: 120%;\">\u2022 If you get them wrong that means that that <em>meaning <\/em>is lost, so make sure to practise!<\/p><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s the evergreen example (to all four tones <em>and<\/em> the neutral tone) of how the same syllable can have different meanings depending on the tone:<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u5988 \u2013 m\u0101 \u2013 mother<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u9ebb \u2013 m\u00e1 \u2013 bother<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u9a6c \u2013 m\u01ce \u2013&nbsp; horse<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u9a82 \u2013 m\u00e0 \u2013 scold<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u5417 \u2013 ma \u2013 (a word that makes a sentence into a question)<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, learn your tones, or you might get your mothers and your horses all mixed up!<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just to help you out, here\u2019s another video <a href=\"https:\/\/ltl-school.com\/blog\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"from LTL (opens in a new tab)\">from LTL<\/a>:<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"videoWrapper\">\n  <!-- Copy & Pasted from YouTube -->\n  <iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RRaHXPDIV-4\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div> <br>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"question_20\">3. How to Improve Your Pronunciation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Much like every other aspect of language learning, practice is key! But there are some things you can do to make it easier for yourself (and more fun, too!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"question_21\">3.1 Master the basics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether you\u2019re learning alone or you\u2019re in a class, you\u2019ll probably learn the bare bones of pronunciation and then not touch on it again for a while \u2013 if at all. So make sure you go back to it! Practise those tables, practise syllables, and more importantly, practise tones and syllables in longer words and sentences.&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are good tables and drills online if you\u2019re just looking to get the pronunciation of a specific combination down well: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sinosplice.com\/learn-chinese\/tone-pair-drills\">Sinosplice has tone pair drills<\/a> and there are also plenty of <a href=\"https:\/\/resources.allsetlearning.com\/chinese\/pronunciation\/pinyin_chart\">pinyin charts that provide audio for every combination of initials and finals<\/a>.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then find something where you can practise sentences! Our app is good for that, as there are so many phrases in it, and this is easier, sometimes, than trying to learn sounds in isolation. The more you practise words in context, the more automatic that correct pronunciation becomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"question_22\">3.2 Input, input, input!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the best things you can do for your language learning \u2013 at any stage \u2013 is to get masses of comprehensible input. This means: apps, music, podcasts, TV, whatever and wherever you can expose yourself to spoken Chinese, make sure you do so.&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Again, the more you hear those tones and syllables in context, the more automatic and accurate your pronunciation will become. Taking TV, for instance, there will be words or phrases that are said over and over again so that, by the time you get to the end of a show, you will have the way they were pronounced stuck in your brain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"question_23\">3.3 Practise output<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, that doesn\u2019t mean you shouldn\u2019t speak at all. Find a native speaker, if you\u2019d like, or talk to a teacher, if you happen to have one. Try just talking to yourself (or your pets!), or parroting what people are saying on the radio. Sing along to your favourite songs! Record yourself <a href=\"http:\/\/utalk.com\/app\">in our app<\/a> and compare yourself to a native speaker.&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All of these are good ways to get your mouth physically used to the production of these new sounds so that they\u2019ll be rolling smoothly off your tongue in no time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"question_24\">3.4 Learn from your mistakes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This means either working with someone who can pull you up when you\u2019ve gone wrong or recording yourself and listening to it carefully, preferably in comparison to native audio.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s because, as you speak, there are times when you\u2019re going to think you\u2019re saying everything right \u2013 but once you listen back to it, you might notice a mistake here and there. Work out which mistakes are occurring most often for you and use the tone drills and pinyin charts and everything else to iron them out again.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>We hope you\u2019ve enjoyed our long guide to Mandarin pronunciation! If there\u2019s anything you think we\u2019re missing, drop a comment and we\u2019ll see what we can do \u2013 and \u597d\u8fd0 (h\u01ceoy\u00f9n) with your Chinese learning!<br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019ve started learning Mandarin Chinese and don\u2019t have any knowledge of any other east Asian languages, you might have noticed that there\u2019s a bit of a learning curve when it comes to good pronunciation. In fact, at first glance, it might not be clear what\u2019s going on at all! Read this post, the first &#8230; <a title=\"The uTalk Guide to Mandarin Pronunciation\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/the-utalk-guide-to-mandarin-pronunciation\/\" aria-label=\"More on The uTalk Guide to Mandarin Pronunciation\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3,80],"tags":[76,333,730,744,657,1835],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7159"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7159"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7159\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9042,"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7159\/revisions\/9042"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}