Pinyin Syllables
Chinese Syllables
The standard unit of the Chinese language is the syllable. Each Chinese character is spoken as one syllable. Chinese words are made up of one, two or more characters and hence one, two or more syllables.* Each syllable is either a ‘final’ or an ‘initial’ followed by a ‘final’.
There are only 413 syllables in common use, which represent thousands of Chinese characters. See below for an instant reference between the pinyin (left) and intuitive English pronunciation (right) for each syllable. The pronunciation for pinyin doesn’t usually vary with tone, so tone markers are unnecessary. There are 4 exceptions however. When pinyin de, ge, ne and zi have tones 1 to 4 they are pronounced “der”, “ger”, “ner” and “dzrr” respectively, but when they have a light tone (tone 5) they are pronounced “duh” “guh”, “nuh” and “”dzuh” respectively.
| a | ah |
| ai | eye |
| an | an |
| ang | ung |
| ao | aoww |
| ba | bah |
| bai | buy |
| ban | ban |
| bang | bung |
| bao | baoww |
| bei | bay |
| ben | bnn |
| beng | bnng |
| bi | bee |
| bian | byen |
| biao | byaoww |
| bie | byeah |
| bin | bin |
| bing | bing |
| bo | bor |
| bu | boo |
| ca | tsah |
| cai | tseye |
| can | tsan |
| cang | tsung |
| cao | tsaoww |
| ce | tser |
| cei | tsay |
| cen | tsnn |
| ceng | tsnng |
| cha | chah |
| chai | cheye |
| chan | chan |
| chang | chung |
| chao | chaoww |
| che | cher |
| chen | chnn |
| cheng | chnng |
| chi | chrr |
| chong | chong |
| chou | choh |
| chu | choo |
| chua | chwah |
| chuai | chwhy |
| chuan | chwan |
| chuang | chwung |
| chui | chway |
| chun | chwnn |
| chuo | chwor |
| ci | tsrr |
| cong | tsong |
| cou | tsoh |
| cu | tsoo |
| cuan | tswan |
| cui | tsway |
| cun | tswnn |
| cuo | tswor |
| da | dah |
| dai | deye |
| dan | dan |
| dang | dung |
| dao | daoww |
| de1-4 | der |
| de5 | duh |
| dei | day |
| den | dnn |
| deng | dnng |
| di | dee |
| dian | dyen |
| diao | dyaoww |
| die | dyeah |
| ding | ding |
| diu | dyoh |
| dong | dong |
| dou | doh |
| du | doo |
| duan | dwan |
| dui | dway |
| dun | dwnn |
| duo | dwor |
| e | er |
| ei | ay |
| en | nn |
| er | urr |
| fa | fah |
| fan | fan |
| fang | fung |
| fei | fay |
| fen | fnn |
| feng | fnng |
| fo | for |
| fou | foh |
| fu | foo |
| ga | gah |
| gai | geye |
| gan | gan |
| gang | gung |
| gao | gaoww |
| ge1-4 | ger |
| ge5 | guh |
| gei | gay |
| gen | gnn |
| geng | gnng |
| gong | gong |
| gou | go |
| gu | goo |
| gua | gwah |
| guai | gwhy |
| guan | gwan |
| guang | gwung |
| gui | gway |
| gun | gwnn |
| guo | gwor |
| ha | hah |
| hai | hi |
| han | han |
| hang | hung |
| hao | haoww |
| he | her |
| hei | hay |
| hen | hnn |
| heng | hnng |
| hm | hmm |
| hng | hng |
| hong | hong |
| hou | hoh |
| hu | hoo |
| hua | hwah |
| huai | hwhy |
| huan | hwan |
| huang | hwung |
| hui | hway |
| hun | hwnn |
| huo | hwor |
| ji | jee |
| jia | jyah |
| jian | jyen |
| jiang | jyang |
| jiao | jyaoww |
| jie | jyeah |
| jin | jin |
| jing | jing |
| jiong | jyong |
| jiu | jyoh |
| ju | jyoo |
| juan | jwen |
| jue | jwhere |
| jun | jwnn |
| ka | kah |
| kai | keye |
| kan | kan |
| kang | kung |
| kao | kaoww |
| ke | ker |
| kei | kay |
| ken | knn |
| keng | knng |
| kong | kong |
| kou | koh |
| ku | koo |
| kua | kwah |
| kuai | kwhy |
| kuan | kwan |
| kuang | kwung |
| kui | kway |
| kun | kwnn |
| kuo | kwor |
| lv | lyoo |
| la | lah |
| lai | leye |
| lan | lan |
| lang | lung |
| lao | laoww |
| le | ler |
| lve | lyouair |
| lei | lay |
| leng | lnng |
| li | lee |
| lia | lyah |
| lian | lyen |
| liang | lyang |
| liao | lyaoww |
| lie | lyeah |
| lin | lin |
| ling | ling |
| liu | lyoh |
| long | long |
| lou | loh |
| lu | loo |
| luan | lwan |
| lun | lwnn |
| luo | lwor |
| m | mm |
| ma | mah |
| mai | meye |
| man | man |
| mang | mung |
| mao | maoww |
| me | muh |
| mei | may |
| men | mnn |
| meng | mnng |
| mi | mee |
| mian | myen |
| miao | myaoww |
| mie | myeah |
| min | min |
| ming | ming |
| miu | myoo |
| mo | mor |
| mou | moh |
| mu | moo |
| n | nn |
| nv | nyoo |
| na | nah |
| nai | neye |
| nan | nan |
| nang | nanng |
| nao | naoww |
| ne1-4 | ner |
| ne5 | nuh |
| nve | nyouair |
| nei | nay |
| nen | nnn |
| neng | nung |
| ng | nng |
| ni | nee |
| nian | nyen |
| niang | nyang |
| niao | nyaoww |
| nie | nyeah |
| nin | neen |
| ning | ning |
| niu | nyoh |
| nong | nong |
| nou | noh |
| nu | noo |
| nuan | nwan |
| nuo | nwor |
| o | or |
| ou | oh |
| pa | pah |
| pai | peye |
| pan | pan |
| pang | pung |
| pao | paoww |
| pei | pay |
| pen | pnn |
| peng | pnng |
| pi | pee |
| pian | pyen |
| piao | pyaoww |
| pie | pyeah |
| pin | pin |
| ping | ping |
| po | por |
| pou | poh |
| pu | poo |
| qi | chee |
| qia | chyah |
| qian | chyan |
| qiang | chyang |
| qiao | chyaoww |
| qie | chyeah |
| qin | chin |
| qing | ching |
| qiong | chyong |
| qiu | chyoh |
| qu | chyoo |
| quan | chwen |
| que | chwhere |
| qun | chwnn |
| ran | ran |
| rang | rung |
| rao | raoww |
| re | rer |
| ren | rnn |
| reng | rnng |
| ri | rrr |
| rong | rong |
| rou | roh |
| ru | roo |
| rua | rwah |
| ruan | rwan |
| rui | rway |
| run | rwnn |
| ruo | rwor |
| sa | sah |
| sai | seye |
| san | san |
| sang | sung |
| sao | saoww |
| se | ser |
| sei | say |
| sen | snn |
| seng | snng |
| sha | shah |
| shai | sheye |
| shan | shan |
| shang | shung |
| shao | shaoww |
| she | sher |
| shei | shay |
| shen | shnn |
| sheng | shnng |
| shi | shrr |
| shou | shoh |
| shu | shoo |
| shua | shwah |
| shuai | shwhy |
| shuan | shwan |
| shuang | shwung |
| shui | shway |
| shun | shwnn |
| shuo | shwor |
| si | srr |
| song | song |
| sou | soh |
| su | soo |
| suan | swann |
| sui | sway |
| sun | swnn |
| suo | swor |
| ta | tah |
| tai | teye |
| tan | tan |
| tang | tung |
| tao | taoww |
| te | ter |
| teng | tnng |
| ti | tee |
| tian | tyen |
| tiao | tyaoww |
| tie | tyeah |
| ting | ting |
| tong | tong |
| tou | toh |
| tu | too |
| tuan | twan |
| tui | tway |
| tun | twnn |
| tuo | twor |
| wa | wah |
| wai | why |
| wan | wan |
| wang | wung |
| wei | way |
| wen | wnn |
| weng | wnng |
| wo | wor |
| wu | woo |
| xi | sshee |
| xia | sshyah |
| xian | sshyen |
| xiang | sshyang |
| xiao | sshyaoww |
| xie | sshyeah |
| xin | sshin |
| sshing | |
| xiong | sshyong |
| xiu | sshyoh |
| xu | sshyoo |
| xuan | sshywen |
| xue | sshyouair |
| xun | sshwnn |
| ya | yah |
| yan | yen |
| yang | yang |
| yao | yaoww |
| ye | yeah |
| yi | ee |
| yin | yin |
| ying | ying |
| yong | yong |
| you | yoh |
| yu | yoo |
| yuan | ywhen |
| yue | yhwere |
| yun | ywnn |
| za | dzah |
| zai | dzeye |
| zan | dzan |
| zang | dzung |
| zao | dzaoww |
| ze | dzer |
| zei | dzay |
| zen | dznn |
| zeng | dznng |
| zha | jar |
| zhai | jeye |
| zhan | jan |
| zhang | jung |
| zhao | jaoww |
| zhe | jer |
| zhei | jay |
| zhen | jnn |
| zheng | jnng |
| zhi | jrr |
| zhong | jong |
| zhou | joh |
| zhu | joo |
| zhua | jwah |
| zhuai | jwhy |
| zhuan | jwan |
| zhuang | jwung |
| zhui | jway |
| zhun | jwnn |
| zhuo | jwor |
| zi1–4 | dzrr |
| zi5 | dzuh |
| zong | dzong |
| zou | dzoh |
| zuan | dzwan |
| zui | dzway |
| zun | dzwnn |
| zuo | dzwor |
| zu | dzoo |
Related Links:
Useful Chinese Phrasebook
Our Chinese Phrasebook gives some useful words and sentences that people may use on their trips.
Listen to the Chinese Phrasebook in MP3 Format
Download the Chinese Phrasebook
Chinese Lessons
We have prepared a collection of the most frequently used daily expressions and sentences to help you, presented in video and tabular form. We hope you will be successful in and enjoy communicating with the Chinese people you meet using some of the Chinese you can learn here. See our Chinese Lessons.
Lesson 01: Greeting
It is helpful to know some simple Chinese words and sentences when you meet Chinese people. They will be very happy when they find you can speak some Chinese.
Chinese Calligraphy Experiences
- By joining our Beijing Tours, Xi'an Tours or Guilin Tours, visitors can add Chinese calligraphy classes to the itinerary at very favorable prices.
- Most comprehensive museums in China have calligraphy collections. See our Museums Tours.
- For travelers who are interested in the history, evolution and cultural relics of Chinese calligraphy, Museum of Chinese Characters in Anyang City, Henan Province is a good choice. The Stele Forest Museum in Xi'an City houses many works of noted ancient calligraphers as well as precious stone sculptures.
- Contact us for a tailor-made tour.
FAQs About Learning Chinese
- How many people use Chinese?
Chinese is used by approximately 1.3 billion people around the world, that is almost one sixth of the world’s population. - Is it difficult to learn Chinese?
Learning Chinese, like learning any other foreign languages, always poses a challenge for non-native speakers. It is important to practice on a regular basis, ideally spend some time on it every day or every week. - How many Chinese characters do I need to know?
Mastering 3000-4000 frequently used characters is enough to cover daily conversations and readings.
