*EI is pronounced like the “ei” in eight.
**EN is pronounced as the “ern” in concern.
| BEI bay | BEN burn | BENG bung | |
| CE tser | CEN tswun | CENG tserng | |
| CHE cher | CHEN churn | CHENG churng | |
| DE der | DENG derng | ||
| FEI fa y | FEN fern | FENG ferng | |
| GE guh | GEI gay | GEN gurn | GENG gurng |
| HE her | HEI hay | HEN hern | HENG herng |
| KE ker | KEN kern | KENG kerng | |
| LE ler | LEI lay | LENG lerng | |
| ME mer | MEI may | MEN mern | MENG merng |
| NE nuh | NEI nay | NEN nern | NENG nerng |
| PEI pay | PEN pern | PENG perng | |
| RE rr | REN wren | RENG wreng | |
| SE ser | SEN sern | SENG serng | |
| SHE sher | SHEI shay | SHEN shern | SHENG sherng |
| TE ter | TENG terng | ||
| WEI way | WEN wern | WENG werng | |
| YE yeh | |||
| ZE zuh | ZEI zay | ZEN zern | ZENG zerng |
| ZHE juh | ZHEI jay | ZHEN jern | ZHENG jehng |
Pronunciation Guide No. 3
[These syllables are based on the i vowel sound, which is pronounced as ee.]
| BI bee | BIAN bee-an* | BIAO bee-ow | BIE bee-eh | BIN bin | BING beeng |
*Phonetic terms divided by hyphens, like bian (bee-an) should be pronounced smoothly as one word.
| CHI chee | |||||
| CI tsu | |||||
| DI dee | DIU dew/deo | DIAN dee-an | DIAO dee-ow | DIE dee-eh | DING deeng |
| JI jee | JIA jee-ah | JIAN jee-an | JIAO jee-ow | JIE jee-eh | JIN jeen |
| JING jeeng | JIU jew/jeo | JIANG jee-ahng | |||
| LI lee LING leeng | LIU lew/leo | LIAN lee-an LIANG lee-ahng | LIAO lee-ow | LIE lee-eh | LIN leen |
| MI me MING meeng | MIU mew | MIAN mee-an | MIAO mee-ow | MIE me-eh | MIN meen |
| NI nee NING neeng | NIU new | NIAN nee-an NIANG nee-ahng | NIAO nee-ow | NIE nee-eh | NIN neen |
| PI pee | PIAN pee-an | PIAO pee-ow | PIE pee-eh | PIN peen | PING peeng |
| QI chee QING cheeng | QIA chee-ah QIU chew | QIAN chee-in QIANG chee-ahng | QIAO chee-ow | QIE chee-eh | QIN cheen |
| RI rr | |||||
| SHI shr | |||||
| SI suh | |||||
| TI tee | TIAN tee-an | TIAO tee-ow | TIE tee-eh | TING teeng | |
| XI she XING sheeng | XIA she-ah XIU shew | XIAN shee-an XIANG shee-ahng | XIAO she-ow XIONG she-ong | XIE she-eh | XIN sheen |
| YI ee | YIN een | YING eeng | |||
| ZHI jr | ZI dzu |
Pronunciation Guide No. 4
[These syllables are based on the o (oh) vowel sound.]
| BO bwo/bwough | |||
| CHONG chohng | CHOU choe | CONG tsohng | COU tsoe |
| DONG doong | DOU doe | ||
| FO fwo/fwough | FOU foe | ||
| GONG gohng | GOU go | ||
| HONG hohng | HOU hoe | ||
| KONG kohng | KOU koe | ||
| LONG lohng | LOU low | ||
| MO mwo/mwough | MOU moe | ||
| NONG nohng | |||
| O aw | OU oh | ||
| PO pwaw | |||
| RONG rohng | ROU roe | ||
| SHOU show | SONG sohng | ||
| TONG tohng | TOU toe | ||
| WO woh | |||
| YO yaw | YONG yohng | YOU you | |
| ZHONG johng | ZHOU joe | ZONG zohng | ZOU dzow |
Pronunciation Guide No. 5
[These syllables are based on the u (“oo” as in soon) vowel sound.]
| BU boo | |||
| CHU choo | CHUI chwee/chway | CHUAI chwie | CHUAN chwahn CHUO chwoh |
| CU tsu | CUI tsway/tswee CUN tsoon | CUAN tswahn CUO tswoh | |
| DU doo | DUAN dwahn DUN doon | DUI dway/dwee DUO dwoh | |
| FU foo | |||
| GU goo GUANG gwahng | GUA gwah GUI gway/gwee | GUAI gwie GUN goon | GUAN gwahn GUO gwoh |
| HU hoo HUANG hwahng | HUA hway HUI hway/hwee | HUAI hwie HUN hoon | HUAN hwahn HUO hwoh |
| JU jwee | JUE jway | JUN jwin/joon | JUAN jwen |
| KU koo | KUA kwah KUI kway/kwee | KUAI kwie KUN koon | KUAN kwahn KUO kway |
| LU loo/lwee | LUE lu-eh | LUN loon | LUAN lwahn |
| MU moo | |||
| NU nwee | NUE nu-eh | NUAN nwahn NUO nwoh | |
| PU poo | |||
| QU chwee | QUE chee-eh | QUN chwun | QUAN chwahn |
| RU roo | RUI rway/rwee | RUN roon | RUAN rwahn RUO rwoh |
| SHU shoo SHUANG shwahng | SHUA shwah SHUI shway/shwee | SHUAI shwie SHUN shoon | SHUAN shwahn SHUO shwo |
| SU soo | SUI sway/swee | SUN soon | SUAN swahn SUO swoh |
| TU too | TUI tway | TUN toon | TUAN twahn TUO twoh |
| WU woo | |||
| XU shee | XUE shu-eh | XUN sheen | XU AN shwen |
| YU yuu | YUE yu-eh | YUN ywun | YUAN ywahn |
| ZHU joo ZHUANG jwahng | ZHUA jwah ZHUI jway/jwee | ZHUAI jwie ZHUN joon | ZHUAN jwahn |
| ZU joo | ZUI zway/zwee | ZUN zwun | ZUAN zwahn ZUO zwoh |
PART ONE
Common Expressions & Key Words
GREETINGS
Please keep in mind that the phonetic words that are divided by hyphens [to make the syllables easier to recognize] should be pronounced as single words, in a smooth, even flow.
► Hello (also used in the sense of “How are you?”)
Nín hǎo ! 您好！
(Neen how)
[Nín hǎo (neen how) and the informal nǐ hǎo (nee how) are commonly used as universal greetings (good morning, good afternoon, good evening), but there are also specific words for these expressions.]
► Good morning!
Zǎoshang hǎo! 早上好！
(Zow-shahng how)
► Good afternoon!
Xiàwǔ hǎo! 下午好！
(Shee-ah-woo how)
► Good evening!
Wǎnshàng hǎo! 晚上好！
(Wahn-shahng how)
► Good night!
Wǎn ān! 晚安！
(Wahn ahn)
►
