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<div class="pg_page_title">Pinyin Alphabet & Pronunciation</div>
<div style="font-size:300%">Pinyin</div>
[[File:Chinese-Language-PolyglotClub.jpg|thumb]]
你好 Chinese Learners! 😃


Pinyin is the phonetic system of Mandarin Chinese. It consists of Roman alphabet. It is a great tool for helping you learn how to properly pronounce Mandarin Chinese. It is also good for inputting Chinese characters on your computer or smartphone.
Pinyin is the phonetic system of Mandarin Chinese. It consists of Roman alphabet. It is a great tool for helping you learn how to properly pronounce Mandarin Chinese. It is also good for inputting Chinese characters on your computer or smartphone.
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Like English phonetic symbols, Pinyin also uses the modern alphabet to build its system. However, you need to learn how to read Pinyin, as the pronunciation of Pinyin differs from English. Furthermore, Mandarin also contains some sounds that do NOT exist in English phonetic symbols. 
Like English phonetic symbols, Pinyin also uses the modern alphabet to build its system. However, you need to learn how to read Pinyin, as the pronunciation of Pinyin differs from English. Furthermore, Mandarin also contains some sounds that do NOT exist in English phonetic symbols. 


The system includes four diacritics denoting tones. Pinyin without tone marks is used to spell Chinese names and words in languages written with the Latin alphabet and also in certain computer input methods to enter Chinese characters.
{| class="wikitable"
 
!'''Pinyin'''
<span link>Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages:</span> [[Language/Mandarin-chinese/Pronunciation/The-5-Tones-of-Mandarin-Chinese|The 5 Tones of Mandarin Chinese]], [[Language/Mandarin-chinese/Pronunciation/Accents|Accents]] & [[Language/Mandarin-chinese/Pronunciation/Tips-for-Sounding-Like-a-Native|Tips for Sounding Like a Native]].
!'''IPA'''
==History of Pinyin==
!'''English Approximant'''
 
In 1958, China embarked on a language reform that replaced China’s original 1919 zhuyin alphabet with the Roman alphabet. Pinyin uses Roman alphabet to represent the sound of Zhuyin alphabet letters. Pinyin also uses the Zhuyin tone mark systems. China changed from Zhuyin to Pinyin because they wanted to use alphabet system, that is already familiar with the rest of the world. Furthermore, Chinese scholars realized that it is important to standardize the pronunciation of Chinese characters, because there are 56 ethnic groups speaking different dialects all across China. 
 
So Pinyin was created as a replacement of Zhuyin to help people pronounce Chinese characters in a united way. This standardization of Pinyin also makes it much easier for Chinese learners around the world to read Mandarin Chinese. 
 
==Pronunciation==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Pinyin
!IPA
!English Approximant
!French  Approximant
|-
|-
|b
|''b''
|[p]
|[p]
|unaspirated p, as in spark
|unaspirated '''p''', as in s'''p'''ark
|'''b'''on
|-
|-
|p
|''p''
|[pʰ]
|[pʰ]
|strongly aspirated p, as in pit
|strongly aspirated '''p''', as in '''p'''it
|'''p'''ain
|-
|-
|m
|''m''
|[m]
|[m]
|as in English mummy
|as in English '''m'''u'''mm'''y
|'''m'''ot
|-
|-
|f
|''f''
|[f]
|[f]
|as in English fun
|as in English '''f'''un
|'''f'''aux 
|-
|-
|d
|''d''
|[t]
|[t]
|unaspirated t, as in stop
|unaspirated '''t''', as in s'''t'''op
|'''d'''emain
|-
|-
|t
|''t''
|[tʰ]
|[tʰ]
|strongly aspirated t, as in top
|strongly aspirated '''t''', as in '''t'''op
|'''t'''ôt
|-
|-
|n
|''n''
|[n]
|[n]
|as in English nit
|as in English '''n'''it
|'''n'''on
|-
|-
|l
|''l''
|[l]
|[l]
|as in English love
|as in English '''l'''ove
|'''l'''oup
|-
|-
|g
|''g''
|[k]
|[k]
|unaspirated k, as in skill
|unaspirated '''k''', as in s'''k'''ill
|'''g'''omme
|-
|-
|k
|''k''
|[kʰ]
|[kʰ]
|strongly aspirated k, as in kill
|strongly aspirated '''k''', as in '''k'''ill
|'''k'''épi
|-
|-
|h
|''h''
|[x], [h]
|[x], [h]
|Varies between hat and Scottish loch.
|Varies between '''h'''at and Scottish lo'''ch'''.
|'''r'''at
|-
|-
|j
|''j''
|[tɕ]
|[tɕ]
|Alveo-palatal. No equivalent in English, but similar to an unaspirated "-chy-" sound when said quickly. Like q, but unaspirated. Is similar to the English name of the letter G, but curl the tip of the tongue downwards to stick it at the back of the teeth.
|Alveo-palatal. No equivalent in English, but similar to an unaspirated "-chy-" sound when said quickly. Like ''q'', but unaspirated. Is similar to the English name of the letter ''G'', but curl the tip of the tongue downwards to stick it at the back of the teeth.
|'''j'''eep, '''dj'''inn
|-
|-
|q
|''q''
|[tɕʰ]
|[tɕʰ]
|Alveo-palatal. No equivalent in English. Like punch yourself, with the lips spread wide as when one says ee. Curl the tip of the tongue downwards to stick it at the back of the teeth and strongly aspirate.
|Alveo-palatal. No equivalent in English. Like pun'''ch y'''ourself, with the lips spread wide as when one says ''ee''. Curl the tip of the tongue downwards to stick it at the back of the teeth and strongly aspirate.
|'''tch'''in-tchin
|-
|-
|x
|''x''
|[ɕ]
|[ɕ]
|Alveo-palatal. No equivalent in English. Like -sh y-, with the lips spread as when one says ee and with the tip of the tongue curled downwards and stuck to the back of the teeth.
|Alveo-palatal. No equivalent in English. Like '''-sh y-''', with the lips spread as when one says ''ee'' and with the tip of the tongue curled downwards and stuck to the back of the teeth.
| '''hss'''
|-
|-
|zh
|''zh''
|[ʈʂ]
|[ʈʂ]
|Unaspirated ch. Similar to hatching but retroflex, or marching in American English. Voiced in a toneless syllable.
|Unaspirated '''ch'''. Similar to ha'''tch'''ing but retroflex, or mar'''ch'''ing in American English. Voiced in a toneless syllable.
|'''j'''eep, '''dj'''inn
|-
|-
|ch
|''ch''
|[ʈʂʰ]
|[ʈʂʰ]
|Similar to chin, but retroflex.
|Similar to '''ch'''in, but retroflex.
|'''tch'''in-tchin
|-
|-
|sh
|''sh''
|[ʂ]
|[ʂ]
|Similar to shoe but retroflex, or marsh in American English.
|Similar to '''sh'''oe but retroflex, or mar'''sh''' in American English.
|'''ch'''at
|-
|-
|r
|''r''
|[ɻ~ʐ]
|[ɻ~ʐ]
|No equivalent in English, but similar to a sound between r in reduce and s in measure but with the tongue curled upward against the top of the mouth (i.e. retroflex).
|No equivalent in English, but similar to a sound between '''r''' in '''r'''educe and '''s''' in mea'''s'''ure but with the tongue curled upward against the top of the mouth (i.e. retroflex).
|'''j''' (en début de syllabe)
'''r''' (en fin de syllabe)
|-
|-
|z
|''z''
|[ts]
|[ts]
|unaspirated c, similar to something between suds but voiceless, unless in a toneless syllable.
|unaspirated '''c''', similar to something between su'''ds''' but voiceless, unless in a toneless syllable.
|'''dz'''êta
|-
|-
|c
|''c''
|[tsʰ]
|[tsʰ]
|like the English ts in cats, but strongly aspirated, very similar to the Czech, Polish, Esperanto, and Slovak c.
|like the English '''ts''' in ca'''ts''', but strongly aspirated, very similar to the Czech, Polish, Esperanto, and Slovak '''c'''.
|'''tz'''ar
|-
|-
|s
|''s''
|[s]
|[s]
|as in sun
|as in '''s'''un
|'''s'''avon
|-
|-
|w
|''w''
|[w]
|[w]
|as in water. Before an e or a it is sometimes pronounced like v as in violin.*
|as in '''w'''ater. Before an '''e''' or '''a''' it is sometimes pronounced like v as in '''v'''iolin.*
|'''w'''hisky
|-
|-
|y
|''y''
|[j], [ɥ]
|[j], [ɥ]
|as in yes. Before a u, pronounced with rounded lips, as if pronouncing German ü.*
|as in '''y'''es. Before a ''u'', pronounced with rounded lips, as if pronouncing German ü.*
|'''y'''en
|}
|}
==4 tones + Neutral==
{| class="wikitable"
!Tone
!Tone Mark
!Example using
tone mark
!Example using
number
!IPA
|-
|First
|macron ( ◌̄ )
|mā
|ma<sup>1</sup>
|ma˥
|-
|Second
|acute accent ( ◌́ )
|má
|ma<sup>2</sup>
|ma˧˥
|-
|Third
|caron ( ◌̌ )
|mǎ
|ma<sup>3</sup>
|ma˨˩˦
|-
|Fourth
|grave accent ( ◌̀ )
|mà
|ma<sup>4</sup>
|ma˥˩
|-
|Neutral
|No mark or middle dot before syllable ( ·◌ )
|ma
·ma
|ma
ma<sup>5</sup>
ma<sup>0</sup>
|ma
|}
===Example===
----
[[File:Pinyin-Tones-PolyglotClub.jpg]]
----
===More information about Chinese Tones===
* https://polyglotclub.com/help/language-learning-tips/chinese-tones
==Sources==
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyin
*https://chine.in/mandarin/vocabulaire/index.php?id=924
==Other Lessons==
* [[Language/Mandarin-chinese/Pronunciation/The-5-Tones-of-Mandarin-Chinese|The 5 Tones of Mandarin Chinese]]
* [[Language/Mandarin-chinese/Pronunciation/Accents|Accents]]
* [[Language/Mandarin-chinese/Pronunciation/Table-of-Chinese-Phonetics|Table of Chinese Phonetics]]
* [[Language/Mandarin-chinese/Pronunciation/Tips-for-Sounding-Like-a-Native|Tips for Sounding Like a Native]]
<span links></span>

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