{"id":462,"date":"2020-06-24T18:26:00","date_gmt":"2020-06-24T18:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.duchinese.net\/blog\/?p=462"},"modified":"2023-04-25T14:53:44","modified_gmt":"2023-04-25T14:53:44","slug":"learn-to-read-chinese-pinyin-final-sounds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/duchinese.net\/blog\/2020\/06\/24\/learn-to-read-chinese-pinyin-final-sounds\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Read Chinese: Pinyin Final Sounds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019re just getting started with Pinyin, start with our first two posts, What is Pinyin?<\/a> and Pinyin Initial Sounds <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

RECAP: As mentioned previously, Pinyin uses Roman letters to transcribe Chinese sounds. In Chinese, each character corresponds to one syllable (which can be one word, or part of a word). Chinese syllables consist of three elements: an initial sound, a final sound and a tone. Today we\u2019re going to learn about final sounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final Sounds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are three types of final sounds. Simple finals, compound finals, and nasal finals. As you take a look at the charts below, look at the initial sounds that combine with the final sound to make the character in the Chinese example. See if you can recognize any of the characters from the initial sounds you have already learned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simple Finals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Final Sound <\/strong><\/td>English Sound Equivalent<\/strong><\/td>Chinese Example <\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
a<\/strong><\/td>pronounced as the a in \u201cfa<\/strong>ther\u201d <\/td>\u5988 m\u0101 (mom)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
e<\/strong><\/td>pronounced as the er in \u201cser<\/strong>ve\u201d<\/td>\u5ba2 k\u00e8 (guest)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
i<\/strong><\/td>pronounced as the ee in \u201cbee<\/strong>\u201d<\/td>\u4e00 y\u012b (one)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
o<\/strong><\/td>pronounced as the o in \u201cfo<\/strong>x\u201d<\/td>\u6211 w\u01d2 (I)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
u<\/strong><\/td>pronounced as the woo in \u201cwoo<\/strong>d\u201d<\/td>\u4e0d b\u00f9 (not)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
\u00fc<\/strong><\/td>pronounced as in German or French. Similar to lure (\u201cooh\u201d with pursed lips)<\/td>\u5973 n\u01da (woman)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Compound Finals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Final Sound <\/strong><\/td>English Sound Equivalent<\/strong><\/td>Chinese Example <\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
ai<\/strong><\/td>pronounced as the i in \u201cbi<\/strong>ke\u201d<\/td>\u6765 l\u00e1i (come)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
ao<\/strong><\/td>pronounced as o in \u201cno<\/strong>w\u201d<\/td>\u597d h\u01ceo (good)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
ei<\/strong><\/td>pronounced as the a in \u201cma<\/strong>y\u201d<\/td>\u7f8e m\u011bi (beau\u00adtiful)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
ia<\/strong><\/td>pronounced as the y in “y<\/strong>es\u201d and slide to a as in British “a<\/strong>re\u201d<\/td>\u4e0b xi\u00e0 (below)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
iao<\/strong><\/td>pronounced as the combination of the beginning consonant in “y<\/strong>es” and the o in “ho<\/strong>w”<\/td>\u5c0f xi\u01ceo (small)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
ie<\/strong><\/td>pronounced similar to the ye in “ye<\/strong>s”.<\/td>\u8c22 xi\u00e8 (thanks)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
iou\/iu<\/strong><\/td>iu is always pronounced as iou – pronounced as a slide from “y” as in “y<\/strong>es” to the “o” in “go<\/strong>“<\/td>\u4e45 ji\u01d4 (long ago)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
ou<\/strong><\/td>pronounced as the o in “so<\/strong>“<\/td>\u6709 y\u01d2u (have)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
ua<\/strong><\/td>pronounced similar to the American “what” without “h” and “t”. Sounds like the English spelling “wah”<\/td>\u82b1 hu\u0101 (flower)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
uai<\/strong><\/td>pronounced similar to the English word “why”<\/td>\u5feb ku\u00e0i (fast)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
\u00fce<\/strong><\/td>pronounced as a slide from pinyin “\u00fc” (German \u201c\u00fc” or the French “u”) to the vowel “e”<\/td>\u6708 yu\u00e8 (month)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
uei\/ui<\/strong><\/td>pronounced similar to the sound in “wait”. It is spelt as \u201cwei” when it stands as an independent syllable.<\/td>\u5582 w\u00e9i (a greeting for answering the phone)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
uo<\/strong><\/td>Pronounced similar to the British English “war” . The spelling “wo\u201d is used when it stands as an independent syllable.<\/td>\u8bf4 shu\u014d (say)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nasal Finals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Final Sound <\/strong><\/td>English Sound Equivalent<\/strong><\/td>Chinese Example <\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
an<\/strong><\/td>pronounced as the un in \u201cfun<\/strong>\u201d<\/td>\u5b89 \u0100n (peace)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
en<\/strong><\/td>pronounced as the en in \u201ctaken<\/strong>\u201d<\/td>\u5f88 h\u011bn (very)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
ian<\/strong><\/td>pronounced as the en in \u201cyen<\/strong>\u201d<\/td>\u5929 ti\u0101n (sky)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
in<\/strong><\/td>pronounced as the in in ‘pin<\/strong>‘<\/td>\u5fc3 x\u012bn (heart)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
uan<\/strong><\/td>pronounced as the an in \u201cwan<\/strong>\u201d<\/td>\u6b22 hu\u0101n (happy)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
un<\/strong><\/td>pronounced as the on in \u201cwon<\/strong>\u201d<\/td>\u51c6 zh\u01d4n (stand\u00adard)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
\u00fcan<\/strong><\/td>\u00fc as pronounced above +an<\/td>\u5143 yu\u00e1n (dollar)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
\u00fcn<\/strong><\/td>\u00fc as pronounced above +n<\/td>\u519b j\u016bn (army)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
ang<\/strong><\/td>pronounced as the ong in “song<\/strong>“<\/td>\u4e0a sh\u00e0ng (above)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
eng<\/strong><\/td>pronounced “e\u201d is as described above, followed by the nasal “ng\u201d sound<\/td>\u670b p\u00e9ng (friend)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
iang\/yang<\/strong><\/td>pronounced similar to “young”. The spelling “yang” is used when it stands as an independent a syllable<\/td>\u4e24 li\u01ceng (two)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
ing\/ying<\/strong><\/td>pronounced as the ing in “sing<\/strong>\u201d. The spelling “ying” is used when there is no consonant in the beginning of a syllable.<\/td>\u660e m\u00edng (bright)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
iong\/yong<\/strong><\/td>Pinyin \u201cy” + “u” + “ng”. The “o” is affected by “y”\u2474 and so sounds similar to the vowel in “too”. The spelling “yong” is used when there is no consonant in the beginning.<\/td>\u7a77 qi\u00f3ng (poor)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
ong<\/strong><\/td>pronounced “o\u201d is as described above, followed by the nasal “ng\u201d sound<\/td>\u61c2 d\u01d2ng (under\u00adstand)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr>
uang\/wang<\/strong><\/td>The spelling “wang” is used when it stands as an independent syllable.<\/td>\u9ec4 hu\u00e1ng (yellow)
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Final Notes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When first learning Pinyin, it is very helpful to keep three general principles in mind:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. The relationship between any letter and any sound is arbitrary. A letter can represent one sound in English and another sound in Chinese.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. The same letter or combination of letters can sometimes be pronounced in more than one way in the same language. English has many examples of this, i.e. ough as used in ‘tough’, ‘though’,’through’, and ‘bough’.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. The pronunciation of a particular spelling combination does not always sound exactly the way it looks. Again, English has many examples, i.e. igh in ‘sigh’ or psy in ‘psychology’.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Reading along with someone (either in person, or a recording of a native speaker) will help you get the hang of reading Pinyin. Try some of our \u201cnewbie\u201d or \u201cbeginner\u201d lessons in the Du Chinese app and you\u2019ll get it down in no time. We recommend checking out our I’m a Cat original story!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Now that you know how to put together and pronounce your pinyin initial and final sounds, it\u2019s time for the last piece of the puzzle: tones!<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    If you\u2019re just getting started with Pinyin, start with our first two posts, What is Pinyin? and Pinyin Initial Sounds RECAP: As mentioned previously, Pinyin uses Roman letters to transcribe Chinese sounds. In Chinese, each character corresponds to one syllable (which can be one word, or part of a word). Chinese syllables consist of three…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1715,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/duchinese.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/9.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/duchinese.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/462"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/duchinese.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/duchinese.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/duchinese.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/duchinese.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=462"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/duchinese.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/462\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1717,"href":"https:\/\/duchinese.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/462\/revisions\/1717"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/duchinese.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1715"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/duchinese.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=462"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/duchinese.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=462"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/duchinese.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=462"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}