Mandarin Chinese

Learn Mandarin Chinese

Beginner → AdvancedTraditional Characters

Sounds, words and conversation.

Start with pronunciation, then core words, then basic conversation. Use the examples and exercises to build each skill in turn.

1Pronunciation

2Core words

3Conversation

4Grammar

5Characters

6Expand

Pronunciation first

Learn the sound system before analyzing grammar.

Words into sentences

Every small unit becomes a usable sentence immediately.

Characters after sound

Characters support words, not replace them.

Direct learning

Less theory, more actual Chinese.

Script decision

Spoken language

Standard Mandarin. Pronunciation trained via pinyin.

Writing system

This guide uses Traditional Chinese characters (正體字).

What to know

Traditional and Simplified are two scripts for the same spoken language. Strong learners recognize both eventually.

Pronunciation

Pinyin, initials, finals, and tones

This is the actual foundation. Everything else depends on getting the sound system right.

The four tones + neutral tone

Mandarin uses pitch to distinguish meaning. The same syllable with different tones becomes a different word.

1st tone

High level · 5→5

Steady and held, like sustaining a musical note.

mā 媽, gē 歌, shū 書

2nd tone

Rising · 3→5

Like the rising inflection when you ask 'huh?' in English.

má 麻, hé 河, rén 人

3rd tone

Low / dip · 2→1→4

In isolation it dips low then rises slightly. In connected speech it is often just low.

mǎ 馬, hěn 很, wǒ 我

4th tone

Sharp fall · 5→1

Short, firm, decisive. Like a sharp command.

mà 罵, shì 是, yào 要

Neutral tone

Light · varies

Unstressed and short. Its actual pitch depends on the tone before it.

ma 嗎, de 的, le 了

Tone sandhi changes are mandatory. They help speech sound natural and make words easier to recognize.

Tone sandhi rules

These tones change automatically in connected speech. You must learn them as rules, not exceptions.

Rule	When it happens	Example	What changes
3rd + 3rd → 2nd + 3rd	Two consecutive third tones	你好 nǐ hǎo	Spoken as ní hǎo; first 3rd becomes 2nd
不 bù → bú	Before a 4th tone	不要 bù yào	Spoken as bú yào
一 yī → yí	Before a 4th tone	一個 yī gè	Spoken as yí gè
一 yī → yì	Before 1st / 2nd / 3rd tones	一天 yī tiān	Spoken as yì tiān

Initials (consonants)

Read these as Chinese sounds—not as English letters.

Group	Pinyin	Mouth position
Labials	b p m f	Made with the lips together or lip-to-teeth
Alveolars	d t n l	Tongue tip touches the ridge behind front teeth
Velars	g k h	Back of the tongue against the soft palate
Palatals	j q x	Tongue fronted; lighter and thinner than English j/ch/sh
Retroflex	zh ch sh r	Tongue curls slightly back; a distinct Chinese sound group
Flat sibilants	z c s	Flatter, teeth closer together; contrast with zh/ch/sh
Zero initial	y w	Spelling conventions for vowel-start syllables

Finals (vowels and endings)

These complete the syllable after the initial.

Type	Pinyin	Example words
Simple	a o e i u ü	mā, bó, hē, nǐ, lù, nǚ
Compound	ai ei ao ou	hǎi, lèi, hǎo, dōu
Front nasal	an en in ün	lán, mén, xīn, jūn
Back nasal	ang eng ing ong	máng, děng, tīng, dōng
Common combos	ia ie iu ua uo üe	jiā, xiě, liù, huā, guó, xué

Pinyin traps for English speakers

These are the sounds most likely to cause persistent errors if not corrected early.

Pinyin	Common mistake	Correct approach
j q x	Pronouncing like English j, ch, sh	Tongue stays forward; thinner, lighter sound than English equivalents
zh ch sh r	Confusing with z c s	Tongue curls back slightly; the retroflex series is a defining Chinese sound
z c s	Over-curling the tongue	Keep it flat and crisp; teeth almost together
ü	Saying English 'oo'	Round the lips while keeping the tongue forward, as in French 'u'
-ian	Saying 'ee-an'	Actually closer to 'yen'; the vowel cluster blends
-ui	Saying 'oo-ee'	Actually closer to 'way'; a quick glide
-iu	Saying 'ee-oo'	Actually closer to 'yo'; the sounds merge
er / -r suffix	Ignoring it or over-pronouncing	Important for listening comprehension; common in northern Mandarin

Tone pair drill table

Practice every combination. This is more useful than reading about tones.

Pattern	Example	Meaning
1 + 1	天空 tiān kōng	sky
1 + 2	中國 Zhōng guó	China
1 + 3	喝水 hē shuǐ	drink water
1 + 4	吃飯 chī fàn	eat (a meal)
2 + 1	明天 míng tiān	tomorrow
2 + 4	甚麼 shén me	what
3 + 3	你好 nǐ hǎo	hello
3 + 2	美國 Měi guó	America
4 + 1	大家 dà jiā	everyone
4 + 4	再見 zài jiàn	goodbye

Listening and shadowing loop

Use this cycle every time you work with audio.

Listen once: what is happening?

Listen again: catch exact words and tone movement

Shadow: repeat immediately after the audio

Record yourself and compare rhythm

Fix one small issue at a time

First words

The words and patterns you need immediately

Do not start with theory. Start with words and sentences you can use today.

Day-one survival phrases

Memorize these before anything else.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
你好	nǐ hǎo	hello
謝謝	xièxie	thank you
對不起	duìbuqǐ	sorry
不好意思	bù hǎoyìsi	excuse me
我是美國人	wǒ shì Měiguó rén	I am American
我學中文	wǒ xué Zhōngwén	I study Chinese
這個多少錢？	zhège duōshao qián?	how much is this?
洗手間在哪裡？	xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ?	where is the restroom?
我聽不懂	wǒ tīng bù dǒng	I do not understand
請再說一次	qǐng zài shuō yí cì	please say it again
沒關係	méi guānxi	it is okay / no problem
再見	zàijiàn	goodbye

Core word bank

These are the building blocks for real sentences.

Category	Chinese	Pinyin	English
Pronouns	我 / 你 / 他 / 她 / 它	wǒ / nǐ / tā / tā / tā	I / you / he / she / it
Plural	我們 / 你們 / 他們	wǒmen / nǐmen / tāmen	we / you (pl.) / they
Be	是	shì	to be (equative)
Have / exist	有	yǒu	to have; there is
Negation	不 / 沒(有)	bù / méi(yǒu)	not / did not; do not have
Want / need	要 / 想	yào / xiǎng	want; will / would like to; miss
Can	可以 / 會 / 能	kěyǐ / huì / néng	may / know how to / be able to
Go / come	去 / 來	qù / lái	go / come
Eat / drink	吃 / 喝	chī / hē	eat / drink
See / look	看 / 看見	kàn / kànjiàn	look at / see
Say / speak	說 / 講	shuō / jiǎng	say; speak
Study	學 / 學習	xué / xuéxí	study; learn
Know	知道 / 認識	zhīdào / rènshi	know (a fact) / know (a person)
Like	喜歡	xǐhuan	to like
This / that	這 / 那	zhè / nà	this / that
Question words	甚麼 / 哪裡 / 誰 / 怎麼 / 為甚麼	shénme / nǎlǐ / shuí / zěnme / wèishénme	what / where / who / how / why
Time basics	今天 / 明天 / 昨天 / 現在	jīntiān / míngtiān / zuótiān / xiànzài	today / tomorrow / yesterday / now

First sentence patterns

Memorize the pattern. Then replace one word at a time.

Meaning	Pattern	Example
I am ...	我是 + noun	我是學生。 Wǒ shì xuéshēng.
I have ...	我有 + noun	我有問題。 Wǒ yǒu wèntí.
I want ...	我要 + noun/verb	我要咖啡。 Wǒ yào kāfēi.
I would like to ...	我想 + verb	我想去。 Wǒ xiǎng qù.
I like ...	我喜歡 + noun/verb	我喜歡中文。 Wǒ xǐhuan Zhōngwén.
I can ...	我會 + verb	我會說一點中文。 Wǒ huì shuō yìdiǎn Zhōngwén.
Where is ...?	... 在哪裡？	地鐵站在哪裡？ Dìtiě zhàn zài nǎlǐ?
How much?	... 多少錢？	這個多少錢？ Zhège duōshao qián?
Is it ...? (yes-no)	... 嗎？	你忙嗎？ Nǐ máng ma?
I do not understand	我聽不懂	我聽不懂。 Wǒ tīng bù dǒng.
Please say it again	請再說一次	請再說一次。 Qǐng zài shuō yí cì.

Pattern substitution is the fastest path to real speech. Take 我要咖啡 and swap the noun: 我要水, 我要茶, 我要那個. One pattern → many sentences.

Conversation

Say these dialogues out loud

Do not just read silently. Speak both roles. Repeat until the lines feel automatic.

Greeting and self-introduction

你好。

Nǐ hǎo.

Hello.

你好。你叫甚麼名字？

Nǐ hǎo. Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?

Hello. What is your name?

我叫 Alex。你呢？

Wǒ jiào Alex. Nǐ ne?

My name is Alex. And you?

我叫小明。你是哪國人？

Wǒ jiào Xiǎo Míng. Nǐ shì nǎ guó rén?

I am Xiao Ming. What country are you from?

我是美國人。我在學中文。

Wǒ shì Měiguó rén. Wǒ zài xué Zhōngwén.

I am American. I am studying Chinese.

Ordering food

你要甚麼？

Nǐ yào shénme?

What would you like?

我要一碗牛肉麵。

Wǒ yào yì wǎn niúròu miàn.

I want a bowl of beef noodles.

要不要辣？

Yào bú yào là?

Do you want it spicy?

不要辣，謝謝。

Bú yào là, xièxie.

Not spicy, thanks.

好，一共八十塊。

Hǎo, yígòng bāshí kuài.

Okay, 80 kuai total.

Asking directions

請問，地鐵站在哪裡？

Qǐngwèn, dìtiě zhàn zài nǎlǐ?

Excuse me, where is the subway station?

往前走，然後左轉。

Wǎng qián zǒu, ránhòu zuǒ zhuǎn.

Go straight ahead, then turn left.

遠嗎？

Yuǎn ma?

Is it far?

不遠，大概五分鐘。

Bù yuǎn, dàgài wǔ fēnzhōng.

Not far, about five minutes.

謝謝你！

Xièxie nǐ!

Thank you!

Communication repair

不好意思，我聽不懂。

Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ tīng bù dǒng.

Sorry, I do not understand.

請再說一次。

Qǐng zài shuō yí cì.

Please say it again.

請說慢一點。

Qǐng shuō màn yìdiǎn.

Please speak more slowly.

你可以寫下來嗎？

Nǐ kěyǐ xiě xiàlái ma?

Can you write it down?

這個中文怎麼說？

Zhège Zhōngwén zěnme shuō?

How do you say this in Chinese?

Shopping

這個多少錢？

Zhège duōshao qián?

How much is this?

兩百五十塊。

Liǎng bǎi wǔshí kuài.

250 kuai.

太貴了。便宜一點可以嗎？

Tài guì le. Piányi yìdiǎn kěyǐ ma?

Too expensive. Can you give a discount?

兩百塊，好不好？

Liǎng bǎi kuài, hǎo bu hǎo?

200 kuai, okay?

好，我要。

Hǎo, wǒ yào.

Okay, I will take it.

Grammar

The patterns that unlock the language

Chinese grammar is pattern-based, not conjugation-based. Master the patterns and the language opens up.

Basic sentence order: Subject → Verb → Object

Chinese follows SVO order like English—but time and place go before the verb.

Word order with time and place: 我明天在學校學中文。 (I + tomorrow + at school + study + Chinese). Time and place always come before the verb.

Complete grammar pattern table

Function	Pattern	Example	Meaning
Statement	Subject + Verb + Object	我學中文。	I study Chinese.
Equative (be)	A 是 B	她是老師。	She is a teacher.
Have / exist	A 有 B	我有兩個哥哥。	I have two older brothers.
There is...	Place + 有 + Noun	桌子上有一本書。	There is a book on the table.
Negation (habit / future)	不 + Verb / Adj	我不喝咖啡。	I do not drink coffee.
Negation (past / have)	沒(有) + Verb	我沒去。	I did not go.
Yes-no question	Statement + 嗎	你忙嗎？	Are you busy?
A-not-A question	Verb 不 Verb	你去不去？	Are you going or not?
What	甚麼	你要甚麼？	What do you want?
Where	在哪裡	你住在哪裡？	Where do you live?
Who	誰	他是誰？	Who is he?
How	怎麼	怎麼去？	How do you get there?
Why	為甚麼	你為甚麼學中文？	Why do you study Chinese?
Location	A 在 B	書在桌子上。	The book is on the table.
Want (noun)	要 + noun	我要水。	I want water.
Want (action)	想 / 要 + verb	我想去臺灣。	I want to go to Taiwan.
Can (permission)	可以	我可以坐這裡嗎？	May I sit here?
Can (learned ability)	會	我會說中文。	I can speak Chinese.
Can (physical ability)	能	你能來嗎？	Can you come?
Progressive (ongoing)	在 + Verb	他在吃飯。	He is eating.
Completed action	Verb + 了	我吃了。	I ate / I have eaten.
Change of state	... 了	下雨了。	It started raining (new situation).
Experience	Verb + 過	我去過日本。	I have been to Japan.
Comparison	A 比 B + Adj	今天比昨天冷。	Today is colder than yesterday.
Degree complement	Verb + 得 + description	他說得很快。	He speaks very fast.
Result complement	Verb + result	我聽懂了。	I understood (by listening).
Giving / for	給	請給我一杯水。	Please give me a cup of water.

Measure words (量詞)

Chinese requires a measure word between a number and a noun. There is no way around this.

Measure word	Used with	Example
個 gè	General / default classifier	一個人, 一個問題
本 běn	Books, bound items	一本書, 一本雜誌
杯 bēi	Cups, glasses, drinks	一杯咖啡, 一杯水
張 zhāng	Flat items: paper, tickets, tables	一張票, 一張桌子
件 jiàn	Clothing; matters / incidents	一件衣服, 一件事
台 tái	Machines, devices	一台電腦, 一台車
位 wèi	People (polite)	一位老師, 一位客人
家 jiā	Businesses, families	一家公司, 一家餐廳
條 tiáo	Long narrow things: roads, fish, rivers	一條路, 一條魚
雙 shuāng	Pairs	一雙鞋, 一雙筷子
次 cì	Occurrences, times	一次, 兩次
碗 wǎn	Bowls of food	一碗飯, 一碗麵
瓶 píng	Bottles	一瓶水, 一瓶酒
塊 kuài	Pieces; also 'yuan' (money)	一塊蛋糕, 十塊錢

When in doubt, use 個. It is the most general classifier and works in many informal situations.

The three 'de' particles

These sound the same but are written differently and serve different grammatical functions.

的de

Possession / modification (noun-linking)

我的書 (my book), 好吃的菜 (delicious food)

得de

Degree / result after a verb

他說得很快 (he speaks very fast)

地de

Adverb marker before a verb

慢慢地說 (speak slowly)

Sentence-final particles

These small words at the end of a sentence change the tone, mood, or function.

Particle	Function	Example	Meaning
嗎 ma	Yes-no question	你好嗎？	Are you well?
呢 ne	And you? / What about...?	我很好，你呢？	I am fine, and you?
吧 ba	Suggestion / assumption	我們走吧。	Let us go.
了 le (sentence-final)	Change / new situation	他走了。	He has left. (new info)
啊 a	Softening / exclamation	好啊！	Okay! / Sure!
嘛 ma (falling)	Isn't it obvious	這很簡單嘛。	This is simple (obviously).

Characters

Understanding Chinese characters

Characters are not random art. Component logic, frequency control, and word-family grouping beat brute-force memorization.

How characters are built: semantic + phonetic components

Most Chinese characters are semantic-phonetic compounds. One part hints at meaning category; the other hints at pronunciation. This is the single most important structural insight for character learning.

Core learning principles

Start from words, not isolated characters

Learn 學生 as a word first; then notice 學 and 生 as components. Words stick better than abstract shapes.

Use component logic

Semantic parts hint at meaning (氵= water, 口 = mouth, 木 = wood). Phonetic parts hint at sound. This is not random art.

Prioritize frequency

A core 200–300 characters covers the majority of everyday text. Do not start with rare literary characters.

Handwrite enough to understand structure

Writing by hand forces attention to stroke order and component balance. After that, switch to typing for daily use.

Character pattern overview

Pattern	Why it matters	Example
Semantic + phonetic compound	Most common structure; one part hints at meaning, one at sound	媽 = 女 (female) + 馬 (mǎ sound)
Single-form character	High-frequency but limited pattern help; must memorize	人, 大, 小, 中, 上, 下
Word family approach	One character becomes a whole network of related words	學 → 學生, 學校, 學習, 學費
Component recycling	Same components appear across many characters; recognize once, read many	請, 清, 情, 晴 all share 青 (qīng)

Common radicals (meaning components)

Recognizing these radicals gives you a foothold when encountering new characters.

Radical	Meaning hint	Found in
氵	Water / liquid	河, 海, 洗, 湖, 清, 漢
口	Mouth / speech	吃, 喝, 叫, 唱, 嗎, 問
木	Wood / plant	樹, 林, 森, 桌, 椅, 校
心 / 忄	Heart / feeling	想, 思, 情, 怕, 慢, 快
女	Female	媽, 姐, 妹, 她, 好, 姓
人 / 亻	Person	你, 他, 們, 住, 做, 休
手 / 扌	Hand / action	打, 找, 拿, 把, 拉, 按
日	Sun / day / time	明, 時, 早, 晚, 星, 昨
火 / 灬	Fire / heat	燒, 煮, 烤, 熱, 照, 煎
言 / 訁	Speech / language	說, 話, 語, 謝, 請, 認

Reading

A realistic reading progression

Do not start with dense native material. A staged ladder keeps difficulty just high enough to grow.

Phase 1

Pinyin-supported reading

Ultra-short dialogues with pinyin visible. Focus on connecting sound to meaning.

Phase 2

Character-first micro texts

1–3 sentence passages using only high-frequency characters. Limit new items per text.

Phase 3

Graded readers

Leveled stories with controlled vocabulary and natural repetition. Build stamina.

Phase 4

Supported real material

Menus, signs, social posts, news snippets, subtitles. Use a dictionary aggressively.

Writing

Handwriting, typing, and sentence output

Writing is three separate skills. Train each one deliberately.

Handwriting for structure

Practice stroke order and component balance by writing common characters by hand. This is training, not the long-term daily mode.

Typing for productivity

Use pinyin-based input on a keyboard or phone. The critical skill is selecting the correct character among many homophones.

Controlled sentence output

Start with: self-introduction, daily routine, comparison, opinion, request, apology. Do not attempt essays before building these basics.

Numbers & time

The number system and time expressions

Chinese numbers follow a logical base-10 pattern. Time and date structure is straightforward once you learn the building blocks.

Numbers 0–10,000

Chinese uses a clean base-10 system. 十一 = ten-one = 11. 二十三 = two-ten-three = 23.

Number	Chinese	Pinyin
0	零	líng
1	一	yī
2	二 / 兩	èr / liǎng
3	三	sān
4	四	sì
5	五	wǔ
6	六	liù
7	七	qī
8	八	bā
9	九	jiǔ
10	十	shí
11	十一	shí yī
20	二十	èrshí
100	一百	yì bǎi
1000	一千	yì qiān
10000	一萬	yí wàn

二 vs. 兩

Use 二 for counting and phone numbers. Use 兩 before measure words: 兩個人 (two people), 兩杯咖啡 (two coffees).

10,000 is the key unit

Chinese groups numbers by 萬 (10,000), not by 1,000. So 50,000 is 五萬, not fifty thousands.

Phone numbers

Read digit by digit. Use 一 for 1 (yāo is often used to avoid confusion with 七 qī).

Time expressions

Time words usually come before the verb: 我明天去 (I tomorrow go).

Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning
今天	jīntiān	today
明天	míngtiān	tomorrow
昨天	zuótiān	yesterday
現在	xiànzài	now
早上	zǎoshang	morning
下午	xiàwǔ	afternoon
晚上	wǎnshang	evening / night
星期一 ~ 日	xīngqī yī ~ rì	Monday ~ Sunday
一月 ~ 十二月	yī yuè ~ shí'èr yuè	January ~ December
幾點	jǐ diǎn	what time
三點半	sān diǎn bàn	3:30
差五分六點	chà wǔ fēn liù diǎn	five minutes to six

Date order is large → small: 年 (year) → 月 (month) → 日 (day). Example: 2025年三月十四日 = March 14, 2025. Days of the week: 星期 + number (星期一 = Monday).

Cultural notes

What the textbook usually skips

Language does not exist in a vacuum. These cultural patterns directly affect how you use Chinese in real situations.

Addressing people

Chinese speakers often use titles or roles instead of first names: 老師 (teacher), 醫生 (doctor), or surname + title like 王先生 (Mr. Wang). Using someone's bare first name can feel too casual outside close friendships.

Saying 'no' indirectly

Blunt refusal is often avoided. Phrases like 不太方便 (not very convenient) or 我再想想 (let me think about it) serve as softer ways to decline. A direct 不 (no) can sound abrupt in social contexts.

Food culture in conversation

你吃了嗎？(Have you eaten?) is a common greeting, not a literal dinner invitation. Food is deeply social. Expect to discuss food, share dishes at round tables, and encounter the polite insistence of 'you order first.'

Gift and red envelope etiquette

Gifts are usually declined once or twice before accepting. Red envelopes (紅包) containing money are given during Lunar New Year, weddings, and other occasions. Even numbers are preferred; avoid 4 (sounds like 'death').

Face (面子)

面子 is the social concept of reputation and dignity. Avoiding public embarrassment (for yourself and others) is important. Correcting someone's mistake privately rather than in front of a group is the expected norm.

Traditional vs. Simplified characters

Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. Simplified characters are used in mainland China and Singapore. The spoken language is essentially the same. Strong learners eventually recognize both writing systems.

Advanced

What separates advanced from intermediate

The jump to advanced is about precision, rhythm, discourse control, and naturalness—not just vocabulary volume.

Discourse markers

其實 (actually; soft correction)

然後 (then; sequence marker)

所以 (so; therefore)

不過 (however; but)

就是 (it is just that; in spoken explanation)

反正 (anyway; regardless)

Register and politeness

Spoken forms differ from formal written forms

請 adds politeness; 麻煩你 is 'please bother yourself'

您 is the polite 'you' for elders or formal settings

Recognizing register differences is an advanced skill

Beyond translation

Chinese packages meaning differently from English

把 construction reframes the object as the topic of the action

Topic-comment structure is common: 這本書我看過 (this book, I have read it)

Train yourself to ask: what would a Chinese speaker naturally choose?

Rhythm and fluency

Advanced learners must work on sentence melody and chunking

Correct individual syllables mean little if sentence rhythm is unnatural

Shadowing native speakers at full speed is the key exercise

Erhua, reduction, and connected speech patterns become targets

Study plans

Your first three lesson checklists

Pick one lesson. Repeat it until every item feels stable in your mouth and ear before moving on.

Choose a lesson

Lesson 1: Sounds checklist

Read, say, and review each item.

Simple finals: a o e i u ü

Labials: b p m f

Alveolars: d t n l

Velars: g k h

Palatals: j q x

Retroflex: zh ch sh r

Flat sibilants: z c s

Four tones: mā má mǎ mà

Tone pair drill: all 16 combinations

Tone sandhi: 3rd + 3rd, 不, 一

Common errors

The mistakes that waste the most time

These are not small details. They are the habits most likely to slow progress or create false confidence.

nǐ hǎo is not two English words

It is a tone pair. The first 3rd tone changes to rising (tone sandhi). Say it as one fluid Chinese unit, not with English stress patterns.

j, q, x are not English j, ch, sh

Push the tongue farther forward. The sound is thinner and produced closer to the front palate.

ü is not 'oo'

Round the lips while keeping the tongue forward. This vowel does not exist in English.

了 is not just 'past tense'

了 marks completion or a change of state. It is an aspect marker, not a tense marker. 下雨了 means 'it started raining' (new situation).

是 is not always needed

Chinese adjectives function as verbs. Say 我很忙 (I am busy), not 我是很忙. 是 is for equating nouns.

Confusing 的, 得, 地

的 links nouns/modifiers. 得 follows verbs for degree. 地 marks adverbs before verbs. They sound alike but are written differently.

Using English word order for everything

Time and place come before the verb in Chinese: 我明天在家吃飯 (I tomorrow at-home eat). Subject → Time → Place → Verb → Object.

Ignoring tones in connected speech

Getting individual tones right is not enough. Tone pairs and tone sandhi in flowing sentences must be practiced.

Bopomofo reference · 注音符號

Mandarin Phonetic
注音符號

ㄓㄨˋ ㄧㄣㄈㄨˊ ㄏㄠˋ
zhù yīn fú hào
jhù yin fú hào

Mandarin | 國語 | 華語 | 国語 | こくご
Modern Standard Mandarin | 現代標準漢語 | 標準中国語

Basics

ㄅ　　　ㄆ　　　ㄇ　　　ㄈ
b　　　p　　　m　　　f

ㄉ　　　ㄊ　　　ㄋ　　　ㄌ
d　　　t　　　n　　　l

ㄍ　　　　　ㄎ　　　　　ㄏ
g　　　　　k　　　　　h

ㄐ　　　　　ㄑ　　　　　ㄒ
j　　　　　q　　　　　x
ji　　　　　ci　　　　　si

ㄓ　　　ㄔ　　　ㄕ　　　ㄖ
zh　　　ch　　　sh　　　r
jh　　　ch　　　sh　　　r

ㄗ　　　　　ㄘ　　　　　ㄙ
z　　　　　c　　　　　s

空韻／ㄎㄨㄥㄩㄣˋ ／ kōng yùn

ㄧ　　　　　ㄨ　　　　　ㄩ
i　　　　　u　　　　　ü
i　　　　　wu　　　　yu

ㄚ　　　ㄛ　　　ㄜ　　　ㄝ
a　　　o　　　e　　　ê

ㄞ　　　ㄟ　　　ㄠ　　　ㄡ
ai　　　ei　　　ao　　　ou

ㄢ　　　ㄣ　　　ㄤ　　　ㄥ
an　　　en　　ang　　eng

ㄦ
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