Hanyu Pinyin
Parts of a Chinese Syllable

Pinyin is how Chinese characters, words are pronounced, it is the standard system of romanized spelling for transliterating Chinese. The standard formation of a syllable will be "Initial + Final + Tone".

Initial Consonants（23）
Final Vowels（24）
Tones（4）
Special Syllable（16）
Free Online Learning Resources

Initial Consonants

The initials are the consonants at the beginning of a syllable.There are 23 in total.

1

b

2

p

3

m

4

f

5

d

6

t

7

n

8

l


9

g

10

k

11

h

12

j

13

q

14

x

15

zh

16

ch

17

sh

18

r

19

z

20

c

21

s

22

y

23

w

Final Vowel of a Syllable（Simple or Compound ）

The finals are the vowels and semivowels at the end of a syllable. There are 24 in total.

1

a

2

o

3

e

4

i

5

u

6

ü

7

ai

8

ei

9

ui

10

ao

11

ou

12

iu

13

ie

14

üe

15

er

16

an

17

en

18

in

19

un

20

ün

21

ang

22

eng

23

ing

24

ong

Tones

The tones show you how to pronounce each syllable. There are four pinyin tones in total, marked as first, second, third, and fourth tones.

1st Tone

阴平

Flat Tone

2nd Tone

阳平

Rising Tone

3rd Tone

上声

Falling-Rising Tone

4th Tone

去声

Falling Tone

Special Syllable

There are 16 special syllables, these syllables are recognized and read as a whole, which means the initials and finals can not be separated.

1

zhi

2

chi

3

shi

4

ri

5

zi

6

ci

7

si

8

yi

9

wu

10

yu

11

ye

12

yue

13

yin

14

yun

15

yuan

16

ying

Table of Syllables

v Single b p m f d t n l g k h j q x zh ch sh r z c s y w
a a ba pa ma fa da ta na la ga ka ha zha cha sha za ca sa ya wa
ai ai bai pai mai dai tai nai lai gai kai hai zhai chai shai zai cai sai wai
an an ban pan man fan dan tan nan lan gan kan han zhan chan shan ran zan can san yan wan
ang ang bang pang mang fang dang tang nang lang gang kang hang zhang chang shang rang zang cang sang yang wang
ao ao bao pao mao dao tao nao lao gao kao hao zhao chao shao rao zao cao sao yao
e e me de te ne le ge ke he zhe che she re ze ce se ye
ei ei bei pei mei fei dei nei lei gei kei hei shei zei wei
en en ben pen men fen den nen gen ken hen zhen chen shen ren zen cen sen wen
eng beng peng meng feng deng teng neng leng geng keng heng zheng cheng sheng reng zeng ceng seng weng
er er
i bi pi mi di ti ni li ji qi xi zhi chi shi ri zi ci si yi
i-a dia lia jia qia xia
i-an bian pian mian dian tian nian lian jian qian xian
i-ang niang liang jiang qiang xiang
i-ao biao piao miao diao tiao niao liao jiao qiao xiao
i-ong jiong qiong xiong
ie bie pie mie die tie nie lie jie qie xie
in bin pin min nin lin jin qin xin yin
ing bing ping ming ding ting ning ling jing qing xing ying
iu miu diu niu liu jiu qiu xiu
o o bo po mo fo lo yo wo
ong dong tong nong long gong kong hong zhong chong rong zong cong song yong
ou ou pou mou fou dou tou nou lou gou kou hou zhou chou shou rou zou cou sou you
u bu pu mu fu du tu nu lu gu ku hu zhu chu shu ru zu cu su wu
ü nü lü ju qu xu yu
u-a gua kua hua zhua chua shua rua
u-ai guai kuai huai zhuai chuai shuai
u-an duan tuan nuan luan guan kuan huan zhuan chuan shuan ruan zuan cuan suan
ü-an juan quan xuan yuan
u-ang guang kuang huang zhuang chuang shuang
u-o duo tuo nuo luo guo kuo huo zhuo chuo shuo ruo zuo cuo suo
üe nüe lüe jue que xue yue
ui dui tui gui kui hui zhui chui shui rui zui cui sui
un dun tun lun gun kun hun zhun chun shun run zun cun sun
ün jun qun xun yun