Learning Chinese - Pīnyīn initials

Quick recap, the initial of pīnyīn notation is the first part of the pīnyīn that consists of zero, one or two consonants, which is always followed by a final to be valid. In contrast, not all pīnyīn need to have an initial to be valid, such as 爱|ài (which can mean 'love', by the way).

One thing you've probably noticed is that not all initials are used for each final, which does mean there aren't as many combinations that could have existed.

Each initial has their own single sound, regardless of the final they are paired with. This would have been the same for the finals, had it not been for -i and i.

We will work left to right across the table below. In each case, I will supply an English word that starts with the same sound, where the sound is in bold type. Each word has been chosen such that if you additionally pronounce the vowel following the sounds, this produces a legitimate pronunciation of a Chinese word (ignoring tone). Initials that need particular attention are highlighted in red. Required tongue positions for particular initial groups are also pointed out.

Each initial will be accompanied with IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) notation of its pronunciation but do be aware that pronunciations can wary, depending on different dialects or accents of the speaker. If you know IPA notation or at least are familiar with the system, the notation can be helpful. If you don't know anything about IPA, I would recommend ignoring the notation. It can be distracting or confusing because you would have even more to remember.

We'll replay the table here for reference.

b, p, m and f
b, p, m and f are generally grouped together as they can combine with the same finals, with exceptions.

d, t, n and l
d, t, n and l form the next group.

g, k and h
g, k and h form the first group of three. Unlike the previous groups of four, all three can combine with the same finals. There are no exceptions.

j, q and x
j, q and x form the next group. Again, these three can combine with the same finals with no exceptions.

Tongue position

For this group, the tongue needs to be on the back of your bottom teeth. This tongue position is what makes this group different from the zh, ch, sh and r group above.

zh, ch, sh and r
zh, ch, sh and r form the next group.

Tongue position

For this group, your tongue needs to be on the roof of your mouth when speaking the initial. The place on the roof to choose should be just behind the ridge (called the upper alveolar ridge) which is behind your upper teeth, which should give a natural sound. Any further back might make the sound feel unnatural. This tongue position is what makes this group different from the j, q and x group above.

z, c and s
z, c and s is the last group.

Semi-initial w
Not a proper initial, w is only used when a final in Group u is not combined with a proper initial. This will be covered in more detail on the next page but it is here for completion.

Semi-initial y
Again, not a proper initial, y is used when a final in Group i or Group ü is not combined with a proper initial. This will be covered in more detail on the next page but it is here for completion.

