Pinyin chart: initials and finals
A pinyin syllable is an initial (consonant) plus a final (vowel part) plus a tone. There are 21 initials and about 35 finals; the tables below list them with an example character for each.
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Initials
| Group | Initials | Example characters |
|---|---|---|
| Lips | b p m f | 爸 bà, 怕 pà, 妈 mā, 发 fā |
| Tip of tongue | d t n l | 大 dà, 他 tā, 你 nǐ, 来 lái |
| Back of tongue | g k h | 歌 gē, 可 kě, 好 hǎo |
| Front palate | j q x | 家 jiā, 七 qī, 西 xī |
| Retroflex | zh ch sh r | 中 zhōng, 吃 chī, 说 shuō, 人 rén |
| Teeth | z c s | 在 zài, 菜 cài, 四 sì |
The letters y and w are used instead of i and u at the start of a syllable: yī (yī), wǔ (wǔ).
Finals
| Type | Finals | Example characters |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | a o e i u ü | 阿 ā, 我 wǒ, 鹅 é, 衣 yī, 五 wǔ, 鱼 yú |
| Compound | ai ei ao ou | 爱 ài, 黑 hēi, 好 hǎo, 口 kǒu |
| Nasal | an en ang eng ong | 山 shān, 人 rén, 忙 máng, 冷 lěng, 中 zhōng |
| With i | ia ie iao iu ian in iang ing iong | 家 jiā, 谢 xiè, 小 xiǎo, 九 jiǔ, 天 tiān, 心 xīn, 想 xiǎng, 星 xīng, 用 yòng |
| With u | ua uo uai ui uan un uang | 花 huā, 多 duō, 快 kuài, 会 huì, 关 guān, 春 chūn, 黄 huáng |
| With ü | üe üan ün | 月 yuè, 远 yuǎn, 云 yún |
| Special | er | 二 èr |
Sounds that need attention
q,x,jare not English "k", "ks", "j": they are made with the tongue flat against the palate.zh,ch,share different fromz,c,s: the tongue curls back for the first group.- ü is a rounded "ee"; on keyboards it is often typed as
v. - -ng is one sound, as in "sing", not "n" plus "g".
For tones, see pinyin tones explained.
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Frequently asked questions
How many pinyin syllables are there?
About 400 syllables without tones, and well over a thousand when tones are counted.
What is the difference between an initial and a final?
The initial is the opening consonant; the final is the rest of the syllable (vowel plus optional n or ng).
Why do some syllables start with y or w?
The letters y and w are used instead of i and u when no consonant comes before them.
Where is the ü in the chart?
In the "With ü" row and the simple finals. After j, q, x and y it is written with a plain u: qù, yú.
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