Pǔtōnghuà Pīnyīn

A. Initials: z, c, s

Note

z,c,s can combine with –i to form syllables zi, ci, si. The –i is not pronounced. It should not be confused with [i], but stands for the vowel sound that follows the consonants z, c,and s. It never comes after any other initials, nor does it occur as an independent final.

B. Compound Finals: ua, uo, uai, uei; üe

‘ua’ and ‘uo’ are compound finals. When you pronounce them, the first vowel is very short, and then quickly glide to the second vowel which is long and loud. The shape of the mouth is wide open.

uai, uei are also compound finals. When you read them, ‘u’ is soft and short. The second vowel is pronounced with the mouth wide open. Then quickly glide to the vowel that follows, which is short and vague.

C. Compound Finals

D. Rules of Romanization

1. When compound fianls ua, uo, uai, uei stand alone as syllables, ‘u’ is written as ‘w’.wa, wo, wai, wei.

2. uei is written as ‘-ui’ when following an initial, and with the tone mark on ‘i’, e.g. huì, guì.

3. üe is written as ‘yue’ when it stands as a syllable.

E. Tone Changes

1. Tone chagne of ‘yī’

a It is pronounced in the second tone when it is before the fourth tone syllable, e.g. yī suì→yí suì, yī gè→ yí gè.

b It is pronounced in the fourth tone when it is before the first or the second and the third tone. E.g., yī tiān→yì tiān ,yī běn→yì běn.

In this book, the first tone of ‘yī’ is marked as the first tone even when it is pronounced in the second tone or the fourth tone.

2. Tone change of ‘bù’

a. It is pronounced as the second tone only when it is before a fourth tone syllable. E.g., bù shì→ bú shì, bù cuò→bú cuò.

b. In this book, the fourth tone of ‘bù’ is marked as the fourth tone even when it is before the fourth tone.

3. The change of the third tone (II)

When the third tone is before the 1st, 2nd, or 4th tone, or a syllable in the neutral tone,the syllable of the third tone changes into a half- third tone. It means it is only read as the falling part of the third tone, though its tone mark remains unchanged, e.g. hěn gāo→ hèn gāo, hěn máng→hèn máng.