Course Instruction Video
Pinyin – the official system of Chinese Romanization - is the basis for all Chinese language study, and an essential first step for beginners. Our comprehensive, easy-to-use course on Pinyin will equip you with all the tools you need for successful study and proper pronunciation.
Number of Lessons: 12 lessons
Suggested Study Time: 6 hours
You should already know:
No previous Chinese knowledge needed
Latest update: Pinyin Lesson 12 Change of Tone
Preview: Pinyin is essential for anyone learning to speak Mandarin Chinese. It is a pronunciation guide based on the English alphabet. In the first lesson on Pinyin, you will learn the basics of the Pinyin system, including the parts of each Pinyin syllable such as the initial, final, and the tone. As tones are one of the most challenging parts of learning to speak Chinese, we present them here so that you can practice them from the very beginning.
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Preview: You’ve learned that the Pinyin Romanization for Mandarin Chinese teaches you how to pronounce the characters and that all characters have a final, even if they have no initial. This lesson will teach you the simple finals: ɑ, o, e, i, u, ü. You’ll also practice using the four tones of these finals.
Preview: In this lesson, you’ll learn how to pronounce the initial b, p, m, f. The same letters you already know how to pronounce do not necessarily sound the same in Mandarin Chinese. Pay close attention as some of the initials in this lesson are easily confused. We’ll teach you exactly how to say them very clearly so you will be understood when you speak.
Preview: In this lesson, you’ll continue to learn another group of initials; they are d, t, n, l. You’ll learn their proper pronunciation and see some examples when they are combined with some of the simple finals. Like in the previous lessons, pay close attention as the initials’ pronunciation are not exactly the same as in English.
Preview: We will continue to discuss initial ɡ, k, h, j, q, x in this lesson. You will be taught how to distinguish between a few that may sound similar to you and you’ll also be given explicit instructions on where to place your tongue and how to form your mouth shape to make the proper sounds so that you will be understood when you speak Mandarin.
Preview: In this lesson, we continue to cover the Pinyin initials of Mandarin Chinese pronunciation. We will teach you 7 new initials, they are:z, c, s, zh, ch, sh, r. We will give you very clear instructions on how to pronounce each one, including the very unique Chinese way of pronouncing r. Pay special attention in this lesson, as these initials tend to give English speakers the most trouble.
Preview: Here’s where things start to get a little tricky. In this lesson, we return to finals, only this time they’re compound finals that consist of two of more vowels: ɑi, ei, ɑo, ou, iɑ, ie, iɑo, iou. As always, you’ll also be given some example Mandarin words to help you practice your pronunciation.
Preview: In this lesson, we’ll continue to learn compound finals made up of multiple-vowel combinations, they are uɑ, uo, uɑi, uei, üe. Your Mandarin pronunciation should be improving now and you’ll learn some handy rules to help you form words. As always, you’ll be given some example words so you can practice your pronunciation.
Preview: In this lesson, we’re still covering the compound finals. This time, they’ll end with the letter n, they are:ɑn, en, iɑn, in, uɑn, uen, üɑn, ün. You’ll also learn about marking the tones and will practice using the four different tones. You’ll also get some useful example words to help you practice your pronunciation.
Preview: Things get a little more complicated in this lesson, but we’ve been gradually building up to it so you should be able to handle it with ease. We introduce nasal compound finals:ɑnɡ, enɡ, onɡ, inɡ, iɑnɡ, ionɡ, uɑnɡ, uenɡ and retroflex final er in this lesson. You’ll hear er often if you live in or visit Beijing. You’ll get to practice pronunciation with example words as well.
Preview: In this lesson, we’ll give you some rule clarifications for spelling Mandarin words in Pinyin. You’ll learn when and how to use y and w, how to mark the tones properly, and when to divide words that may be confusing, all with clear examples.
Preview: Sometimes, the tones of words change depending on the tone of the word that precedes or comes after it. This lesson will teach you exactly when you need to make those changes and will give you some good examples to help you practice.
