Pronunciation guide
- You say poteidou
- I say petadou
- You say tomeidou
- I say to temadou...
Below is a simplified explanation of the phonetic alphabet used on these pages. This is the Chinese phonetic alphabet, or pinyin. There are other phonetic alphabets used to express Chinese words.
| PINYIN | EXPLANATION | EXAMPLES |
| b | 'b' as in boy | bau3 = to wrap |
| p | 'p' as in pony | pau3 = to run |
| m | 'm' as in map | mi3 = rice |
| f | 'f' as in funny | fu4 = father |
| d | 'd' as in dog | dan4 = egg |
| t | 't' as in today | tan2 = to talk |
| n | 'n' as in nut | ni3 = you |
| l | 'l' as in lucky | li3 = mile or kilometer |
| g | 'g' as in girl | gou3 = dog |
| k | 'k' as in kite | kao3 = to bake |
| h | 'h' as in house | he = to drink |
| j | 'j' as in jam | ji = chicken |
| q | 'ch' as in cheese | qi2 = strange |
| x | 'sh' as in sheep | xi3 = to wash |
| z | 'ds' as in words | zao3 = early |
| c | 'ts' as in pots | can = meal, dish (of food) |
| s | 's' as in soup | sui4 = age |
| zh | 'g' as in pigeon | zhao3 = to look for |
| ch | 'tch' as in batch | cha2 = tea |
| sh | 'sh' as in shoe | shao3 = few, little |
| r | a 'softer' 'r' than in run | ren2 = person, people |
| y | 'y' as in yes note: When 'y' precedes certain sounds, it is not pronounced. Examples are yu3 (fish) and ying4 (hard). | you3 = to have |
| w | 'w' as in water | wo3 = I, me |
| a | 'a' as in mama | ta = him, her, it |
| o | 'o' as in for | po4 = broken |
| e | 'u' as in but | ke3 = can, may |
| i | 'ee' as in feet | ni3 = you |
| u | 'oo' as in foot | mu3 = mother |
| ¨ | Like the German umlaut. This sound is often printed as 'u' but sometimes as 'uu'. It can be differentiated by the other 'u' by the surrounding consonants. | yu2 = fish |
| er | similar to 'ar' in tar | er2 = two |
| ai | 'uy' as in buy | mai4 = sell |
| ei | 'ay' as in day | fei = fly |
| ao | 'ow' as in bow | yao4 = want |
| ou | 'ow' as in mow | you3 = friend |
| an | 'on' as in Don | an = peaceful |
| en | 'on' as in onion | pen = to spray |
| ang | A combination of 'ah' like the doctor asks you to say, and 'ng' as in song. | mang2 = busy |
| eng | 'ung' as in sung | meng4 = a dream |
| ia | 'ee' as in feet + 'a' as in mama | jia = home |
| ie | as in yea | jie3 = older sister |
| iao | 'eow' as in meow | jiao3 = foot |
| iu | 'yo' as in when Sylvester Stallone says "Yo!" | jiu3 = for a long time |
| ian | 'ee' as in feet + 'in' as in tin | xian = first |
| in | 'een' as in teen | xin = new |
| ing | 'eing' as in being | ying4 = hard |
| ong | 'ong' as in song | song4 = to deliver |