Pinyin Chart for Beginners: Initials and Finals Table (With Real Examples)

拼音表：聲母與韻母 (pīnyīn biǎo: shēngmǔ yǔ yùnmǔ) — the cheat sheet that helps you read Mandarin syllables without panic-blinking at random letters.

Pinyin is a map from letters to sounds. The trick is simple: split a syllable into an initial (start sound) and a final (ending sound), then add a tone. Do that, and “Zhōngwén” stops looking like a keyboard smash.

Yak Tip: Don’t memorize the whole chart in one sitting. Learn the pattern: Initial + Final + Tone. That’s it. Your brain loves patterns. Your brain hates “random lists.”

Key Terms You’ll See Everywhere

聲母

shēngmǔ — initial consonant

例句：先看聲母，再看韻母。
Xiān kàn shēngmǔ, zài kàn yùnmǔ.
Check the initial first, then the final.

韻母

yùnmǔ — final (vowel / ending)

例句：同一個聲母，不同韻母，音就不一樣。
Tóng yí gè shēngmǔ, bùtóng yùnmǔ, yīn jiù bù yíyàng.
Same initial, different final = different sound.

音節

yīnjié — syllable

例句：「mā」是一個音節。
“Mā” shì yí gè yīnjié.
“mā” is one syllable.

聲調

shēngdiào — tone

例句：同樣的拼音，聲調不同，意思可能不同。
Tóngyàng de pīnyīn, shēngdiào bùtóng, yìsi kěnéng bùtóng.
Same pinyin, different tone can change meaning.

拼音

pīnyīn — pinyin (romanization)

例句：我用拼音查字。
Wǒ yòng pīnyīn chá zì.
I look up characters using pinyin.

發音

fāyīn — pronunciation

例句：這個字的發音是「xué」。
Zhè gè zì de fāyīn shì “xué”.
This character is pronounced “xué.”

練習

liànxí — practice

例句：每天練習五分鐘就有差。
Měitiān liànxí wǔ fēnzhōng jiù yǒu chā.
Practicing five minutes a day makes a difference.

例句

lìjù — example sentence

例句：多看例句，記得更快。
Duō kàn lìjù, jìde gèng kuài.
More examples = faster memory.

How A Pinyin Syllable Works

Most syllables follow this idea:

Part	What It Is	Example	Pinyin	Meaning
Initial	Start sound (consonant)	媽	mā	mom
Final	Ending sound (vowel/nasal)	媽	mā (final = ā)	mom
Tone	Pitch contour (tone mark)	媽 / 馬	mā / mǎ	mom / horse

Some syllables have no initial (they start right with a final), like ā (啊 ā — “ah”). In writing, pinyin often uses y or w to make it readable (like yī, wǒ).

Initials Table

Here are the common pinyin initials (聲母 shēngmǔ). The “Sample” column is just to help your eyes connect letters → real words.

Group	Initials	Quick Tip	Sample Word	Pinyin	Meaning
Lips	b p m f	Made with the lips	朋友	péngyǒu	friend
Tongue Tip	d t n l	Light touch near the teeth ridge	你好	nǐhǎo	hello
Back Of Tongue	g k h	Throat/back-of-mouth area	很好	hěn hǎo	very good
Front Of Tongue	j q x	Often paired with i / ü sounds	喜歡	xǐhuān	to like
Retroflex	zh ch sh r	Tongue curls a bit (often lighter in Taiwan)	中文	Zhōngwén	Chinese (language)
Dental	z c s	Sharper “ts/tsʰ/s” feel	再見	zàijiàn	goodbye

Finals Table

Finals (韻母 yùnmǔ) are the vowel and ending parts. You don’t need to learn every final today—just start noticing patterns.

Final Type	Finals	Quick Note
Simple Vowels	a o e i u ü	Basic building blocks
Diphthongs	ai ei ao ou	Two-vowel glide
Nasal Finals	an en ang eng ong	Ends with -n or -ng sound
i- Finals	ia ie iao iu ian in iang ing iong	Starts with i sound
u- Finals	ua uo uai ui uan un uang (ueng)	Starts with u sound
ü- Finals	üe üan ün	After j/q/x/y, ü is written as “u” (ju, qu, xu, yu)

Taiwan Note: In Taiwan Mandarin, many speakers pronounce zh/ch/sh/r with less “curl” (more like z/c/s). It’s normal. Learn the standard chart so you can read, then tune your ear to real people.

Tones Cheat Sheet

Same letters, different tone, different word. Yes, it’s dramatic.

Tone	Mark	Number	Example	Pinyin	Meaning
1st	¯	1	媽	mā	mom
2nd	´	2	麻	má	numb / hemp
3rd	ˇ	3	馬	mǎ	horse
4th	ˋ	4	罵	mà	to scold
Neutral	(none)	0	嗎	ma	question particle

例句：你忙嗎？
Nǐ máng ma?
Are you busy?

Useful Pinyin Reading Rules

ü is real. 女 (nǚ — female) is not the same as 奴 (nú — slave).
After j/q/x/y, ü is written as u: 去 (qù), 需 (xū), 魚 (yú).
i after z/c/s/zh/ch/sh/r is a special “buzz” vowel (not the clear “ee” in yī).
iu is really iou (written short). liù = liou (but written liù).
ui is really uei. guī = guei (but written guī).
un is really uen. lún = luen (but written lún).

Useful Phrases With Clean Pinyin

These are beginner-friendly sentences you’ll actually use. Read the pinyin out loud (yes, out loud).

你好！
Nǐhǎo!
Hello!
謝謝你。
Xièxie nǐ.
Thank you.
不好意思。
Bù hǎo yìsi.
Excuse me / sorry.
請問，洗手間在哪裡？
Qǐngwèn, xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ?
Excuse me, where is the restroom?
我想要一杯咖啡。
Wǒ xiǎng yào yì bēi kāfēi.
I want a cup of coffee.
這個多少錢？
Zhè gè duōshǎo qián?
How much is this?
我聽不懂。
Wǒ tīng bù dǒng.
I don’t understand (what I hear).
你可以再說一次嗎？
Nǐ kěyǐ zài shuō yí cì ma?
Can you say it one more time?
我在台北。
Wǒ zài Táiběi.
I’m in Taipei.
今天的天氣很好。
Jīntiān de tiānqì hěn hǎo.
Today’s weather is nice.
我喜歡這個。
Wǒ xǐhuān zhè gè.
I like this.
明天見！
Míngtiān jiàn!
See you tomorrow!

Tables Of Words

Here are 50 high-utility words to connect the chart to real Mandarin. Each row gives you a word + a short sentence to copy.

Starter Set: b / p / m / f

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
爸爸	bàba	dad	我爸爸很忙。	Wǒ bàba hěn máng.	My dad is busy.
杯子	bēizi	cup	這個杯子很可愛。	Zhè gè bēizi hěn kě’ài.	This cup is cute.
不	bù	not	我不喝咖啡。	Wǒ bù hē kāfēi.	I don’t drink coffee.
朋友	péngyǒu	friend	他是我的朋友。	Tā shì wǒ de péngyǒu.	He is my friend.
票	piào	ticket	兩張票，謝謝。	Liǎng zhāng piào, xièxie.	Two tickets, thanks.
麵	miàn	noodles	我想吃牛肉麵。	Wǒ xiǎng chī niúròu miàn.	I want to eat beef noodles.
明天	míngtiān	tomorrow	明天我有課。	Míngtiān wǒ yǒu kè.	I have class tomorrow.
飯	fàn	meal / rice	你吃飯了嗎？	Nǐ chī fàn le ma?	Have you eaten?
非常	fēicháng	very	這家店非常好吃。	Zhè jiā diàn fēicháng hǎochī.	This place is very tasty.
方便	fāngbiàn	convenient	捷運很方便。	Jiéyùn hěn fāngbiàn.	The MRT is convenient.

Starter Set: d / t / n / l

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
大	dà	big	這個很大。	Zhè gè hěn dà.	This is big.
地方	dìfāng	place	這個地方很安靜。	Zhè gè dìfāng hěn ānjìng.	This place is quiet.
多少	duōshǎo	how many / how much	你要多少？	Nǐ yào duōshǎo?	How much do you want?
特別	tèbié	special / especially	今天特別冷。	Jīntiān tèbié lěng.	Today is especially cold.
天氣	tiānqì	weather	天氣不錯。	Tiānqì búcuò.	The weather is pretty good.
你好	nǐhǎo	hello	你好，我是Alex。	Nǐhǎo, wǒ shì Alex.	Hello, I’m Alex.
哪裡	nǎlǐ	where	你住哪裡？	Nǐ zhù nǎlǐ?	Where do you live?
老師	lǎoshī	teacher	我的老師很友善。	Wǒ de lǎoshī hěn yǒushàn.	My teacher is friendly.
旅行	lǚxíng	to travel	我想去旅行。	Wǒ xiǎng qù lǚxíng.	I want to travel.
兩	liǎng	two (before a measure word)	我要兩杯茶。	Wǒ yào liǎng bēi chá.	I want two cups of tea.

Starter Set: g / k / h

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
高	gāo	tall / high	這棟樓很高。	Zhè dòng lóu hěn gāo.	This building is tall.
可是	kěshì	but	我想去，可是我很忙。	Wǒ xiǎng qù, kěshì wǒ hěn máng.	I want to go, but I’m busy.
看	kàn	to look / watch	我想看電影。	Wǒ xiǎng kàn diànyǐng.	I want to watch a movie.
還是	háishì	or (in questions)	你要茶還是咖啡？	Nǐ yào chá háishì kāfēi?	Do you want tea or coffee?
很	hěn	very	這裡很熱。	Zhèlǐ hěn rè.	It’s hot here.
公司	gōngsī	company	我在一間公司上班。	Wǒ zài yì jiān gōngsī shàngbān.	I work at a company.
客氣	kèqì	polite / “don’t mention it”	不用客氣。	Búyòng kèqì.	You’re welcome.
好吃	hǎochī	tasty	這個真的好吃。	Zhè gè zhēn de hǎochī.	This is really tasty.
會	huì	can / will (ability)	我會說中文。	Wǒ huì shuō Zhōngwén.	I can speak Chinese.
花	huā	flower	我喜歡這朵花。	Wǒ xǐhuān zhè duǒ huā.	I like this flower.

Starter Set: j / q / x

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
今天	jīntiān	today	今天星期二。	Jīntiān xīngqī’èr.	Today is Tuesday.
九	jiǔ	nine	我九點出門。	Wǒ jiǔ diǎn chūmén.	I leave at nine.
請	qǐng	please	請坐。	Qǐng zuò.	Please sit.
去	qù	to go	我想去捷運站。	Wǒ xiǎng qù jiéyùn zhàn.	I want to go to the MRT station.
想	xiǎng	to want / to miss	我想你了。	Wǒ xiǎng nǐ le.	I miss you.
喜歡	xǐhuān	to like	我喜歡台灣小吃。	Wǒ xǐhuān Táiwān xiǎochī.	I like Taiwanese snacks.
小姐	xiǎojiě	miss / (polite address)	小姐，請問一下。	Xiǎojiě, qǐngwèn yíxià.	Miss, excuse me.
休息	xiūxí	to rest	我想休息一下。	Wǒ xiǎng xiūxí yíxià.	I want to rest a bit.
學校	xuéxiào	school	學校離這裡很近。	Xuéxiào lí zhèlǐ hěn jìn.	The school is close to here.
需要	xūyào	to need	你需要幫忙嗎？	Nǐ xūyào bāngmáng ma?	Do you need help?

Starter Set: zh / ch / sh / r / z / c / s + ü Sounds

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
這個	zhè gè	this (one)	這個很好。	Zhè gè hěn hǎo.	This one is good.
中文	Zhōngwén	Chinese (language)	我在學中文。	Wǒ zài xué Zhōngwén.	I’m learning Chinese.
吃	chī	to eat	你想吃什麼？	Nǐ xiǎng chī shénme?	What do you want to eat?
車	chē	vehicle / car	這台車很新。	Zhè tái chē hěn xīn.	This car is new.
什麼	shénme	what	這是什麼？	Zhè shì shénme?	What is this?
時間	shíjiān	time	你有時間嗎？	Nǐ yǒu shíjiān ma?	Do you have time?
熱	rè	hot	今天很熱。	Jīntiān hěn rè.	Today is hot.
人	rén	person	那個人是誰？	Nà gè rén shì shuí?	Who is that person?
女	nǚ	female / woman	她是女生。	Tā shì nǚshēng.	She is a (female) student.
月	yuè	month / moon	下個月見。	Xià gè yuè jiàn.	See you next month.

Practice: Build Syllables Fast

Try these like mini puzzles: choose an initial, choose a final, then add a tone mark.

Make “b + ao + 4th tone” → write the syllable.
Make “x + üe + 3rd tone” → write the syllable (remember the ü spelling rule).
Make “zh + ong + 1st tone” → write the syllable.
Read these out loud: jī, qǐ, xué, shí, zài.

Answer Key

b + ao + 4th → bào
x + üe + 3rd → xuě (written xuě, pronounced xüě)
zh + ong + 1st → zhōng

Common Mistakes And Quick Fixes

Forgetting tones: write tone marks every time you practice. (Training wheels are good. Fight me.)
Mixing up ü vs u: drill nǚ (女) and nú (奴) as a contrast.
Reading “x” like English x: pinyin x is closer to a soft “sh” with a smile.
Over-curling zh/ch/sh: learn the standard, but don’t stress if your real-life Taiwan input sounds lighter.

Final Yak Box

If pinyin feels overwhelming, zoom in: learn 6–8 initials, a handful of finals, and 10 daily sentences. Then expand. Pinyin isn’t a mountain you climb once—it’s a map you get better at reading.

Micro-goal: pick 5 words from the tables, record yourself, and listen back once. Yes, it’s mildly uncomfortable. That’s also why it works.