Mark Swofford of Banqiao, Taiwan, has compiled a comprehensive “Combinations of Initials and Finals” table, which serves as a valuable resource for learners and enthusiasts of Mandarin Chinese phonetics. This table presents a systematic arrangement of Mandarin syllables, listing the combinations of initials (consonant-like sounds) and finals (vowel-like sounds) used in the language.
b | p | m | f | d | t | n | l | g | k | h | z | c | s | zh | ch | sh | r | j | q | x | ⁂ | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
a | ba | pa | ma | fa | da | ta | na | la | ga | ka | ha | za | ca | sa | zha | cha | sha | a | ||||
o | bo | po | mo | fo | o | |||||||||||||||||
e | me | de | te | ne | le | ge | ke | he | ze | ce | se | zhe | che | she | re | e | ||||||
ai | bai | pai | mai | dai | tai | nai | lai | gai | kai | hai | zai | cai | sai | zhai | chai | shai | ai | |||||
ei | bei | pei | mei | fei | dei | tei | nei | lei | gei | kei | hei | zei | zhei | shei | ei | |||||||
ao | bao | pao | mao | dao | tao | nao | lao | gao | kao | hao | zao | cao | sao | zhao | chao | shao | rao | ao | ||||
ou | pou | mou | fou | dou | tou | nou | lou | gou | kou | hou | zou | cou | sou | zhou | chou | shou | rou | ou | ||||
an | ban | pan | man | fan | dan | tan | nan | lan | gan | kan | han | zan | can | san | zhan | chan | shan | ran | an | |||
ang | bang | pang | mang | fang | dang | tang | nang | lang | gang | kang | hang | zang | cang | sang | zhang | chang | shang | rang | ang | |||
en | ben | pen | men | fen | den | nen | gen | ken | hen | zen | cen | sen | zhen | chen | shen | ren | en | |||||
eng | beng | peng | meng | feng | deng | teng | neng | leng | geng | keng | heng | zeng | ceng | seng | zheng | cheng | sheng | reng | eng | |||
ong | dong | tong | nong | long | gong | kong | hong | zong | cong | song | zhong | chong | rong | |||||||||
u | bu | pu | mu | fu | du | tu | nu | lu | gu | ku | hu | zu | cu | su | zhu | chu | shu | ru | wu * | |||
ua | gua | kua | hua | zhua | chua | shua | rua | wa * | ||||||||||||||
uo | duo | tuo | nuo | luo | guo | kuo | huo | zuo | cuo | suo | zhuo | chuo | shuo | ruo | wo * | |||||||
uai | guai | kuai | huai | zhuai | chuai | shuai | wai * | |||||||||||||||
ui | dui | tui | gui | kui | hui | zui | cui | sui | zhui | chui | shui | rui | wei * 1 | |||||||||
uan | duan | tuan | nuan | luan | guan | kuan | huan | zuan | cuan | suan | zhuan | chuan | shuan | ruan | wan * | |||||||
uang | guang | kuang | huang | zhuang | chuang | shuang | wang * | |||||||||||||||
un | dun | tun | nun | lun | gun | kun | hun | zun | cun | sun | zhun | chun | shun | run | wen * 2 | |||||||
ueng | weng * | |||||||||||||||||||||
i | bi | pi | mi | di | ti | ni | li | zi † | ci † | si † | zhi ‡ | chi ‡ | shi ‡ | ri ‡ | ji | qi | xi | yi + | ||||
ia | dia | lia | jia | qia | xia | ya + | ||||||||||||||||
ie | bie | pie | mie | die | tie | nie | lie | jie | qie | xie | ye + | |||||||||||
iao | biao | piao | miao | diao | tiao | niao | liao | jiao | qiao | xiao | yao + | |||||||||||
iu | miu | diu | niu | liu | jiu | qiu | xiu | you + 3 | ||||||||||||||
ian | bian | pian | mian | dian | tian | nian | lian | jian | qian | xian | yan + | |||||||||||
iang | niang | liang | jiang | qiang | xiang | yang + | ||||||||||||||||
in | bin | pin | min | nin | lin | jin | qin | xin | yin + | |||||||||||||
ing | bing | ping | ming | ding | ting | ning | ling | jing | qing | ying + | ||||||||||||
iong | jiong | qiong | xiong | yong + | ||||||||||||||||||
ü | nü | lü | ju ※ | qu ※ | xu ※ | yu ※ | ||||||||||||||||
üe | nüe | lüe | jue ※ | que ※ | xue ※ | yue ※ | ||||||||||||||||
üan | juan ※ | quan ※ | xuan ※ | yuan ※ | ||||||||||||||||||
ün | jun ※ | qun ※ | xun ※ | yun ※ |
Key Features:
- Representation of Zero Initial: The table includes a unique symbol (⁂) to indicate a zero initial. A zero initial occurs when there is no consonant-like sound preceding the vowel-like sound in a syllable.
- Representation of Initial “u” as “w”: When the syllable begins with “u,” it is written as “w” at the beginning of a word. However, “w” must not appear without an additional vowel, so “u” as a complete syllable is represented as “wu.”
- Short “i” Sound: For the syllables “zi,” “ci,” “si,” the “i” sound is short (represented by IPA symbol ɿ), unlike most other uses of “i” in Mandarin. Similarly, for “zhi,” “chi,” “shi,” “ri,” the “i” sound is also short (represented by IPA symbol ʅ).
- Initial “i” as “y”: When “i” comes at the beginning of a syllable, it is written as “y.” However, “y” must not appear without an additional vowel, so “y,” “yn,” “yng” are represented as “yi,” “yin,” “ying” respectively.
- Simplification of “ü”: Hanyu Pinyin simplifies the spellings of syllables with “ü” by using the “u” form instead in cases where no ambiguity could result. The “u’s” are pronounced as “ü” despite their spelling.
- Abbreviations for “ui,” “un,” “iu”: The table clarifies that “ui” is an abbreviation of “uei,” “un” is an abbreviation of “uen,” and “iu” is an abbreviation of “iou.” This is essential to understand while reading the table entries.
- Omission of “er”: The table omits the “er” sound, as it does not fit into the standard Initial-Final combinations.
Conclusion:
Mark Swofford’s “Combinations of Initials and Finals” table is a valuable reference for Mandarin Chinese learners and linguists. It provides a comprehensive and organized overview of the various sound combinations that form the basis of Mandarin pronunciation. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced student of the language, this table can aid in understanding the phonetic structure of Mandarin syllables, enhancing your overall language learning experience.