Chinese Language Course: Life in China - Pronunciation & Pinyin

8/10/2019 Chinese Language Course: Life in China - Pronunciation & Pinyin

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Chinese Language Course: Life in China - Pronunciation & Pinyin

In order to learn standard Chinese, one must learn its phonetic systemfrst. The purpose o this video course is to introduce pronunciation &Pinyin, the phonetic alphabet o standard Chinese to the beginners.

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Pronunciation/Pinyin/Lesson 1: Initials 1

b p m f d t n l g h

b - Completely close both lips and then release the compressed air in the mouth suddenly,

keep the shape o your lips as in pronouncing "o" like b in bore but voiceless.

p - egin as pronouncing "b". ut !hen pronouncing "p", release the compressed air in the

mouth to make an aspirated sound. like p in put, but is invariably produced !ith a strongpu o air.

m - It is pronounced by keeping the lips tightly closed and the sot palate drops to let theair out through the nose. #ike m in money.

f -The upper ront teeth touch the lo!er lip lightly and let the air escape bet!een them.

#ike in fve.

d - Put the tongue tips against the upper teeth ridge to block the air and then put it do!n

to release the air suddenly. #ike d in door but voiceless.

t - It is pronounced in the same position or "d", but e$plodes !ith a strong pu o air. It isan aspirated e%uivalent o "d". like t in team.

n - hen producing this sound, the tip o the tongue presses against the upper gum tocompletely block the air stream rom the oral cavity and let the air out through the nose.

#ike n in need.

l - hen producing this sound, the tongue tip is a little behind the position or "n" to allo!the air to run out rom both sides o the tongue. #ike l in look.

g - 'aise the root o the tongue and let it touch the sot palate so that the air stream isstopped, lo!er your tongue %uickly and let the air out. #ike g in girl but voiceless.

-The tongue position o producing this sound is the same as "g", but e$plodes !ith a

strong pu o air. #ike k in kick.

h - It is pronounced by raising the back o the tongue to the sot palate to make a narro!passage or the air to be e$pelled !ith riction. #ike h in heart.


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Pronunciation/Pinyin/Lesson !: Initials !

" # $ % c s %h ch sh r y

( ) 'aise the ront part o the tongue to touch the hard palate, then let the tip o yourtongue touch the back o the lo!er teeth and produce this sound by letting the air s%uee*eout bet!een the surace o the tongue and the hard palate. #ike ( in (eep.

% )The manner and place o articulation are the same as in pronouncing the Chinese "(",

ho!ever, "%" is an aspirated sound. It is similar to the t and y combination "don+t you", butis produced !ith a stronger pu o air.

$ )The place o articulation involved in producing this sound is the same as that inproducing "(" and "%". o!ever, or "(" and "%", the air stream initially is blocked and then

orced out, !hile pronouncing $, the air stream is not blocked during the !holepronouncing process. It is similar to the s and y combination o "bless you" in -nglish.

* ) It is pronounced by putting or!ard the tongue to block the air !ith its tip against theteethridge, and then drop the tip to release the air !ith riction through the narro!

passage. #ike ds in clouds

c )The manner o articulation is very similar to "*", but "c" is aspirated. #ike ts in cats.

s ) It is produced by putting or!ard the tongue tip to a position close to the lo!er gum to

make a narro! passage bet!een the tongue and the teethridge or the air to run out !ithriction. #ike s in sound.

*h )Turn up the tongue tip against the ront part o the hard palate to block the air and

then release the air through the narro! air passage bet!een the tongue tip and the hardpalate. #ike dge in (udge.

ch )The place o articulation is very similar to "*h", but the air should be orced outthrough the narro! passage. It is an aspirated e%uivalent o "*h". #ike ch in teach.

sh ) It is pronounced by turning up the tongue tip close to the hard palate to make anarro! passage through !hich the air escapes !ith riction. #ike sh in -nglish.

r )The sound is produced by rolling up the tip o tongue to!ard the ront end o the hardpalate. Then let the tongue tip touch the hard palate lightly. inally, let the air s%uee*e outbet!een the tongue tip and the hard palate !hile vibrating the vocal cords. #ike r in round.

! )#ike ! in !ood, but it can be produced !ith slight riction.

y ) #ike y in yesterday, but it can be produced !ith slight riction.


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Pronunciation/Pinyin/Lesson ': inals(1)

a o e i u er ai ei uei ao ou

a) /pen your mouth !idely !ith the tongue in the lo!est vertically. The lips are notrounded. #ike a in ather.

o) Contract the tongue to!ard the root direction and at the same time raise the tongue tothe hal)high position and round your lips. The mouth is hal open. #ike oor in poor.

e) Contract the tongue to!ard the root direction and at the same time raise the tongue to

the hal)high position. 0tretch the corners o the mouth to!ards t!o sides slightly. The lipsare not rounded. The mouth is hal open. #ike ir in girl.

i) Place your tongue in the high position and the tongue should touch the back o thelo!er ront teeth, at the same time, stretch the corners o the mouth to!ards t!o sides.

#ike ea in beat.

u) Contract your tongue to!ard the root and keep the tongue tip in the lo! position. 1akeyour mouth shape rounded. #ike oo in !ood.

) 2se the same tongue position as in pronouncing Chinese "i", then dra! your lips in toorm a perect circle as small as possible.

er) Put your tongue and lip in position as !hen pronouncing Chinese "e", then raise the

middle part o your tongue slightly and at the same time roll up the tip o your tongue

back!ard. #ike er in butter in 3merican -nglish pronunciation.

ai) 3s soon as the "a" sound is made, close the mouth gradually to the position oproducing another simple vo!el "i", and pronounce the "i" very shortly and lightly. like ai in

aisle

ei) 3s soon as the "e" sound is made, close the mouth gradually to the position oproducing another simple vo!el "i", and pronounce the "i" very shortly and lightly. #ike ayin !ay.

uei) Producing this sound re%uires pronouncing the Chinese simple vo!el "u", ollo!ed bythe compound "ei".

ao) irst, pronounce the simple vo!el "a" and gradually s!itch to the sound "u". The "a"should be produced louder and longer !hile "u" is lighter and shorter. #ike o! in po!er.

ou) Pronounce the simple vo!el "o" and gradually s!itch to the sound "u". The "o" shouldbe produced louder and longer !hile "u" is lighter and shorter. #ike oa in goal.


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/ ()Pronunciation/Pinyin/Lesson *: inals (!)

iou/iu ie ue an en in uen/un n ia ua uo

iou/iu) It is produced by pronouncing the Chinese simple vo!el "i" frst, ollo!ed by thecompound "ou". #ike you.

ie) The frst vo!el "i" is pronounced by making the mouth open narro! and the sound sotand short, and then it glides %uickly to the second vo!el "ai" !hich is ormed by openingthe mouth !idely and is long and loud. #ike ye in yes.

ue) hen you pronounce the frst vo!el, the lips are orced into a round position. Thenglide %uickly to the second vo!el.

an) It is pronounced by frst producing the vo!el "a" and then placing the tongue tipagainst the back o the upper teeth to orce the air out through the nose. #ike an in an.

en) The nasal fnal is pronounced by frst producing the vo!el "e" and then placing thetongue tip against the back o the upper teeth to orce the air out through the nose. #ikeen in lend.

in) irst produce the Chinese simple vo!el "i" ollo!ed by pronouncing nasal "n". like in inpin.

uen/un) hen pronouncing the frst vo!el "u", you should round your lips, and then itglides %uickly to the second vo!el. Press the tongue tip against the teethridge and releasethe air through the nose. #ike ueen in %ueen.

n) hen pronouncing the vo!el "45, you should round your lips, and then it glides%uickly to the nasal "n". Press the tongue tip against the teethridge, and release the airthrough the nose.

ia) irst pronounce the simple vo!el "i" and gradually s!itch to the sound "a". The "a"should be produced louder and longer !hile "i" is lighter and shorter. #ike eah in yeah.

ua) irst pronounce the simple vo!el "u" and gradually s!itch to the sound "a". The "a"should be produced louder and longer !hile "u" is lighter and shorter.

uo) The frst vo!el "u" is pronounced by making the mouth open narro! and the soundsot and short, and then it glides %uickly to the second vo!el "o" !hich is ormed byopening the mouth !idely and is long and loud. #ike !ar


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/ () Pronunciation/Pinyin/Lesson +: inals (')

ang eng ing ong iao uai ian uan an iang uang ueng iong

ang) This sound is produced by pronouncing the Chinese simple vo!el "a" shortly,ollo!ed by the back nasal "ng". #ike ong in long.

eng) This sound is produced by pronouncing the Chinese simple vo!el "e" shortly,ollo!ed by the back nasal "ng". like on in !on+t.

ing) This sound is produced by pronouncing the Chinese simple vo!el "i" shortly, ollo!edby the back nasal "ng". like ing in sing.

ong) This sound is produced by pronouncing the Chinese simple vo!el "o" shortly,ollo!ed by the back nasal "ng". like ong in ding)dong.

iao) Produce the Chinese simple vo!el "i", ollo!ed by pronouncing "ao".

uai) Produce the Chinese simple vo!el "u", ollo!ed by pronouncing "ai". #ike !hy.

ian) Produce the Chinese simple vo!el "i", ollo!ed by pronouncing "an". like the6apanese currency !ord 7en.

uan) Produce the Chinese simple vo!el "u" , ollo!ed by pronouncing "an". #ike one.

an) Produce the Chinese simple vo!el "8" , ollo!ed by pronouncing "an".

iang) Produce the Chinese simple vo!el "i" , ollo!ed by pronouncing "ang". #ike young.

uang) Produce the Chinese simple vo!el "u" , ollo!ed by pronouncing "ang". #ike !an in

!ant.

ueng) Produce the Chinese simple vo!el "u" , ollo!ed by pronouncing "eng".

iong) Produce the Chinese simple vo!el "i" , ollo!ed by pronouncing


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Pronunciation/Pinyin/Lesson ,: ones

In this lesson !e !ill study the our basic tones and the neutral 9*ero: tone in standardChinese.

;ierent rom -nglish, Chinese is a tone language. In Chinese, the intonation o a !ood is

an integral part o its pronunciation. ased on tone pitch, the basic tones in standardChinese can be classifed into our types< high level tone, high rising tone, all)rise toneand high alling tone. They can also be called as the frst tone, second tone, third tone and

ourth tone. 3 syllable pronounced !ith a high level intonation is a dierent !ord rom thesame syllable pronounced !ith a rising intonation, a alling)rising intonation, or a alling

intonation. The classic e$ample used to intimidate beginning learners o Chinese is thesyllable "ma", !hich means "mother" i !ith a high level intonation and "horse" i !ith a

alling)

rising intonation. The tones are represented respectively by the tone marks. ")"

or the frst tone. "=" "v+ ">" ?o! let+s learn them one by one.

Tone)@ is a high level pitch, like singing a long high tone. Its pitch is highest so your vocalcords should be kept tensed !hen you pronounce it, but at comortable level and at

average length. #et+s take the fnal "a" as an e$ample.

Tone)A is a rising tone, like the !ord "yes" used !hen ans!ering the door< "7esB"

Tone) is usually described as a "alling)rising" tone, and this is !hat it sounds like !hen a

!ord pronounced in isolation or at the end o a sentence.

Tone)D like an enthusiastic aErmation< "7esF" It+s easy to practice the Dth tone ater the @sttone. It starts high pitch, and then alls sharply and %uickly to the bottomG it+s the shortest

one in length. 0ome people call it "mad tone"

?eutral tones are toneless in some Chinese syllables !hich are pronounced in a shortashion and !eakly, (ust like unstressed syllables in -nglish, like "o" in "one o mystudents". ith a neutral tone, there is no tone mark over the vo!el.

?eutral tones are usually sho!n in the ollo!ing !ord and phrases

Chinese Language Course: Life in China - Pronunciation & Pinyin

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