Mandarin Chinese Initial and Finals: Pinyin Table 1

This is the first of four tables illustrating which pairings of initials and finals do occur in Mandarin Chinese and, by omission, which do not.

The initial b, for instance, may be paired with a, but not with e, since bais a sound in Mandarin Chinese, whilebe is not.

By the way, don't let the great number of sounds you see represented here alarm you. The majority of these are seldom used.
 

Table 1: Chinese initials (left) and finals a through ong (top).

a

o

e

-i*

er

ai

ei

ao

ou

an

en

ang

eng

ong

b

ba

bo

bai

bei

bao

ban

ben

bang

beng

p

pa

po

pai

pei

poa

pou

pan

pen

pang

peng

m

ma

mo

me

mai

mei

mao

mou

man

men

mang

meng

f

fa

fo

fei

fou

fan

fen

fang

feng

d

da

de

dai

dei

dao

dou

dan

den

dang

deng

dong

t

ta

te

tai

tao

tou

tan

tang

teng

tong

n

na

ne

nai

nei

nou

nan

nen

nang

neng

nong

l

la

le

lai

lei

nao

lou

lan

lang

leng

long

z

za

ze

zi

zai

zei

zao

zou

zan

zen

zang

zeng

zong

c

ca

ce

ci

cai

cao

cou

can

cen

cang

ceng

cong

s

sa

se

si

sai

sao

sou

san

sen

sang

seng

song

zh

zha

zhe

zhi

zhai

zhei

zhao

zou

zan

zen

zhang

zheng

zhong

ch

cha

che

chi

chai

chao

chou

chan

chen

chang

cheng

chong

sh

sha

she

shi

shai

shei

shao

shou

shan

shen

shang

sheng

r

re

ri

rao

rou

ran

ren

rang

reng

rong

j

q

x

g

ga

ge

gai

gei

gao

gou

gan

gen

gang

geng

gong

k

ka

ke

kai

kei

kao

kou

kan

ken

kang

keng

kong

h

ha

he

hai

hei

hao

hou

han

hen

hang

heng

hong

a

o

e

er

ai

ei

ao

ou

an

en

ang

eng

NOTE
Note that the bottom row without initials signifies Chinese sounds consisting of finals only without preceding initial consonants. Also, * the final -i should not be confused with i appearing in Table 2. These two finals are pronounced differently and match with different initials.