Initials

Initials are called 声母 in simplified Chinese( pinyin: shēngmǔ). There are 21 initials excluding y and w.

The conventional order is:
b, p, m, f; d, t, ,n, l; g, k, h; j, q, x; zh, ch, sh, r; z, c, s

Pronunciation Guide for zh, ch, sh, r

The letters zh, ch, sh, r are known as the retroflex initials, meaning that they should be pronounced with the tongue curled backwards.

The following guide is given in terms of English pronunciation. They are approximate, as there are some sounds of Pinyin do not correspond directly to sounds in English.

1. zh: as j in “just”, but with your tongue tip curled far back.

2. ch: as ch in “chiken”.

3. sh: as sh in “sheep”.

4. r: as r in “round”.

 

Example Words

Example 1: Chinese Character: 纸 Pinyin: zhǐ   English translation: paper
Example 2: Chinese Character: 吃 Pinyin: chī   English translation: eat
Example 3: Chinese Character: 十 Pinyin: shí   English translation: ten
Example 4: Chinese Character: 日 Pinyin: rì   English translation: sun

Exercises:

Exercise 1: Tone Exercise

Listen to the audio first, and then repeat.

1. zhā zhá zhǎ zhà

2. chā chá chǎ chà

3. shā shá shǎ shà

4. rē ré rě rè