Basic Chinese Pinyin Rules

* Make sure you set your browser encoding correctly to read Chinese words in this article. Chinese Simplified GB2312 is recommended. Please find detail instruction from this page: http://www.learn-chinese-language-online.com/read-chinese-online.html

Talking about Chinese Pinyin rules, let's start by looking at the following different scenarios:

1. Tone Mark Placement

The tone mark is placed over the vowel if there is only one vowel, e.g. wo, or on the main vowel of a syllable where they are two or three vowels, e.g. hao.

1.1 Syllable with one vowel letter, tone mark is always placed over the vowel letter. For examples:

笔 bǐ ( pen ) , 山 shān ( mountain )

车 chē ( car ), 信 xìn ( letter )

1.2 Syllables with two or three vowel letters: If the first vowel letter is a medial , e.g. "i", "u", or " ü ", the tone mark is placed over the vowel letter after the medial.

For example:

学 xué ( study ) , 贵 guì ( expensive)

小 xiao ( small ) , ? lüè ( strategy)

1.3 If the first vowel letter is not a medial, the tone mark is always placed on the first vowel letter.

For example:

靠 kào ( rely ) , 要 yào ( ask )

好 hǎo ( good ) , 北 běi ( north )

2. Syllables With an Initial

Write down the initial and then the final with no space between them.

For example:

客kè ( guest ) , 桌 zhuō ( desk ) 忙 máng ( busy ) , 飞 fēi ( fly )

Exceptions:

If and only if "uo" follows "b", "p", "m", or "f", "u" is dropped, resulting in "bo", "po", "mo", or "fo". If and only if "ü" follows "j", "q", "x", ü is changed to "u", resulting in "ju", "qu" and "xu"

3. Syllables Without an Initial

3.1 Syllables starting with "a", "o" or "e", just write down the final.

For example:

安 ān ( safe ), 鸥 ōu ( seagull ) 恩 en 恩 ( favor ), 昂 áng ( raise )

3.2 Syllables starting with "i", replace "i" with "y". For example:

严 yán ( strict ), 也 yě ( too )

Exceptions:

For the single vowel "i", and the nasals "in" and "ing", "y" is added before "i", resulting in "yi", "yin", and "ying";

Spell "you" for "iu", 有 yǒu ( have )

3.3 Syllables starting with "u", replace "u" with "w".

For example:

完 wán ( finish ), 外 wài ( outside )

王 wáng ( king ), 网 wǎng ( net )

Exceptions:

For the single vowel "u", "w" is added before "u", resulting in "wu";

Spell "wen" for "un";

Spell "wei" for "ui".

3.4 Syllables starting with "ü", replace "ü" with "yu".

For example:

雨 yǔ ( rain ), 孕 yùn ( pregnant )

园yuán ( circle ), 约 yuē ( appointment )

4. R-ending

The "er" (儿) sound can follow finals to form retroflection, add "r" at the end of the syllable in this case.

For example:

小孩儿 xiǎo hái er ( little kids )

雨点儿 yǔ diǎn er ( rain drops )

树枝儿 shù zhī er ( tree branch )

Again, it is good to know these rules to understand how to spell a character from Pinyin, but don't be intimidated by these Pinyin rules.

The more you practice, the more you will feel comfortable when speaking Chinese. You will eventually learn these rules without even realizing they exist, like most Chinese people do.

Rosie From Learn Chinese Language Online (http://www.learn-chinese-language-online.com )

The goal of Learn Chinese Language Online (LCLO) is to reduce the Mandarin Learning curve, promote and introduce the most efficient way to grasp the broad foundation of Chinese language.

---

Google News Updated : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:51:23 GMT Falcons' Ryan is not your typical rookie QB - FOXSports.com Boston Globe Falcons' Ryan is not your typical rookie QB FOXSports.com - 36 minutes ago by Alex Marvez Alex Marvez is a Senior NFL Writer for FOXSports.com. He's covered the NFL for 14 seasons as a beat writer and is the president of the Pro Football Writers of America. Falcons missed chances in red zone Atlanta Journal Constitution Bears rally late, fall to Falcons on last-second FG Chicago Sun-Times Sports Network - SI.com - The Associated Press - Rotowire all 607 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:14:27 GMT UPDATE 1-Tropical Storm Nana forms in Atlantic - Reuters UPDATE 1-Tropical Storm Nana forms in Atlantic Reuters - 2 hours ago MIAMI, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Nana, the 14th of the Atlantic hurricane season, formed on Sunday in the Atlantic Ocean east of the Caribbean islands, the US National Hurricane Center said. Forecasters: Tropical Storm Nana forms in Atlantic The Associated Press Tropical Storm Nana Forms Central Florida News 13| El Nuevo Herald - Orlando Sentinel - CBS 4 - WFMY News 2 all 175 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:29:57 GMT Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Cancer survivor shares her story - Naples Daily News ChattahBox Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Cancer survivor shares her story Naples Daily News - 1 hour ago By LIANE SMITH (Contact) She felt pain in her breasts. One of her aunt’s died in February from breast cancer. Another aunt, in her 60s now, has battled it on and off for more than a dozen years. Pink And Purple Join To Help Women eFluxMedia Breast Cancer Awareness Month Should Be Prevention Month! Food Consumer Princeton Times Leader - San Marcos Daily Record - Hudson Reporter - WISC all 136 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 22:31:44 GMT Mighty Chihuahuas Eclipse DiCaprio and Crowe in Test of Star Power - New York Times Mighty Chihuahuas Eclipse DiCaprio and Crowe in Test of Star Power New York Times - 2 hours ago By BROOKS BARNES LOS ANGELES - This is how far movie stars have fallen in their ability to pull audiences into theaters, at least when the story revolves around Iraq and the messiness of the Middle East: A picture about talking dogs, “Beverly Hills ... Dogs rule: 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua' No. 1 again Los Angeles Times 'Chihuahua' fetches $17.5M, remains top movie dog The Associated Press Reuters - Hollywood.com - Cincinnati.com - Bloomberg all 374 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:18:44 GMT Tigers still seeking QB to turn season around - SportingNews.com Seattle Post Intelligencer Tigers still seeking QB to turn season around SportingNews.com - 38 minutes ago AP Sports Wri AUBURN, Ala. (AP) -- The Auburn Tigers didn't figure they'd be in this position: Unranked, desperately trying to salvage a once-promising season and still seeking a quarterback solution seven games into the season. Tuberville And Tigers Trying To Regroup Dawg Post A Pig Sooie Shocker in Auburn WTVM BamaMag.com - Sports Network - The Associated Press - International Herald Tribune all 647 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:13:08 GMT First Second-Generation Astronaut, Richard Garriott, Launched Into ... - AHN Canada.com First Second-Generation Astronaut, Richard Garriott, Launched Into ... AHN - 2 hours ago Vienna, VA (AHN)-Space Adventures, Ltd, a company that provides space missions to the global community, announced that client Richard Garriott and his crew successfully launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space ... Video: Raw Video: US space tourist begins journey AssociatedPress US game designer blasts into space with DNA cargo The Associated Press VIP Breakdown - Independent - Slashdot - Houston Chronicle all 1,036 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:28:36 GMT Palin talks economic worries in Appalachian Ohio - The Associated Press Times Online Palin talks economic worries in Appalachian Ohio The Associated Press - 39 minutes ago ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio (AP) - Sarah Palin told voters in southeastern Ohio on Sunday that she and running mate John McCain would bring jobs back to this economically depressed piece of Appalachia. John McCain and Sarah Palin try new tactics Los Angeles Times US-POLITICS Summary Washington Post Milwaukee Labor Press - Tampa Tribune - guardian.co.uk - FOXNews all 2,032 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:11:58 GMT Turn Affiliate Datafeed into RSS Amazon Associate Software

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

African Masks The Art of Creation

With western eyes we tend to view a tribal mask... Read More

Last Chance to See: Grove Mill, Mitcham

Grove Mill, Mitcham; where in 1934 many of the iron... Read More

I, Ego, and Power

I: - A vowel that didn't appear in sacerdotal alphabets... Read More

The Original Nobility: Patricians and Knights

By "nobility" I refer to that class in society which... Read More

Unguided Men

Humanity - the sole endeavor of sanctity in every man,... Read More

Is America Still Racist?

This is one entry in my Heroes and Villains Volume... Read More

Cant Afford Illness in America

I had become too sick to live in America.Even with... Read More

Are You Embarassed by Your Civil War Uniform Impression?

"Authentic," "authentic," "authentic" is all you hear if you are... Read More

Opal Jewelry -- Your Own Personal Piece of Rainbow

Opal is a magnificent gemstone whose shades encompass virtually every... Read More

What To Expect From A Feng Shui Consultation

If you are wishing to harmonize or balance your house... Read More

The Nos Feratu

The Caduceus has the pine cone representing the Pineal Gland... Read More

Ogham and Aymara

OGHAM:As any reader of my work knows by now, Ogham... Read More

OM to Ogham

Plato observed that the advent of an alphabet making writing... Read More

10 Feng Shui Tips for a Better Life

Ever walked into a house that felt like home? Ever... Read More

Mythology and Parables in Modern Communication - Part 3

Our Self is the true center of our being and... Read More

Astrology : A Science or Superstition?

Human beings have always been curious to know their future.... Read More

African Americans: Get the Winning Edge

Everybody wants an edge that will give him or her... Read More

Tsunami Aftermath

On December 26, 2004 a massive tsunami swept through Thailand... Read More

Human Genome Project and Mayan Calendar

HUMAN GENOME PROJECT: - In 1991 Michael Coe wrote Breaking... Read More

Nelsons Last Words: Kiss Me, Hardy or Kismet, Hardy?

"Kiss me, Hardy" or "Kismet, Hardy"? Both versions are commonly... Read More

Moissanite Earrings, The Modern Brazilian Beetle

The history of earrings is a varied history indeed. And... Read More

Her Last Day in Court

"Ron, I can't take much more of his sleazy behavior!... Read More

Some Villain Thoughts About a Container Village

Preview: "Shipping containers" have yet nothing to do with "housing"... Read More

The Western Cowboy

In the State of Texas the Western Cowboy can be... Read More

Debussy and Gamelan According to a 150 Year Old Man

Hello!If you haven't been transported by the mesmerizing sounds of... Read More