Finals

Finals: The Medial and the Base
Charts of Finals


The Medial and the Base

Some finals have a medial before the base. There are three medials, also called semi-vowels: i, u, and ü. There can be only one medial in one syllable, and not all of the three medials can be combined with a given base.

The base may be a single vowel, a diphthong, or a nasal vowel with the frontal nasal ending "n" or the back nasal ending "ng".

Examples:
* The Pinyin letters are to show syllabic components only, and may not conform to spelling rules.
** Play audios to listen to each final and its components in the first tone.
*** When pronouncing a final with a medial, more attention should be given to the base, and the medial should be very brief.


Final
Sample
character
Listen **
Medial
Base
- *
a
(Ah!)
i
a
(tooth)
u
ai
(outside)
ü
an
(far)

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Charts of Finals

Simple Finals:

Syllables are read from left to right in the first tone.
The characters are for reference.

a
o
e
i
u
ü
Listen

(Ah!)

(I)

(hungry)

(one)

(five)

(rain)
9

 

Compound Finals:

Syllables are read from left to right in the first tone.
The characters are for reference only.

- (i-) (u-) (ü-)  
(a) ia
(tooth)
ua
(dig)
-
(o) - uo
(I)
-
(e) ie
(too)
- üe
(moon)
ai
(love)
- uai
(outside)
-
ei
(give)
-

ui
(for)

-
ao
(tall)
iao
(want to)
- -
ou
(dog)

iu
(have)

- -
an
(safe)
ian
(eye)
uan
(bay)
üan
(far)
en
(and)

in
(cause)

un
(ask)
ün
(cloud)
ang
(just)
iang
(goat)
uang
(king)
-
eng
(even more)
ing
(should)
ueng
(old man)
-

ong
(work)

iong
(use)
- -

er
(son)

- - -

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