Difference between revisions of "The "a" vowel"

Revision as of 17:23, 28 March 2015

Level

A1
Related to
1. Tough sounds -an-ang (A2)
In series Pinyin quick start guide
1. 1. Easy sounds
2. 2. The "a" vowel
3. 3. The "e" vowel
4. 4. The "i" vowel
5. 5. The "o" and "u" vowels
6. 6. The "c" and "z" sounds
7. 7. The "ch" "sh" and "zh" sounds
8. 8. The "r" sound
9. 9. The "ü" vowel
10. 10. The "j" "q" and "x" sounds
Referenced finals
- -a
- -ai
- -an
- -ang
- -ao

The first vowel you want to learn in pinyin is "a." It can combine with all of those easy sounds you already learned in part 1 of this guide, so it's a great place to start.

Pinyin's Main "a" Vowel Sound

Although the "a" sound in Chinese can vary a little bit, and is slightly changed when followed by a "-n" or a "-ng" sound, it more or less sounds like the "a" sound in the English words "ah" or "ha" or "father".

In the syllables introduced below, that's the "a" sound you'll hear. You can click on the sounds in the chart fragment to hear audio.

When "a" combines with "i" below, it sounds like the English word "eye".

When "a" combines with "o" below, it sounds pretty much like the "ow" in the English word "how".

Pinyin Chart Fragment

This is just a part of the full pinyin chart, limited to the sounds we've covered so far.

	-a	-ai	-ao	-an	-ang
b-	ba ba [pɑ] ㄅㄚ pa	bai bai [paɪ̯] ㄅㄞ pai	bao bao [pɑʊ̯] ㄅㄠ pao	ban ban [pan] ㄅㄢ pan	bang bang [pɑŋ] ㄅㄤ pang
p-	pa pa [pʰɑ] ㄆㄚ p'a	pai pai [pʰaɪ̯] ㄆㄞ p'ai	pao pao [pʰɑʊ̯] ㄆㄠ p'ao	pan pan [pʰan] ㄆㄢ p'an	pang pang [pʰɑŋ] ㄆㄤ p'ang
m-	ma ma [mɑ] ㄇㄚ ma	mai mai [maɪ̯] ㄇㄞ mai	mao mao [mɑʊ̯] ㄇㄠ mao	man man [man] ㄇㄢ man	mang mang [mɑŋ] ㄇㄤ mang
f-	fa fa [fɑ] ㄈㄚ fa			fan fan [fan] ㄈㄢ fan	fang fang [fɑŋ] ㄈㄤ fang
d-	da da [tɑ] ㄉㄚ ta	dai dai [taɪ̯] ㄉㄞ tai	dao dao [tɑʊ̯] ㄉㄠ tao	dan dan [tan] ㄉㄢ tan	dang dang [tɑŋ] ㄉㄤ tang
t-	ta ta [tʰɑ] ㄊㄚ t'a	tai tai [tʰaɪ̯] ㄊㄞ t'ai	tao tao [tʰɑʊ̯] ㄊㄠ t'ao	tan tan [tʰan] ㄊㄢ t'an	tang tang [tʰɑŋ] ㄊㄤ t'ang
n-	na na [nɑ] ㄋㄚ na	nai nai [naɪ̯] ㄋㄞ nai	nao nao [nɑʊ̯] ㄋㄠ nao	nan nan [nan] ㄋㄢ nan	nang nang [nɑŋ] ㄋㄤ nang
l-	la la [lɑ] ㄌㄚ la	lai lai [laɪ̯] ㄌㄞ lai	lao lao [lɑʊ̯] ㄌㄠ lao	lan lan [lan] ㄌㄢ lan	lang lang [lɑŋ] ㄌㄤ lang
s-	sa sa [sɑ] ㄙㄚ sa	sai sai [saɪ̯] ㄙㄞ sai	sao sao [sɑʊ̯] ㄙㄠ sao	san san [san] ㄙㄢ san	sang sang [sɑŋ] ㄙㄤ sang
g-	ga ga [kɑ] ㄍㄚ ka	gai gai [kaɪ̯] ㄍㄞ kai	gao gao [kɑʊ̯] ㄍㄠ kao	gan gan [kan] ㄍㄢ kan	gang gang [kɑŋ] ㄍㄤ kang
k-	ka ka [kʰɑ] ㄎㄚ k'a	kai kai [kʰaɪ̯] ㄎㄞ k'ai	kao kao [kʰɑʊ̯] ㄎㄠ k'ao	kan kan [kʰan] ㄎㄢ k'an	kang kang [kʰɑŋ] ㄎㄤ k'ang
h-	ha ha [xɑ] ㄏㄚ ha	hai hai [xaɪ̯] ㄏㄞ hai	hao hao [xɑʊ̯] ㄏㄠ hao	han han [xan] ㄏㄢ han	hang hang [xɑŋ] ㄏㄤ hang

Pinyin's Alternate "a" Vowel Sounds

The letter "a" in pinyin can actually make different sounds as well, when it is part of the "-ian" and "-üan" finals. Those sounds will be covered in later sections of this guide.

For now, let's move on to the "e" vowel.

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 == Pinyin's Main "a" Vowel Sound ==
-Although the "a" sound in Chinese can vary a little bit, and is slightly changed when followed by a "[[-n]]" or a "[[-ng]]" sound, it more or less sounds like the "a" sound in the English word <span class="enpron">"f<strong>a</strong>ther"</span> (and never like the "a" in <span class="enpron">"m<strong>a</strong>n"</span>).
+Although the "a" sound in Chinese can vary a little bit, and is slightly changed when followed by a "[[-n]]" or a "[[-ng]]" sound, it more or less sounds like the "a" sound in the English words <span class="enpron">"<strong>a</strong>h"</span> or <span class="enpron">"h<strong>a</strong>"</span> or <span class="enpron">"f<strong>a</strong>ther"</span>.
 In the syllables introduced below, that's the "a" sound you'll hear. You can click on the sounds in the chart fragment to hear audio.
-== Pinyin's Alternate "a" Vowel Sounds ==
+When "a" combines with "i" below, it sounds like the English word <span class="enpron">"eye"</span>.
+When "a" combines with "o" below, it sounds pretty much like the <span class="enpron">"ow"</span> in the English word <span class="enpron">"how"</span>.
+== Pinyin Chart Fragment ==
-This is some temporary holder text to move the pinyin chart down. This is some temporary holder text to move the pinyin chart down. This is some temporary holder text to move the pinyin chart down. This is some temporary holder text to move the pinyin chart down.
+This is just a part of the full [[pinyin chart]], limited to the sounds we've covered so far.
 {{#widget: Pinyin chart settings}}
@@ Line 146: / Line 150: @@
 </tr>
 </table></div>
+== Pinyin's Alternate "a" Vowel Sounds ==
+The letter "a" in pinyin can actually make different sounds as well, when it is part of the "[[-ian]]" and "[[-üan]]" finals. Those sounds will be covered in later sections of this guide.
+For now, let's move on to [[the "e" vowel]].
 [[Category:Pinyin]]
 {{Basic Pronunciation|A1|31|The vowel "a" in Mandarin isn't too hard, so let's start with that one. Now you can make actual syllables!|pinyin|ASP00004}}
 {{Number in Series|2|Pinyin quick start  guide}}