Difference between revisions of "The "a" vowel"

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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.
 
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.
  
{{Number in Series|2|Pinyin quick start guide}}
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== Pinyin's Main "a" Vowel Sound ==
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 +
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 should sound more or less consistent in the syllables introduced in this section. Remember that you can click on the sounds in the chart fragment to hear audio.
 +
 
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* [[-a]] 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>.
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* [[-ai]] sounds like the "ai" in the English words <span class="enpron">"Th<strong>ai</strong>"</span> and <span class="enpron">"<strong>ai</strong>sle"</span>.
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* [[-ao]] sounds pretty much like the word <span class="enpron">"T<strong>ao</strong>"</span>/<span class="enpron">"D<strong>ao</strong>"</span> which we've imported into English from Chinese, or the <span class="enpron">"ow"</span> in the English word <span class="enpron">"how"</span>, but with a rather muted “w” sound at the end.
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* [[-an]] sounds similar to <span class="enpron">“on”</span> (minus a strong <span class="enpron">“aw”</span> sound like in <span class="enpron">“lawn”</span>) but you may also hear a hint of the vowel sound in the English word <span class="enpron">“can”</span>. This sound doesn't match up to English sounds perfectly, but it's not hard to approximate.
 +
* [[-ang]] sounds similar to the <span class="enpron">"ong"</span> sound in the word <span class="enpron">"King K<strong>ong</strong>"</span>. Because you have the nasalized "[[-ng]]" ending, the "a" vowel changes slightly, but that's not something you should have to worry about too much.
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== Pinyin Chart Fragment ==
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This is just a part of the full [[pinyin chart]], limited to the sounds we've covered so far.
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{{#widget: Pinyin chart
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| exclude_col_e
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| exclude_col_o
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| exclude_col_i
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| exclude_col_u
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| exclude_col_v
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| exclude_row_null
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| exclude_row_jqx
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  | exclude_row_zhchshr
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}}
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== 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]].
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== Sources and further reading ==
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* Sinosplice: [http://www.sinosplice.com/learn-chinese/pronunciation-of-mandarin-chinese/2 Chinese Pronunciation]
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* ChinesePod: [http://chinesepod.com/tools/pronunciation/section/1 A with Easy Consonants]
  
 
[[Category:Pinyin]]
 
[[Category:Pinyin]]
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{{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}}
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{{Number in Series|2|Pinyin quick start  guide}}
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{{References|-a}}
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{{References|-ai}}
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{{References|-ao}}
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{{References|-an}}
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{{References|-ang}}

Latest revision as of 02:46, 10 June 2015

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 should sound more or less consistent in the syllables introduced in this section. Remember that you can click on the sounds in the chart fragment to hear audio.

  • -a sounds like the "a" sound in the English words "ah" or "ha" or "father".
  • -ai sounds like the "ai" in the English words "Thai" and "aisle".
  • -ao sounds pretty much like the word "Tao"/"Dao" which we've imported into English from Chinese, or the "ow" in the English word "how", but with a rather muted “w” sound at the end.
  • -an sounds similar to “on” (minus a strong “aw” sound like in “lawn”) but you may also hear a hint of the vowel sound in the English word “can”. This sound doesn't match up to English sounds perfectly, but it's not hard to approximate.
  • -ang sounds similar to the "ong" sound in the word "King Kong". Because you have the nasalized "-ng" ending, the "a" vowel changes slightly, but that's not something you should have to worry about too much.

Pinyin Chart Fragment

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

Tone: 1 2 3 4 1234 [Show more Settings]

Additional Settings

Show Text: IPA Zhuyin Wade-Giles

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Chart Mode: Audio Links (disables audio)

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

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.

Sources and further reading