Lesson 2: Syllables (Initials - Part 1)

In Chinese Mandarin, there are 21 consonant sounds and 6 basic vowel sounds that we need to know.  When we put 1 consonant and 1 vowel together, then it will form a Chinese word.  For example, B + a = 'Ba'.  'Ba' can be the letter eight or father and so on, depends on the tone of the sound, which we will learn after we finish the syllables.  The consonants are known as Initials.

So, it is very important to memorise the syllables.  There's no other way to it except memory works.  Here goes:

B(o) - sounds like Ball

P(o) - sounds like Pall

M(o) - sounds like More

F(o) - sounds like Fore or Four or For

To pronounce this, your lips need to open and close in quick succession.

You can add an 'O' at the back in order to help you to pronounce these consonants better, i.e Bo, Po, Mo, Fo.  The tone used here is neutral as we are learning the basics now, so let's not go too deep into the tonal marks yet.  So the sound should be short and high.  Do not drag the sound to make it long.

D(e) - sounds like Duh

T(e) - sounds like The

N(e) - no similar sound in English, but it is like in 'Nerd' without the RD.

L(e) - no similar sound in English, but it is like in 'Let' without the T.

For these sounds, your tongue need to be behind your teeth.  You can add an 'E' to pronounce better, i.e De, Te, Ne, Le.  Be careful not to add 'R' behind these or it will be incorrect.

G(e) - sounds like Girl without the R sound.

K(e) - no similar sound in English, but it is like in 'Cute', the 'kur' sound.

H(e) - sounds like Her without the R sound.  Be careful, this is not the English word 'He'.  Different sound.

For these sounds, the tongue doesn't touch the teeth.  It is like a sound when you are coughing.

OK, we have completed the 11 basic consonant sounds.  Please take note, the vowels behind the consonants that I have put in bracket are actually to help you to pronounce and it is not used in the writing.  

Practise, practise, practise!

P/S:  When I told my friends who learned Chinese while in Chinese school that I was learning the BoPoMoFo way, they were like, 'No way you are learning that because we are not learning that even in school and it is super difficult.'  Later I found out that the Chinese in China has created a way to teach syllables to children using the way I have described above.  Before this, BoPoMoFo is a phonetic system for transcribing Chinese in terms of strokes and characters.  It is still being used in Taiwan.