L'interface est traduite, mais les explications de cette page sont encore rédigées en anglais — le texte pédagogique n'a pas encore été traduit.
Chinois mandarin : orthographe → son
Every Mandarin syllable is (initial) + final + TONE, and pinyin spells it almost perfectly — once you know that the letters don't have their English values. b d g are unaspirated /p t k/ and p t k are aspirated /pʰ tʰ kʰ/; c is /t͡sʰ/, z is /t͡s/, q/j/x are the 'palatal' series (tongue flat behind the lower teeth), zh/ch/sh/r the 'retroflex' series (tongue curled back). The letter i after z/c/s and zh/ch/sh/r is not a vowel at all but a buzz on the consonant (zi, shi). u after j/q/x/y is really ü. The four tones — high level ˥, rising ˧˥, dip-rise ˨˩˦, falling ˥˩ — are not decoration: mā 妈 mother, má 麻 hemp, mǎ 马 horse, mà 骂 scold. A fifth 'neutral' tone is short and unmarked. Tracer: type pinyin with marks (hǎo) or numbers (hao3).
Suivre un mot
Chaque case est une règle qui se déclenche. Survolez une case (ou ouvrez le tableau) pour voir pourquoi. Les règles s'appliquent dans l'ordre, la première qui correspond gagne — et cet ordre est le système orthographique. Type pinyin — with tone marks (nǐ hǎo) or numbers (ni3 hao3).
Consonnes et semi-voyelles
| IPA | Spelled | Example |
|---|---|---|
| p | b | bā 八 pa˥ eight — Pinyin b is an UNaspirated p, never voiced. |
| pʰ | p | pà 怕 pʰa˥˩ to fear |
| m | m | mā 妈 ma˥ mother |
| f | f | fàn 饭 fan˥˩ rice / meal |
| t | d | dà 大 ta˥˩ big |
| tʰ | t | tā 他 tʰa˥ he |
| n | n | nǐ 你 ni˨˩˦ you |
| l | l | lái 来 lai˧˥ to come |
| k | g | gǒu 狗 koʊ˨˩˦ dog |
| kʰ | k | kàn 看 kʰan˥˩ to look |
| x | h | hǎo 好 xɑʊ˨˩˦ good — Rougher than English h — like German ach, lightly. |
| t͡ɕ | j | jiā 家 t͡ɕja˥ home — Only before i/ü. Tongue flat, tip down. |
| t͡ɕʰ | q | qù 去 t͡ɕʰy˥˩ to go |
| ɕ | x | xiè 谢 ɕjɛ˥˩ thanks |
| ʈ͡ʂ | zh | zhōng 中 ʈ͡ʂʊŋ˥ middle — Tongue curled back. |
| ʈ͡ʂʰ | ch | chī 吃 ʈ͡ʂʰɻ̩˥ to eat |
| ʂ | sh | shì 是 ʂɻ̩˥˩ to be |
| ʐ | r | rén 人 ʐən˧˥ person |
| t͡s | z | zài 在 t͡sai˥˩ at |
| t͡sʰ | c | cài 菜 t͡sʰai˥˩ vegetable / dish |
| s | s | sān 三 san˥ three |
| j | y, i + vowel | yào 要 jɑʊ˥˩ to want |
| w | w, u + vowel | wǒ 我 wo˨˩˦ I |
| ɥ | yu + vowel, ü + vowel | yuè 月 ɥɛ˥˩ moon / month |
| ŋ | ng | máng 忙 mɑŋ˧˥ busy |
Voyelles
| IPA | Spelled | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a | a | mǎ 马 ma˨˩˦ horse |
| o | o, uo | wǒ 我 wo˨˩˦ I |
| ɤ | e | hē 喝 xɤ˥ to drink — Not English e. Say 'o' and unround the lips. |
| ɛ | ie, üe, ian (the a) | xiè 谢 ɕjɛ˥˩ thanks |
| i | i, yi | yī 一 i˥ one |
| ɹ̩ | i after z c s | sì 四 sɹ̩˥˩ four — Not /i/! Hold the s and voice it. |
| ɻ̩ | i after zh ch sh r | shí 十 ʂɻ̩˧˥ ten — Not /i/! Hold the retroflex and voice it. |
| u | u, wu | wǔ 五 u˨˩˦ five |
| y | ü, u after j q x y | nǚ 女 ny˨˩˦ woman — French u / German ü. |
| ə | en, eng (the e), un (wen) | mén 门 mən˧˥ door |
| ɚ | er | èr 二 ɚ˥˩ two — Also the Beijing -r suffix: nàr 那儿. |
| ai | ai | ài 爱 ai˥˩ love |
| ei | ei, ui | hēi 黑 xei˥ black |
| ɑʊ | ao | hǎo 好 xɑʊ˨˩˦ good |
| oʊ | ou, iu | dōu 都 toʊ˥ all |
| ʊ | ong (the o) | zhōng 中 ʈ͡ʂʊŋ˥ middle |
| ɑ | ang (the a), ao (the a) | máng 忙 mɑŋ˧˥ busy |
Les règles, dans l'ordre
83 règles. La colonne de gauche est un motif (expression régulière) testé à la position courante dans le mot ; (?=…) regarde devant, (?<=…) regarde derrière, $ est la fin du mot.
| # | Pattern | Sound | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | zh | zh = retroflex, unaspirated | |
| 2 | ch | ch = retroflex, aspirated | |
| 3 | sh | sh = retroflex | |
| 4 | yuan | ||
| 5 | yue | ||
| 6 | yun | ||
| 7 | yu | yu = ü | |
| 8 | ying | ||
| 9 | yin | ||
| 10 | yi | yi = i (y is just a spelling prop) | |
| 11 | yong | ||
| 12 | you | ||
| 13 | yang | ||
| 14 | yan | yan = /jɛn/, the a is raised by the i | |
| 15 | yao | ||
| 16 | ye | ||
| 17 | ya | ||
| 18 | y | ||
| 19 | wu | wu = u | |
| 20 | w | ||
| 21 | (?<=[jqx])uan | after j/q/x, u is ü | |
| 22 | (?<=[jqx])ue | after j/q/x, u is ü | |
| 23 | (?<=[jqx])un | after j/q/x, u is ü | |
| 24 | (?<=[jqx])u | after j/q/x, u is ü | |
| 25 | (?:üan|van) | ||
| 26 | (?:üe|ve) | ||
| 27 | (?:ün|vn) | ||
| 28 | [üv] | ü (typed v on many keyboards) | |
| 29 | iang | ||
| 30 | iong | ||
| 31 | uang | ||
| 32 | ueng | ||
| 33 | ian | ian = /jɛn/ — the i raises the a | |
| 34 | iao | ||
| 35 | uai | ||
| 36 | uan | ||
| 37 | ang | ||
| 38 | eng | ||
| 39 | ing | ||
| 40 | ong | ||
| 41 | ai | ||
| 42 | ei | ||
| 43 | ao | ||
| 44 | ou | ||
| 45 | an | ||
| 46 | en | ||
| 47 | in | ||
| 48 | un | un = uen with the e swallowed | |
| 49 | ia | ||
| 50 | ie | ||
| 51 | iu | iu = iou with the o swallowed | |
| 52 | ua | ||
| 53 | uo | ||
| 54 | ui | ui = uei with the e swallowed | |
| 55 | er | ||
| 56 | (?<=zh|ch|sh|r)i | i after zh/ch/sh/r is a buzzed retroflex, not /i/ | |
| 57 | (?<=[zcs])i | i after z/c/s is a buzzed continuation of the consonant, not /i/ | |
| 58 | a | ||
| 59 | o | ||
| 60 | e | e alone = /ɤ/, an unrounded o | |
| 61 | i | ||
| 62 | u | ||
| 63 | ng | ||
| 64 | b | b = unaspirated p | |
| 65 | p | p = aspirated | |
| 66 | d | d = unaspirated t | |
| 67 | t | t = aspirated | |
| 68 | g | g = unaspirated k | |
| 69 | k | k = aspirated | |
| 70 | j | ||
| 71 | q | ||
| 72 | x | ||
| 73 | z | ||
| 74 | c | c = ts with a puff, never /k/ or /s/ | |
| 75 | s | ||
| 76 | r | ||
| 77 | h | ||
| 78 | [fmnl] | ||
| 79 | 1 | tone 1: high level | |
| 80 | 2 | tone 2: rising | |
| 81 | 3 | tone 3: dip and rise (just low before another syllable) | |
| 82 | 4 | tone 4: falling | |
| 83 | [05] | neutral tone: short and light |