Pinyin Lesson 4

Compound Finals

Summary of marking tones in Pinyin

• Tone marks are written above the main vowel of a syllable. The main vowel can be identified according to the following sequence: ɑ-o-e-i-u-ü.

• For instance, in ɑo the main vowel is ɑ. In ei the main vowel is e.

• There is one exception: when i and u are combined into a syllable, the tone mark is written on the second vowel: iù,uì.

Compound Finals ɑi、 ei、 ɑo、 ou、 iɑ、 ie、 iɑo、 iou

• When the initial vowels are ɑ、 o and e, they are stressed. The vowels following are soft and brief.

• ɑi 、 ei 、 ɑo 、 ou can be individual syllables.

ài爱

（ love ）

bái白

（ white ）

běi北

（ north ）

hēi黑

（ black ）

hǎo好

（ good ）

gǒu狗

（ dog ）

• When the initial vowel is i, the main vowels that come after i are transitional sounds, meaning they’re not stressed.

iā iá iǎ ià

• If there are vowels or nasal consonants after the main vowels, those should be unstressed as well.

iāo iáo iǎo iào

jiā家

（ family ， home ）

xièxiè 谢谢

（ thanks ）

xiǎo小

（ small ）

• In pinyin orthography, some vowels are omitted for the sake of economy, thus “iou” becomes “iu.”

jiǔ九

（ nine ）

• If there is no initial consonant before i, i is written as a semi-vowel y. Thus iɑ, ie, iɑo, iou become yɑ, ye, yɑo, you.

yá牙

（ tooth ）

yéye爷爷

（ grandpa ）

yào药

（ medicine ）

yòu右

（ right ）