Initials

Twenty-one symbols used at the beginning of Mandarin syllables.

ㄅ — b

Hanyu Pinyin: b
Broad IPA: /p/
Unicode: U+3105

Example: 爸 (bà) — father

ㄆ — p

Hanyu Pinyin: p
Broad IPA: /pʰ/
Unicode: U+3106

Example: 怕 (pà) — afraid

ㄇ — m

Hanyu Pinyin: m
Broad IPA: /m/
Unicode: U+3107

Example: 媽 (mā) — mother

ㄈ — f

Hanyu Pinyin: f
Broad IPA: /f/
Unicode: U+3108

Example: 飛 (fēi) — to fly

ㄉ — d

Hanyu Pinyin: d
Broad IPA: /t/
Unicode: U+3109

Example: 大 (dà) — big

ㄊ — t

Hanyu Pinyin: t
Broad IPA: /tʰ/
Unicode: U+310A

Example: 天 (tiān) — sky

ㄋ — n

Hanyu Pinyin: n
Broad IPA: /n/
Unicode: U+310B

Example: 你 (nǐ) — you

ㄌ — l

Hanyu Pinyin: l
Broad IPA: /l/
Unicode: U+310C

Example: 來 (lái) — to come

ㄍ — g

Hanyu Pinyin: g
Broad IPA: /k/
Unicode: U+310D

Example: 狗 (gǒu) — dog

ㄎ — k

Hanyu Pinyin: k
Broad IPA: /kʰ/
Unicode: U+310E

Example: 看 (kàn) — to look

ㄏ — h

Hanyu Pinyin: h
Broad IPA: /x/
Unicode: U+310F

Example: 好 (hǎo) — good

ㄐ — j

Hanyu Pinyin: j
Broad IPA: /tɕ/
Unicode: U+3110

Example: 家 (jiā) — home

ㄑ — q

Hanyu Pinyin: q
Broad IPA: /tɕʰ/
Unicode: U+3111

Example: 去 (qù) — to go

ㄒ — x

Hanyu Pinyin: x
Broad IPA: /ɕ/
Unicode: U+3112

Example: 小 (xiǎo) — small

ㄓ — zh

Hanyu Pinyin: zh
Broad IPA: /ʈʂ/
Unicode: U+3113

Example: 中 (zhōng) — middle

ㄔ — ch

Hanyu Pinyin: ch
Broad IPA: /ʈʂʰ/
Unicode: U+3114

Example: 吃 (chī) — to eat

ㄕ — sh

Hanyu Pinyin: sh
Broad IPA: /ʂ/
Unicode: U+3115

Example: 是 (shì) — to be

ㄖ — r

Hanyu Pinyin: r
Broad IPA: /ʐ/
Unicode: U+3116

Example: 人 (rén) — person

ㄗ — z

Hanyu Pinyin: z
Broad IPA: /ts/
Unicode: U+3117

Example: 早 (zǎo) — early

ㄘ — c

Hanyu Pinyin: c
Broad IPA: /tsʰ/
Unicode: U+3118

Example: 菜 (cài) — vegetable

ㄙ — s

Hanyu Pinyin: s
Broad IPA: /s/
Unicode: U+3119

Example: 三 (sān) — three