Everyday Chinese

How to greet each other in Putonghua? How to order a cup of coffee or some dumplings in a restaurant?
Here are some situational conversations and basic knowledge we have prepared for you.
They are practical and easy to learn. You can click the links to listen to the vocabulary or the conversations.
You are most welcome to tell us your comments and feedback about the online lessons.

Initial-final Combinations

Chart 1: Single finals

Finals Initials

a

o

e

i

u

ü

er

-

阿ā

哦ó

额é

一yī

无wú

雨yǔ

儿ér

b

八bā

剥bō

-

逼bī

不bù

-

-

p

趴pā

坡pō

-

批pī

扑pū

-

-

m

妈mā

莫mò

-

米mǐ

母mǔ

-

-

f

发fā

佛fó

-

-

夫fū

-

-

d

搭dā

-

得dé

低dī

督dū

-

-

t

他tā

-

特tè

梯tī

图tú

-

-

n

那nà

-

讷nè

你nǐ

奴nú

女nǚ

-

l

拉lā

-

乐lè

离lí

卢lú

率lǜ

-

g

嘎gā

-

戈gē

-

估gū

-

-

k

咖kā

-

苛kē

-

枯kū

-

-

h

哈hā

-

喝hē

-

乎hū

-

-

j

-

-

-

击jī

-

拘jū

-

q

-

-

-

七qī

-

区qū

-

x

-

-

-

西xī

-

许xǔ

-

zh

炸zhá

-

这zhè

之zhī

住zhù

-

-

ch

叉chā

-

车chē

吃chī

出chū

-

-

sh

沙shā

-

奢shē

是shì

书shū

-

-

r

-

-

热rè

日rì

入rù

-

-

z

杂zá

-

则zé

自zì

租zū

-

-

c

擦cā

-

册cè

疵cī

粗cū

-

-

s

仨sā

-

色sè

四sì

诉sù

-

-


Chart 2: Compound finals

Finals Initials

ɑi

ei

ao

ou

ia

ie

ua

uo

üe

-

哀āi

欸ēi

凹āo

欧ōu

呀yā

也yě

挖wā

喔wō

月yuè

b

掰bāi

杯bēi

包bāo

-

-

憋biē

-

-

-

p

派pài

陪péi

跑pǎo

剖pōu

-

撇piē

-

-

-

m

埋mái

每měi

猫māo

某mǒu

-

灭miè

-

-

-

f

-

非fēi

-

否fǒu

-

-

-

-

-

d

呆dāi

得děi

刀dāo

都dōu

嗲diǎ

跌diē

-

多duō

-

t

台tái

忒tēi

涛tāo

偷tōu

-

铁tiě

-

托tuō

-

n

奶nǎi

内nèi

脑nǎo

耨nòu

-

聂niè

-

挪nuó

虐nüè

l

来lái

雷léi

捞lāo

搂lǒu

俩liǎ

列liè

-

罗luó

略lüè

g

该gāi

给gěi

高gāo

勾gōu

-

-

瓜guā

郭guō

-

k

开kāi

克kēi

考kǎo

抠kōu

-

-

夸kuā

扩kuò

-

h

嗨hāi

黑hēi

蒿hāo

齁hōu

-

-

花huā

活huó

-

j

-

-

-

-

家jiā

街jiē

-

-

噘juē

q

-

-

-

-

洽qià

且qiě

-

-

却què

x

-

-

-

-

虾xiā

些xiē

-

-

学xué

zh

债zhài

-

照zhào

周zhōu

-

-

抓zhuā

桌zhuō

-

ch

拆chāi

-

抄chāo

抽chōu

-

-

炎欠chuā

戳chuō

-

sh

筛shāi

谁shéi

稍shāo

手shǒu

-

-

刷shuā

说shuō

-

r

-

-

饶ráo

肉ròu

-

-

挼ruá

若ruò

-

z

在zài

贼zéi

早zǎo

走zǒu

-

-

-

做zuò

-

c

猜cāi

卒瓦cèi

操cāo

凑còu

-

-

-

搓cuō

-

s

塞sāi

-

骚sāo

搜sōu

-

-

-

所suǒ

-

NB: 唷yō


Chart 3: i, u + compound finals

Finals Initials

iao

iou(iu)

uai

uei(ui)

-

要yào

有yǒu

歪wāi

危wēi

b

标biāo

-

-

-

p

漂piāo

-

-

-

m

秒miǎo

谬miù

-

-

f

要勿 fiào

-

-

-

d

刁diāo

丢diū

-

堆duī

t

挑tiāo

-

-

推tuī

n

鸟niǎo

妞niū

-

-

l

聊liáo

刘liú

-

-

g

-

-

乖guāi

归guī

k

-

-

块kuài

亏kuī

h

-

-

怀huái

灰huī

j

交jiāo

纠jiū

-

-

q

桥qiáo

球qiú

-

-

x

笑xiào

休xiū

-

-

zh

-

-

拽zhuài

追zhuī

ch

-

-

揣chuǎi

吹chuī

sh

-

-

衰shuāi

水shuǐ

r

-

-

-

瑞ruì

z

-

-

-

最zuì

c

-

-

-

崔cuī

s

-

-

-

岁suì


Chart 4: Nasal finals

Finals Initials

ɑn

ang

en

eng

in

ing

ong

uen(un)

ün

-

安ān

骯āng

恩ēn

鞥ēng

音yīn

应yìng

-

问wèn

运yùn

b

班bān

帮bāng

奔bēn

绷bēng

宾bīn

冰bīng

-

-

-

p

盘pán

旁páng

喷pēn

抨pēng

品pǐn

评píng

-

-

-

m

满mǎn

忙máng

门mén

孟mèng

民mín

名míng

-

-

-

f

帆fān

方fāng

分fēn

丰fēng

-

-

-

-

-

d

单dān

当dāng

扽dèn

灯dēng

-

丁dīng

东dōng

吨dūn

-

t

谈tán

堂táng

-

疼téng

-

听tīng

通tōng

吞tūn

-

n

难nán

囊náng

嫩nèn

能néng

您nín

宁níng

农nóng

黁nún

-

l

兰lán

啷lāng

-

冷lěng

林lín

令lìng

龙lóng

轮lún

-

g

干gān

冈gāng

跟gēn

更gèng

-

-

公gōng

滚gǔn

-

k

刊kān

康kāng

肯kěn

坑kēng

-

-

空kōng

坤kūn

-

h

酣hān

夯hāng

痕hén

亨hēng

-

-

轰hōng

昏hūn

-

j

-

-

-

-

巾jīn

京jīng

-

-

军jūn

q

-

-

-

-

钦qīn

青qīng

-

-

群qún

x

-

-

-

-

心xīn

姓xìng

-

-

训xùn

zh

沾zhān

章zhāng

真zhēn

正zhèng

-

-

中zhōng

准zhǔn

-

ch

掺chān

昌chāng

琛chēn

称chēng

-

-

冲chōng

春chūn

-

sh

山shān

伤shāng

深shēn

声shēng

-

-

-

顺shùn

-

r

然rán

让ràng

人rén

扔rēng

-

-

荣róng

润rùn

-

z

暂zàn

葬zàng

怎zěn

增zēng

-

-

总zǒng

尊zūn

-

c

参cān

苍cāng

岑cén

层céng

-

-

聪cōng

村cūn

-

s

三sān

桑sāng

森sēn

僧sēng

-

-

松sōng

孙sūn

-


Chart 5: i, u, ü + nasal finals

Finals Initials

iɑn

iang

iong

uan

ueng

üɑn

-

严yán

样yàng

用yòng

弯wān

汪wāng

翁wēng

院yuàn

b

边biān

-

-

-

-

-

-

p

篇piān

-

-

-

-

-

-

m

面miàn

-

-

-

-

-

-

f

d

掂diān

-

-

端duān

-

-

-

t

天tiān

-

-

团tuán

-

-

-

n

年nián

娘niáng

-

暖nuǎn

-

-

-

l

连lián

良liáng

-

乱luàn

-

-

-

g

-

-

-

官guān

光guāng

-

-

k

-

-

-

宽kuān

匡kuāng

-

-

h

-

-

-

欢huān

荒huāng

-

-

j

尖jiān

江jiāng

迥jiǒng

-

-

-

捐juān

q

钱qián

强qiáng

穷qióng

-

-

-

全quán

x

先xiān

香xiāng

兄xiōng

-

-

-

选xuǎn

zh

-

-

-

专zhuān

装zhuāng

-

-

ch

-

-

-

川chuān

窗chuāng

-

-

sh

-

-

-

栓shuān

双shuāng

-

-

r

-

-

-

软ruǎn

-

-

-

z

-

-

-

钻zuān

-

-

-

c

-

-

-

汆cuān

-

-

-

s

-

-

-

酸suān

-

-

-