Pronunciation Guide of 4 Initials in Pinyin: b,p,m,f
There are all together 23 initials in Chinese Pinyin, in terms of position, they usually come at first of one syllable. A syllable can stand without an initial, but a syllable must have a final.
b is an unaspirated consonant, and b is not voiced. It is similiar to the “p” in the English word “spend”.
p is aspirated, which means that you can feel a puff of air coming out of your mouth when pronouncing the p sound. p is not voiced as well.
m is pronounced similiar to /m/ in English word "mode".
f is pronounced similiar to /f/ in English word "fox".
Examples of Chinese Characters Using b p m f
In this part, we will learn some Pinyin that use these four initials with their Chinese characters. Please listen to the audio to differentiate these sounds, and then repeat with the audio.
| Initials | Used in Pinyin | Characters | Meanings | As in English Words |
| b | | 不 | adv. no, not | like /b/ in English word "boy" |
| p | | 怕 | v. to fear | like /p/ in English word “park" |
| m | | 猫 | n. cat | like /m/ in English word "moon" |
| f | | 佛 | n. buddha | like /f/ in English word "fox" |
Pronunciation Drills of Initials: b, p, m, f
Listen to the audio first, and then practice the following Pinyin with the initials b,p,m,f.
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Chinese Pinyin Lesson 7 | Initials: d, t, n, l >> »
