I can tell b from p, d from t, and g from k by ear and in writing — by the puff of air, not by voicing — and read bàba māma aloud.
A puff of air, not voicing
A puff of air, not voicing
The initial is the consonant at the start of a syllable. Today there are eleven: b p m f · d t n l · g k h.
The key point: b and p, d and t, g and k differ not by voicing but by a puff of air. b d g are voiceless: no buzz in the throat, no burst of air. p t k are aspirated (with a strong puff of air), as if you were blowing out a candle. The test: a sheet of paper held to your lips moves for p and stays still for b.
English already does this: the p of “pie” has a puff, the p of “spy” has none. Chinese b, d, g are the sounds of “spy”, “sty”, “sky”; p, t, k are those of “pie”, “tie”, “key”, with an even stronger puff. So 不 bù “not” starts with the p of “spy”, not with a buzzing b.
f m n l are as in English. h is further back than English h, with a little friction, like a soft ch in Scottish “loch”.
The second syllable of doubled family words (爸爸, 妈妈, 哥哥, 弟弟) and the suffix 子 are in the neutral tone: 弟弟 dìdi “younger brother” is not “dee-DEE”; the second syllable is short.
Common mistakes:
• a buzzing b in 不 bù — there should be no buzz in the throat.
• p without a puff of air — it sounds like b.
• an English h — Chinese h is further back.
A puff of air, not voicing
m, n, l, f — as in English; h — further back, with a little friction.
| Pair | No puff of air | With a puff of air | Where the tongue or lips are |
|---|---|---|---|
| b — p | b: 不 bù | p: the syllable pā | lips |
| d — t | d: 大 dà | t: 他 tā | tongue tip at the teeth |
| g — k | g: 狗 gǒu | k: 看 kàn | back of the tongue |
Lesson notes
A puff of air, not voicing
The initial is the consonant at the start of a syllable. Today there are eleven: b p m f · d t n l · g k h.
The key point: b and p, d and t, g and k differ not by voicing but by a puff of air. b d g are voiceless: no buzz in the throat, no burst of air. p t k are aspirated (with a strong puff of air), as if you were blowing out a candle. The test: a sheet of paper held to your lips moves for p and stays still for b.
English already does this: the p of “pie” has a puff, the p of “spy” has none. Chinese b, d, g are the sounds of “spy”, “sty”, “sky”; p, t, k are those of “pie”, “tie”, “key”, with an even stronger puff. So 不 bù “not” starts with the p of “spy”, not with a buzzing b.
f m n l are as in English. h is further back than English h, with a little friction, like a soft ch in Scottish “loch”.
The second syllable of doubled family words (爸爸, 妈妈, 哥哥, 弟弟) and the suffix 子 are in the neutral tone: 弟弟 dìdi “younger brother” is not “dee-DEE”; the second syllable is short.
Common mistakes:
• a buzzing b in 不 bù — there should be no buzz in the throat.
• p without a puff of air — it sounds like b.
• an English h — Chinese h is further back.