Finals are the vowel part of a Pinyin syllable — the part that carries the tone. You'll learn all 36 finals (simple, compound, and nasal), plus critical tone change rules that make your Mandarin sound natural.
Estimated Time: 45–60 minutes
Every Pinyin syllable needs at least one final (vowel part). Some syllables are just a final with no initial, like ā (ah) or ài (love). Finals are organized into three groups:
| Pinyin | Sound | Example | Meaning | Tips |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | like "a" in father | bà | dad (爸) | Wide open mouth, relaxed |
| o | like "o" in more | bō | wave (波) | Round lips |
| e | like "uh" in duh | hē | drink (喝) | NOT like English "e" — it's an "uh" sound with lips spread |
| i | like "ee" in see | nǐ | you (你) | Lips spread, tongue high |
| u | like "oo" in moon | wǔ | five (五) | Round lips pushed forward |
| ü | like French "u" or German "ü" | lǜ | green (绿) | Say "ee" but round your lips like "oo" |
e is NOT the "e" in "bed." It's more like the "u" in "cup" or "duh." To produce it, start with "uh" and spread your lips slightly.
ü doesn't exist in English. Say "ee" (like in "see"), keep your tongue in that position, then round your lips into an "oo" shape. The sound that comes out is "ü."
Spelling rule: After j, q, x, the "ü" is written as just "u" (the dots are dropped): jū, qū, xū. But after l and n, the dots stay: lǜ, nǚ.
Compound finals combine two or three vowels into a smooth glide. Your mouth shape moves during the sound.
| Pinyin | Sound | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ai | like "eye" | ài | love (爱) |
| ei | like "ay" in say | méi | not have (没) |
| ao | like "ow" in cow | hǎo | good (好) |
| ou | like "oh" | dōu | all (都) |
| ia | like "ya" | jiā | home (家) |
| ie | like "ye" in yes | xiè | thanks (谢) |
| iu | like "yo" (= iou) | liù | six (六) |
| ua | like "wa" | huā | flower (花) |
| uo | like "war" (British) | guó | country (国) |
| ui | like "way" (= uei) | huí | return (回) |
| üe | like "ü" + "eh" | xué | study (学) |
| iao | like "yow" | xiǎo | small (小) |
| uai | like "why" | kuài | fast (快) |
Nasal finals end with either -n (front nasal, tongue touches upper teeth ridge) or -ng (back nasal, like "ng" in "sing").
| Pinyin | Sound | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| an | like "an" in fan | fàn | rice (饭) |
| en | like "un" in fun | rén | person (人) |
| in | like "een" | jīn | gold (金) |
| un | like "wen" | chūn | spring (春) |
| ün | like "ü" + "n" | jūn | army (军) |
| ang | like "ahng" | máng | busy (忙) |
| eng | like "ung" in lung | féng | wind (风) |
| ing | like "eeng" | míng | bright (明) |
| ong | like "oong" | zhōng | middle (中) |
| ian | like "yen" | tiān | sky/day (天) |
| uan | like "wan" | guān | close (关) |
| üan | like "ü" + "an" | yuán | yuan/circle (元/圆) |
| iang | like "yahng" | liáng | cool (凉) |
| uang | like "wahng" | huáng | yellow (黄) |
| iong | like "yoong" | qióng | poor (穷) |
| ueng | like "wung" | wēng | old man (翁) |
This is one of the most important distinctions in Mandarin:
-n: Tongue touches the ridge behind your upper teeth. Mouth closes.
-ng: Tongue stays back, mouth stays open. Like the "ng" in "sing."
Examples: bān (class) vs. bāng (help) · fēn (divide) vs. fēng (wind)
In connected speech, some tones change automatically. These rules are essential for sounding natural.
When two 3rd tones appear in a row, the first one changes to a 2nd tone:
| Written | Spoken | Characters | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| nǐ hǎo | ní hǎo | 你好 | hello |
| hěn hǎo | hén hǎo | 很好 | very good |
| yǔ fǎ | yú fǎ | 语法 | grammar |
The word 不 (bù, "not") is normally 4th tone, but changes to 2nd tone before another 4th tone:
| Combination | Spoken | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| bù + 1st tone | bù (no change) | bù chī | not eat |
| bù + 2nd tone | bù (no change) | bù xíng | not OK |
| bù + 3rd tone | bù (no change) | bù hǎo | not good |
| bù + 4th tone | bú (changes!) | bú shì | is not |
The number 一 (yī, "one") changes tone depending on what follows:
| Context | Tone | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alone / counting | 1st tone: yī | yī, èr, sān | one, two, three |
| Before 4th tone | 2nd tone: yí | yí gè | one (of something) |
| Before 1st/2nd/3rd tone | 4th tone: yì | yì tiān | one day |
💡 Don't Panic: You don't need to memorize these rules as abstract formulas. As you practice speaking and listening, these changes will become automatic. Native speakers don't think about them consciously — they just flow naturally.
Standalone finals: When a final has no initial, it gets a spelling change:
i → yi · u → wu · ü → yu · ie → ye · uo → wo · üe → yue · iu → you · ui → wei · un → wen · in → yin
Why? Pinyin avoids starting a syllable with a vowel letter. The added "y" or "w" serves as a visual boundary between syllables.
A: Nǐ hǎo! (你好！) — Hello!
B: Nǐ hǎo! Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? (你好！你叫什么名字？) — Hello! What's your name?
A: Wǒ jiào Lì Míng. Nǐ ne? (我叫李明。你呢？) — My name is Li Ming. And you?
B: Wǒ jiào Wáng Fāng. Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ! (我叫王芳。很高兴认识你！) — I'm Wang Fang. Nice to meet you!
A: Wǒ yě hěn gāoxìng! (我也很高兴！) — Me too!
1. How is the Pinyin "e" pronounced?
2. How is "nǐ hǎo" actually pronounced (due to tone sandhi)?
3. What happens to 不 (bù) before a 4th tone word?
4. After j, q, x — the "ü" dots are dropped. How is "xué" (study) actually pronounced?
6 simple finals: a, o, e, i, u, ü — with "e" and "ü" being the trickiest for English speakers.
13 compound finals combine vowels in smooth glides (ai, ei, ao, ou, ia, ie, etc.).
16 nasal finals end in -n (tongue tip forward) or -ng (tongue back, mouth open).
Tone sandhi: 3rd + 3rd → 2nd + 3rd · 不 before 4th → 2nd · 一 changes based on what follows.
Spelling rules: Finals without initials get "y" or "w" prefixes; "ü" drops dots after j/q/x.