Page 6 - EALC C306/505

II. Medials (3)

There are three medials: i [ēē] u [oo] /o [ʊ] ü

These medials combine in regular patterns with initials, and because the ‘u’ and ‘ü’ medials
frequently do not combine with the same initial, in pinyin the umlaut on ‘ü’ is dropped in
contexts where simple ‘u’ cannot occur.

The medial ‘i’ combines with initial Labials (except ‘f’), Dentals (‘d’, ‘t’, ‘n’), and Palatals.
(Remember: The ‘i’ written with Sibilants and Retroflexes is not medial ‘i’.)

The medial ‘u’ combines with all initials except Palatals.

The medial ‘ü’ combines with only ‘n’, ‘l’, and Palatals. The umlaut is used only after ‘n’ or ‘l’.

All three medials may occur without either initial or final, in which case they are transcribed:

yi wu yu

When these medials occur without initial but with a final, they are transcribed:

y- w- yu-

Irregulararities:
Medial ‘u’ is rendered ‘o’ before final –ng, and is pronounced ʊ (between English
‘lung’ and ‘long’)

Medial ‘ü’ is rendered ‘io’ before final –ng, and is a diphthong iü.

III. Finals (15)

III.1 Simple vowel finals a e e o

Pinyin does not distinguish between two ‘e’ finals with different values. The first follows
initials directly, and is ə (as in English ‘her’); the second follows medial ‘i/y-’ or ‘ü/yu-’ and is
ɛ (as in English ‘let’). The final ‘o’ is ɔ (as in English ‘ought’); it follows Labials or Medial
‘u/w-’.

Among simple vowel finals, a and e [ə] may appear without initial or medial.

III.2 Diphthong finals ai -ei ao ou

Pronounced like English: tie hay cow low

Any diphthong final other than ‘ei’ may appear without initial or medial.

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