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Mandarin Chinese I | 中文课程1

1.3 Simple finals: a , o , e , i , u , ü

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Sound Pronunciation Making the Sound
a Pronounced like the a in English father The mouth is wide open, the tongue is at its lowest, and the lips are unrounded.
o Pronounced like the o in English more The opening of the mouth is medium, the tongue position is mid-high and slightly to the back, and the lips are rounded.
e Pronounced like the ir in English bird To produce this vowel, first pronounce o, and then change the shape of the mouth from rounded to unrounded; At the same time spread the lips apart, as if you were smiling.
i Pronounced like the ee in English bee The opening of the mouth is narrow, the lips are spread, and the tongue position is high and slightly to the front. (except after the initials: z c s, zh ch sh r, details later)
u Pronounced like the ue in English blue The opening of the mouth is narrow, the lips are fully rounded, and the tongue position is high and slightly to the back.
ü Pronounced like the ü in German To produce this vowel, first pronounce i, and then change the shape of the mouth from unrounded to rounded.