Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ü
—This is produced much farther forward in the mouth than a usual “u” sound, almost in
the same place that you would produce an “i” sound, as in “sit.” It's sometimes written as
a “v,” which can also be used when typing or texting in Pinyin. Produced most often after
an “n,” as in nü (
女
), meaning woman, or after an “l,” as in lüsè (
绿色
), meaning green.
This is how sounds work in Beijing at least. Go to Taiwan or to another province and
things may be quite different. Beijing also has its own accent, which you'll easily pick up.
The most distinctive sound is the “r” sound that gets added to the end of words. Sanlitun
can be said just like that, but if you hear it from a taxi driver, it will most likely sound more
like “Sanliturr.”
ENGLISH
CHINESE
PINYIN
0
líng
零
1
一
y
ī
2
二
èr
3
三
s
ā
n
4
sì
四
5
五
w
ǔ
6
六
liù
7
七
q
ī
8
八
b
ā
9
九
ji
ǔ
10
shí
十
11
十一
shíy
ī
12
十二
shí'èr
13
十三
shís
ā
n
20
èrshí
二十
21
二十一
èrshíy
ī
