freeCodeCamp/curriculum/challenges/english/blocks/zh-a1-learn-initials/63901cd511d8440de91ca195.md

id, title, challengeType, dashedName, lang

id	title	challengeType	dashedName	lang
63901cd511d8440de91ca195	Task 2	24	task-2	zh-CN

--description--

You know a Pinyin syllable has three parts: initial, final, and tone. You have already learned the finals and tones. Now you'll focus on initials and practice combining them with finals to form syllables.

There are 21 initials in total. You'll learn them in groups by mouth position to make pronunciation easier. The first group is b, p, m, f.

The very first initial you learn here is b. To pronounce b, gently press your lips together and then release them while making a short, soft sound without a strong puff of air and without vibration in your vocal cords. It should feel quick and smooth, as your lips come together and part gently.

You might sometimes hear this initial pronounced as bo. This is because the pronunciation of b is very brief and light. Adding the single final o makes it easier to hear. The same principle applies to other initials like p, m, and f.

When b is combined with the finals a, o, i, u, you get the syllables: ba, bo, bi, bu.

To pronounce ba, begin by putting your lips together to pronounce b. Immediately after, open your mouth wide into a relaxed and open shape to pronounce the clear a sound. The key is to connect the consonant and the vowel in one fluid motion without pausing between them. You can use this same method of smoothly linking the b sound directly into the finals for other syllables like bo, bi, and bu. The only difference will be the mouth shape you make for each specific final.

Let's practice pronouncing b and the syllables, and then use ba in different tones as an example.

In this lesson and in later lessons, you will see that when the tone of a syllable changes, it can represent different Chinese characters. These are only examples to help you understand tones, and you don't need to worry about learning the characters for now.

Pinyin	Character
bā	八
bá	拔
bǎ	把
bà	爸
ba	吧

--assignment--

I've listened to the audio and practiced pronouncing the initial and syllables.

--scene--

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