Pinyin — Day 2 — Initials: b p m f
Today we meet our first group of initials: b p m f — all pronounced using the lips. Let's combine them with the finals we already know.
Today's Vocabulary
爸
dad
爸爸
bàba
dad
怕
afraid
不怕
bú pà
not afraid
发
hair / to send out
头发
tóufa
hair
法
law
法律
fǎlǜ
law
波
wave
波浪
bōlàng
wave
婆
grandma
婆婆
pópo
husband's mother
买
to buy
买东西
mǎi dōngxi
to buy things
卖
to sell
卖东西
mài dōngxi
to sell things
Today's Grammar
b, p, m, f are labial initials (made with the lips). b is unaspirated (like a soft p, no puff of air), p is aspirated (a strong puff of air), m and f are straightforward. Key point: in Mandarin, b vs p is about aspiration (puff of air or not), not voicing like in English.
爸 怕
bà (dad) unaspirated vs pà (afraid) aspirated — hold a hand in front of your mouth to feel the difference.
妈 麻
Review "m" across different tones.
发 法
fā (hair/to send out) flat, fǎ (law) dipping-rising.
波 婆
Practice b/p with the "o" final.
买 卖
mǎi (to buy) dipping-rising, mài (to sell) falling — very similar sounds, listen carefully to the tone!