The Mandarin Phonetic Symbols are the standardized system for indicating
the pronunciation of spoken Chinese in the Republic of China (Taiwan),
thus knowledge of these symbols is a gateway to the study of the Chinese
language. Any student of Mandarin who first become well-versed in this
system will not only be better prepared to learn Chinese characters, but
will also be using a more precise tool to gain an understanding of correct
Mandarin pronunciation, thereby establishing a solid foundation for further
study of the language.
The 37 phonetic symbols are simple and easy to write. The 21 Initials and
16 Finals, in addition of the four diacritical marks for tones, are sufficient
to represent all of the phonemes of Standard Mandarin Chinese (the Bejing
dialect). The following outline will introduce you to this system.
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