Part A

Overview of Cantonese Syllabic Structure

• A Cantonese syllable consists of three parts:

  • Tone: There are 6 tones in Cantonese.

  • Initial: There are 19 initials (consonants).

  • Final: There are 53 finals (vowels or vowel clusters).

Example of a Cantonese Syllable

• The Cantonese greeting "hello" is articulated as nei ho:

  • First syllable "nei":

    • Initial: n

    • Final: ei

    • Tone: Low rising (Tone 5)

  • Second syllable "ho":

    • Initial: h

    • Final: o

    • Tone: High rising (Tone 2)

Introduction to Cantonese Initials

• There are 19 initials in Cantonese, all of which are consonants.

• The initials are often difficult to hear when pronounced alone.

• They should be articulated in conjunction with simple vowels for clarity.

Articulation of Initials

• The pronunciation of initials can be practiced with the vowel a in tone 1.

• Examples of initial articulation:

  • Ba, ba

  • Pa, pa

  • Ma, ma

  • Ta, ta

• Lip rounding is important for certain initials.

• Example needed for practice:

  • Wa, wa

• Additional practice includes:

  • Pa, ma, sa, you

Memorization Aid for Initials

• A song that lists all the Cantonese initials can be a helpful tool for memorization.

• Teacher David demonstrates this song to aid learning.