sh
Sounds like the "sh" in "sheep" or "shirt."
The tongue is curled back slightly, and the sound is soft and hissy.
ch
Similar to the "ch" in "church" or "chip,"
but with the tongue curled back more and a stronger puff of air (aspirated).
zh
Like the "j" in "judge" or "jam,"
but with the tongue curled back and a less aspirated, voiced sound.
It’s closer to a retroflex "djr" sound.
q
Sounds like the "ch" in "cheese,"
but with a tighter, higher tongue position and strong aspiration.
It’s often described as a sharper, more forward "ch" sound.
r
A retroflex sound, not like English "r." It’s pronounced with the
tongue curled back toward the roof of the mouth, producing a buzzing
or slightly rolled quality, sometimes like a mix of "r" and "zh."
Example: *ren* (person) sounds like "run" but with a buzzier,
retroflex "r."
z
An unaspirated "ts" sound, like the "ts" in "cats" but sharper
and without a puff of air. The tongue is flat against the
front teeth. Example: *zi* sounds like "dzuh" with a short,
clipped vowel.
c
Similar to **z** but aspirated, so it’s a "ts" with a strong puff
of air, like the "ts" in "tsunami" but crisper. Example: *ci*
sounds like "tsuh" with a breathy release.
s
Close to the English "s" in "see," but slightly sharper, with
the tongue near the front teeth. It’s a clear, hissing sound.
Example: *si* sounds like "suh" with a short vowel.
j
Like "j" in "jeep" but softer, with the tongue flat against
the palate and no lip rounding. It’s unaspirated, so it feels
gentler than English "j." Example: *ji* sounds like "jee" with
a light, clean onset.
x
A unique sound, somewhat like "sh" in "she" but softer and with
the tongue closer to the front teeth, producing a finer, almost
whistling quality. Example: *xi* sounds like "shee" but with
a thinner, more delicate "sh."