Palatals
In Mandarin Chinese, a palatal sound refers to a type of consonant sound that is produced with the tongue positioned close to or touching the hard palate, which is the hard part of the roof of the mouth.
Palatal sounds are characterized by the involvement of the tongue and the hard palate in their production.
There are 3 palatals in Chinese: j, q, x.
The default vowel to follow these 3 initials is the long vowel [i:] as in “bee”.
Tips for the “j” sound:
- Position your tongue near the hard palate, which is the hard part of the roof of your mouth just behind your teeth.
- Create a narrow passage for the air to flow between the middle or back of your tongue and the hard palate.
- Release the air smoothly through this passage, producing a palatal sound.
- This sound is similar to the “j” sound in the English word “jeep” but with the “jee” exaggerated as “jeeeeeee…”
Tips for the “q” sound:
- Position your tongue near the hard palate, similar to the “j” sound.
- Create a narrow passage for the air to flow between the middle or back of your tongue and the hard palate.
- Hold your vocal cords open without vibrating them.
- Release the air abruptly through this passage, producing a voiceless palatal sound.
- This sound is similar to the “ch” sound in the English word “cheese” but with a palatal quality.
Tips for the “x” sound:
- Position your tongue near the hard palate, similar to the “j” and “q” sounds.
- Create a narrow passage for the air to flow between the middle or back of your tongue and the hard palate.
- Hold your vocal cords open without vibrating them.
- Release the air smoothly through this passage, producing a voiceless palatal sound.
- This sound is similar to the “sh” sound in the English word “she” but with a palatal quality.