They're Bopomofo — Taiwan's phonetic system for Mandarin.
If you know Mandarin but have never learned these symbols, start here. In a few minutes, you'll understand how they represent the sounds you already know.
Let's Play →Bopomofo (ㄅㄆㄇㄈ) is a phonetic alphabet used in Taiwan to represent the sounds of Mandarin Chinese. It's not a new language — it's a simple system that helps you read and pronounce Chinese characters.
It's not a new language. It's a new way to write the sounds you already know.
Bopomofo has 37 symbols — 21 initials and 16 finals — plus 5 tones. Only four tones have a written mark; the 1st tone is left unmarked:
e.g. b, p, m, f, d, t, n, l …
e.g. i, u, ü, a, o, e …
1st tone has no mark; then 2nd, 3rd, 4th and neutral — tones aren't counted in the 37
Go step by step, from sounds to real words.
Tap any card to hear it. Pinyin equivalents are shown so you can connect what you already know. 點卡片可聽發音。
The English sound hints are close approximations — let the audio be your guide. Sound is spoken by your device's built-in voice, so a zh-TW (Traditional Chinese) voice gives the truest match. A device voice may read an isolated symbol as its name rather than its sound — to hear each sound inside a real word, use the flashcards and listening games below.
All 37 symbols, one card each. The front shows only the Bopomofo — say the sound out loud, then tap to flip. The back gives a real example word that uses the symbol, spelled out in full. 點卡片翻面。
Bopomofo symbols are miniature Han characters, so the same universal stroke principles apply. 筆順原則與漢字相通。
Pick any of the 37 symbols, then trace over the guide with your finger or mouse. 選一個符號，跟著描。 The six writing principles below explain how each symbol is built.
Strokes flow downward: upper parts are written before lower parts.
Left components come before right components.
When strokes cross, the horizontal stroke usually goes first.
Enclosing frames are drawn before their contents; the bottom stroke closes last.
For symmetrical shapes, the middle comes first.
Tiny finishing touches — dots, short ticks — are written at the end.
The 1st tone is unmarked. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th tone marks sit at the upper right of the final — or of the whole syllable block. The neutral-tone dot sits centered above the initial (vertical text) or before it (horizontal text).
ㄧ is written vertically in vertical text and horizontally in horizontal text — it always lies along the direction of writing.
Each syllable block fills an imaginary square, the same mental frame used for Han characters. Keep symbols compact and balanced inside it.
Taiwan's standard Zhuyin keyboard layout. Click a key — or press it on your physical keyboard — to hear the symbol. 點鍵盤或按實體鍵盤聽發音。 The =, [, ] and ' keys are punctuation on the real layout — they carry no symbol and stay silent.
Two listening games, ten rounds each. 兩個聽力遊戲，各十題。
Bopomofo annotates the pronunciation of Han characters — 「注音」 itself means 標註漢字的發音, marking the pronunciation of Han characters.
In the late Qing period, scholars explored ways to represent the sounds of Chinese more systematically. Bopomofo developed from these efforts, drawing on Chinese phonological traditions and simplified forms of Chinese characters.
The first version of Mandarin Chinese Phonetic Symbols was created in 1913 and officially released in 1918. The system was subsequently revised and standardized for use in education and pronunciation guides.
Bopomofo remains an important tool for learning Mandarin in Taiwan. It is used in elementary education and appears in pronunciation guides, dictionaries, children's reading materials, and Chinese-language input tools.
These milestones follow the Ministry of Education's Manual of the Phonetic Symbols of Mandarin Chinese （教育部《國語注音符號手冊》）.
