Pinyin initial: "su"

/su/

The Pinyin initial "su" is used in the first half of Pinyin syllables. In MandarinBanana's mnemonic system, "su" belongs to the group of Pinyin initials which are represented in mnemonics by animals. You can visit the Pinyin index to see all Pinyin syllables from this mnemonic group, or to see all Pinyin syllables "su" can appear in.

Pronunciation Tips

The “Cheat Code”

Think of the “s” in “see,” then go straight into a pure “oo” vowel (like “food”), without turning it into “soo-uh” or “sue-y.”

Mouth Mechanics (step-by-step)

Teeth: Bring your upper and lower front teeth close together (not clenched), leaving a thin gap for air.
Lips: Keep lips relaxed and slightly rounded (more rounding as you move into the “u” sound).
Tongue tip: Point the tongue tip forward, hovering just behind the lower front teeth (or lightly touching the back of them).
Tongue shape: Make a narrow groove along the center of the tongue so air can hiss through.
Airflow/voice: Blow air steadily to create a clear “ssss”. Your vocal cords should not vibrate for the “s” part (it should not sound like “z”).
Add the vowel “u”: While keeping the tongue stable, slide immediately into “u”:
- Pull the tongue back and up slightly.
- Round the lips a bit more.
- Keep the vowel clean and steady, not “yoo” and not “uh.”

Overall feel: a clean s + oo, smoothly connected.

English Approximation (2–3 examples)

Chinese su- starts with an English-like /s/, but the vowel is usually the tricky part.

“see” — the first sound (the s at the beginning) matches well.
Use only the “s,” then change the vowel to “oo.”
“Sue” — close, but many English speakers pronounce it as “syoo” (with a tiny y sound).
To get closer to Chinese su, say “Sue” but remove the y glide: aim for soo, not syoo.
“soon” — the s and oo quality are close.
Use the start of “soon,” but keep Chinese su as a single smooth syllable without extra length or stress.

If your “su” sounds like “syoo”, flatten the tongue earlier and go directly into oo—no “y” slide.

Common Mistakes (English speakers)

Adding a “y” sound: Saying “syoo” instead of “soo.” This is the #1 problem.
Turning it into “z”: Voicing the initial so it sounds like “zoo.” Keep it a crisp, voiceless s.
Adding an extra vowel: Saying “soo-uh” or “suh-oo.” Chinese su is tight and single, not two-part.
Over-rounding too early: If you round the lips strongly during the s, the hiss can get muffled. Start with a clear s, then round more for u.

Practice Pairs (visual match-up)

These English words are approximations to help you “aim” your mouth; match the bolded part.

Pinyin syllable	Closest English “anchor”	What to copy
su (as in su1 / su2 / su4)	“see” + “food”	Copy the s from “see,” then the oo from “food”
sui (as in sui1 / sui2 / sui3 / sui4)	“sway”	Copy sw- + ay feel (like “sway”), but keep it one Chinese syllable
suo (as in suo1 / suo3)	“swore”	Copy sw- and the rounded “or” color
suan (as in suan1 / suan3 / suan4)	“swan” (like “swan”)	Copy sw- + an (like “swan”), then end with an n
sun (as in sun1 / sun3)	“swung” (start)	Copy sw-, then a relaxed vowel, then end with n
song (as in song1 / song2 / song3 / song4)	“soong” (approx.)	Copy s-, then a shorter “oo” quality, then end with ng

Comparisons & Caveats (similar Pinyin to watch out for)

#### su- (s + u) vs. xu- (x + ü) - su- starts with a sharp English-like “s” and a back “oo” vowel.
- xu- uses a different initial and a different vowel (it often feels more like fronted, tighter lips and a “y/ü” type quality).

Practical cue: If your lips feel like you’re saying “oo”, you’re likely in su- territory; if it feels like a tight, front “ü”, it’s not su-.

su- vs. zhu-/chu-/shu-

zhu/chu/shu have a heavier, “retro” / “hushing” quality (more like “sh” or “j/ch” textures).
su- should be a clean, thin, straight “s” hiss—no “sh” color.

su- vs. si-

su- has a clear “oo” vowel after s.
si- does not use an English “ee” vowel; English speakers often misread it as “see.”

Practical cue: If you can hear a strong “oo” in the syllable, it’s su-, not si-.

In syllables like suo, sui, suan, sun, song, the vowel often begins with a quick “w”-like glide (as reflected by pronunciations like “swo-, swe-, swa-, swə-, sʊ-”).
What to do: Keep the initial s crisp, then let the lips round naturally into the next part—don’t insert an extra full “w” syllable. It should feel like one smooth motion: s → rounded vowel.