There are 53 finals in Cantonese： 7 monophthongs (aa、e、i、o、u、oe、yu), 10 diphthongs (single vowel + -i/-u ), 17 finals ending in nasal consonant (single vowel + -m/ -n/ -ng), 17 finals with unreleased stops (single vowel + -p/-t / -k) and 2 syllabic nasals (m, ng).
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Finals／
Understanding Finals
Finals
Monophthongs |
Diphthongs |
Finals ending in nasal consonant |
Finals with unreleased stops |
|||||
-i |
-u |
-m |
-n |
-ng |
-p |
-t |
-k |
|
|
aa
“a” (to indicate surprise) |
aai
close to |
aau
hollow |
aam
correct |
aan
late |
aang
hard |
aap
duck |
aat
press |
aak
forehead |
|
(a)
|
ai
short |
au
europe |
am
temple |
an
root |
ang
oriole |
ap
rush |
at
no |
ak
north |
|
e
some |
ei
inferior |
|
|
|
eng
pretty |
|
|
ek
classifier for animals |
|
i
clothes |
|
iu
waist |
im
flood |
in
smoke |
ing
England |
ip
leaf |
it
hot |
ik
benefit |
|
o
ax handle |
oi
sad |
ou
bay |
|
on
safe |
ong
just |
|
ot
thirst |
ok
fierce |
|
u
black |
ui
return |
|
|
un
bowl |
ung
east |
|
ut
alive |
uk
house |
|
oe
boot |
|
|
|
|
oeng
scent |
|
|
oek
foot |
|
(eo)
|
eoi
live |
|
|
eon
saliva |
|
|
eot
out |
|
|
yu
in |
|
|
|
yun
sour |
|
|
yut
moon |
|
Syllabic nasals |
m
no |
ng
five |
(You may ignore the initials in the examples.)
Finals Examples
aa[aː]
“a” (to indicate surprise) aa1
camellia caa4 faa1
loudspeaker laa3 baa1
diphthongs |
-i |
aai[aːi] |
close to
aai1 |
buy and sell
maai5 maai6 |
fast (verb)
zaai1 gaai3 |
-u |
aau[aːu] |
hollow
aau3 |
cat's claw
maau1 zaau2 |
noisy
caau2 naau6 |
|
finals ending in nasal consonant |
-m |
aam[aːm] |
correct
ngaam1 |
greedy
taam1 laam4 |
visit a prisoner
taam3 gaam1 |
-n |
aan[aːn] |
late
aan3 |
climb a hill
paan1 saan1 |
menu
caan1 daan1 |
|
-ng |
aang[aːŋ] |
hard
ngaang6 |
support
ngaang6 caang3 |
lively
saang1 maang5 |
|
finals with unreleased stops |
-p |
aap[aːp̚] |
duck
aap3 |
mingle
gaap3 zaap6 |
rubbish
laap6 saap3 |
-t |
aat[aːt̚] |
press
aat3 |
developed
faat3 daat6 |
cockroach
gaat6 zaat2 |
|
-k |
aak[aːk̚] |
forehead
ngaak6 |
plot
caak3 waak6 |
choose a flat
zaak6 zaak6 |
a
diphthongs |
-i |
ai[ɐi] |
short
ai2 |
short and small
ai2 sai3 |
crow
gai1 tai4 |
-u |
au[ɐu] |
cow
ngau4 |
ugly
cau2 lau6 |
tenderloin
ngau4 lau5 |
|
finals ending innasal consonant |
-m |
am[ɐm] |
temple
am1 |
gloomy
jam1 sam1 |
daylily
gam1 zam1 |
-n |
an[ɐn] |
root
gan1 |
colourful
ban1 fan1 |
news
san1 man4 |
|
-ng |
ang[ɐŋ] |
oriole
ang1 |
Hang Seng (bank)
hang4 sang1 |
dedicated
gang2 gang2 |
|
finals with unreleased stops |
-p |
ap[ɐp̚] |
rush
gap1 |
put the palms together
hap6 sap6 |
lofty peak
kap1 kap1 |
-t |
at[ɐt̚] |
no
bat1 |
bend the knees
wat1 sat1 |
one day
jat1 jat6 |
|
-k |
ak[ɐk̚] |
north
bak1 |
McMug
mak6 mak1 |
north side
bak1 zak1 |
e[ɛː]
some se1
elder sister ze4 ze1
borrow a car ze3 ce1
diphthongs |
-i |
ei[ei] |
inferior
bei1 |
humble
bei1 mei4 |
plane
fei1 gei1 |
finals ending in nasal consonant |
-ng |
eng[ɛːŋ] |
pretty
leng3 |
good name
leng3 meng2 |
timid
geng1 ceng1 |
finals with unreleased stops |
-k |
ek[ɛːk̚] |
classifier for animals
zek3 |
red rock
cek3 sek6 |
rock breaking
pek3 sek6 |
i[iː]
clothes ji1
lion si1 zi2
support zi1 ci4
diphthongs |
-i |
iu[iːu] |
waist
jiu1 |
little bird
siu2 niu5 |
charming
giu1 ciu3 |
finals ending in nasal consonant |
-m |
im[iːm] |
flood
jim1 |
restrained
gim2 dim2 |
particular about
jim1 zim1 |
-n |
in[iːn] |
smoke
jin1 |
fairy
tin1 sin1 |
many years
jin4 nin4 |
|
-ng |
ing[ɪŋ] |
England
jing1 |
elite
zing1 jing1 |
quietly
hing1 sing1 |
|
finals with unreleased stops |
-p |
ip[iːp̚] |
leaf
jip6 |
skim (a book)
sip3 lip6 |
fold
zip3 dip6 |
-t |
it[iːt̚] |
hot
jit6 |
enthusiastic
jit6 lit6 |
rest
hit3 hit3 |
|
-k |
ik[ɪk̚] |
benefit
jik1 |
thunderbolt
pik1 lik1 |
a contest of strength
lik6 dik6 |
o[ɔː]
ax handle o1
veggies & fruits so1gwo2
Pineapple bo1 lo4
diphthongs |
-i |
oi[ɔːi] |
sad
oi1 |
avaricious
oi3 coi4 |
offshore
ngoi6 hoi2 |
-u |
ou[ou] |
bay
ou3 |
grape
pou4 tou4 |
report
bou3 gou3 |
|
finals ending in nasal consonant |
-n |
on[ɔːn] |
safe
on1 |
drought
gon1 hon5 |
upright & honest
hon2 hon2 |
-ng |
ong[ɔːŋ] |
just
gong1 |
frustrated
pong4 wong4 |
help
bong1 mong4 |
|
finals with unreleased stops |
-t |
ot[ɔːt̚] |
thirst
hot3 |
reap arrowroot
got3 got3 |
drink
hot3 hot3 |
-k |
ok[ɔːk̚] |
fierce
ok3 |
knowledgeable
bok3 hok6 |
corner
gok3 lok6 |
u[uː]
black wu1
lonely and sad gu1fu2
rich family fu3 wu6
diphthongs |
-i |
ui[uːi] |
return
wui4 |
younger sister
mui4 mui2 |
linger
pui4 wui4 |
finals ending in nasal consonant |
-n |
un[uːn] |
bowl
wun2 |
half a bowl
bun3 wun2 |
fill
gun3 mun5 |
-ng |
ung[ʊŋ] |
east
dung1 |
in the sky
hung1 zung1 |
east wind
dung1 fung1 |
|
finals with unreleased stops |
-t |
ut[uːt̚] |
alive
wut6 |
lively
wut6 put3 |
vigorous
but6 but6 |
-k |
uk[ʊk̚] |
house
uk1 |
wooden hut
muk6 uk1 |
bless
zuk1 fuk1 |
oe[œː]
boot hoe1
finals ending in nasal consonant |
-ng |
oeng[œːŋ] |
scent
hoeng1 |
rise
soeng6 joeng4 |
discuss
soeng1 loeng4 |
finals with unreleased stops |
-k |
oek[œːk̚] |
foot
goek3 |
joyful
zoek3 joek6 |
about
joek3 loek6 |
eo
diphthongs |
-i |
eoi[ɵy] |
live
geoi1 |
decline
seoi1 teoi3 |
remove
heoi3 ceoi4 |
finals ending in nasal consonant |
-n |
eon[ɵn] |
saliva
zeon1 |
London
leon4 deon1 |
foolish
ceon2 deon6 |
finals with unreleased stops |
-t |
eot[ɵt̚] |
out
ceot1 |
cheat
ceot1 seot6 |
nervous
leot6 leot6 |
yu[yː]
in jyu1
food waste cyu4 jyu4
easily jyu6 jyu4
finals ending in nasal consonant |
-n |
yun[yːn] |
sour
syun1 |
Sun Quan
syun1 kyun4 |
member
tyun4 jyun4 |
finals with unreleased stops |
-t |
yut[yːt̚] |
moon
jyut6 |
wane (moon)
jyut6 kyut3 |
poor
zyut6 lyut6 |
Syllabic nasals |
m |
m[m̩] |
no m4
|
ng |
ng[ŋ̩] |
five ng5
|