Pinyin initial: "mi"

/mi/

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

Pronunciation Tips

The “Cheat Code”

Think of the m in “me”—a relaxed, humming m made with closed lips—then go straight into the vowel without adding any extra puff of air.

Mouth Mechanics (step-by-step)

Close your lips gently (upper and lower lips touch fully, but don’t press hard).
Let your voice turn on immediately (feel a soft buzz in your throat and a gentle vibration around your lips/nose).
Keep the tongue relaxed and low behind the teeth; it does not “do” the consonant—your lips do.
Release the lips smoothly into the following vowel (for mi-, open into an ee-like sound; for miao- / mian- / mie- / miu-, glide quickly into the next vowel).
Keep airflow steady—this sound is made with voicing and gentle nasal resonance, not forceful breath.

Key feeling: a quiet, steady “mmm…” hum, then a clean transition into the vowel.

English Approximation (what to copy)

The consonant m- is essentially the same as English m.

“me” — use the m at the start (m-e).
“mama” — use the m in the middle or start (ma-).
“sum” — use the m at the end (su-m), but in Mandarin it will be at the beginning, then immediately followed by a vowel.

How to match Mandarin more closely: - In English, some speakers make m a little “heavy” (pressed lips, strong nasal hum). In Mandarin, keep it light and quick, then move on.

Common Mistakes (English-speaker traps)

Over-pressing the lips: Don’t clamp the lips shut too tightly; it should be gentle.
Adding an extra vowel before the syllable: Don’t say “uh-mi” or “em-mi.” Start directly with m.
Turning it into “mee-y…” before i (like adding a “y” sound too early). The m should be clear first, then the vowel/glide comes after.
Nasal overkill: You should feel some nasal resonance (it’s m), but it shouldn’t sound “stuffed-up” or exaggerated.

Practice Pairs (visual sound anchors)

Pinyin syllable	Closest English anchor	What to copy in English	What to change for Mandarin
mi	“me”	the starting m	keep m light; don’t add “uh-” before it
mie	“me, eh” (two parts)	m from “me”	glide quickly into a short “eh”-like vowel (one smooth syllable, not two words)
miao	“meow”	the initial m	keep the glide smooth; avoid over-rounding too early
mian	“me + an” (one syllable feel)	m from “me”	glide into a front “eh/ae”-like quality, then end with -n (tongue touches the gum ridge)
min	“mean”	m and the overall “mee-” feel	end with -n, not “ng”
ming	“ming” (as in “Ming dynasty”)	m at the start	end with -ng (back of tongue lifts), not -n
miu	“mew”	m + “ew”	keep it one syllable; don’t insert a separate “yoo”

These English words are pronunciation anchors, not perfect matches. The goal is to lock in the m cleanly and then transition smoothly into the Mandarin final.

Comparisons & Caveats (similar Pinyin and what to watch)

mi- vs. bi-/pi- (don’t confuse the lip action):
- m- is nasal + voiced (you can hum it: “mmm”).
- b- / p- are stops (a clean lip “pop” release). p- also has noticeable aspiration (a stronger burst of air), while m- does not.
mi- vs. ni- (lips vs. tongue):
- m-: made with lips closed.
- n-: made with the tongue touching the gum ridge behind the upper front teeth.
-n vs. -ng endings after m-:
- min ends with -n: tongue tip closes at the front (behind upper teeth).
- ming ends with -ng: back of the tongue lifts; the tongue tip stays relatively free. Mixing these up is very common.
mi vs. miao/mian/mie/miu (the “y-glide” feeling):
In syllables like mie, miao, mian, miu, the sound after m includes a quick front glide (a “y”-like movement). Keep it fast and smooth—don’t turn it into two syllables (not “mi-ao,” not “mi-an”).
Tone is separate from the initial:
The m- stays the same in mi1 / mi2 / mi3 / mi4 / mi5 and in mian2 / mian3 / mian4, ming2 / ming3 / ming4, etc. Only the pitch contour changes; the lip-made consonant does not.