Complex sentence: The columns of each table classify syllables according to their initial consonant ("shēngmǔ " 聲母 lit."sound mother "), with syllables beginning with a vowel considered to have a"zero initial".
Split into simpler sentences: The columns of each table classify syllables according to their initial consonant ("shēngmǔ " 聲母 lit."sound mother "). A syllable beginning with a vowel is considered to have a"zero initial".