Ace Dystopia | 許嘉銘

台山話拼音一〇一

hoi²²

san³³

va³²⁵

pen³³

yim³³⁵

yit⁵⁵

liang²²

yit⁵⁵

Introduction

Have you experienced this before?

uymchi

mse

trailanfa

hoa yipoay sui

juk oh’loh hohk gong hoisan wah woiyohn ung jih fai lok

pian oc

How would you romanize this?

粽

dung

dong

doong

duung

次

thlue

thue

thu

thlue

lhu

lhue

schlue

schlu

schue

xu

xue

hlu

trlu

shclu

What is pinyin (拼音)?

• Pinyin is the romanization of Chinese characters based on their pronunciation
• The most commonly used system is Hanyu Pinyin, which was used in the 1950s in China as a tool to teach Standard Written Chinese
• Another commonly used romanization system in the Cantonese community is Jyutping, which was developed by the Linguistic Society of Hong Kong in 1993
• An older Cantonese romanization system is Yale, which was created by Gerard P. Kok for his Cantonese textbook in 1952
• Consistency

Does a Formal Taishanese �Pinyin System Exist?

• Very niche usage
• Small population of speakers in comparison to Cantonese and Mandarin speakers
• Only limited to use in Taishan and older overseas generations
• Many Taishanese characters are unknown, even to native speakers
• Mandarin has been continually promoted in China for decades as the official language
• Cantonese is the lingua franca of Guangdong province

Then Why Learn Taishanese Pinyin?

• Pronunciation help aids in learning a language
• A somewhat standardized method of romanization will create less confusion
• Learning to read and write helps with learning a language, especially if some characters don’t have standardized Chinese characters
• Heritage speaker wanting to learn more

Taishanese Tones

• 55 – High tone (ex. 好)
• 33 – Mid tone (ex. 我)
• 22 – Low tone (ex. 唔)
• 32 – Mid falling tone (ex. 係)
• 21 – Low falling tone (ex. 馬)
• 335 – Mid tone (changed) (ex. 刀)
• 225 – Low tone (changed) (ex. 橙)
• 325 – Mid falling tone (changed) (ex. 碟)
• 215 – Low falling tone (changed) (ex. 蚊)

Hoisanva Penyim (Initials)

b

• 鼻 – bi³² [nose]
• 冰 – ben³³ [ice]
• 八 – bat³³ [eight]
• 病 – biang³² [sick]
• 幫 – bong³³ [to help]
• 爸 – ba⁵⁵ [father]

​

/p/

p

• 婆 – puo²² [grandmother]
• 平 – pen²² [flat]
• 皮 – pi²² [skin]
• 泊 – pak⁵⁵ [park]
• 片 – pen³³ [sheet/disk]
• 普 – pu⁵⁵ [common]

​

/pʰ/

m

• 乜 – mot⁵⁵ [what]
• 明 – men²² [smart]
• 名 – miang²²⁵ [name]
• 唔 – m²² [negation particle]
• 買 – mai³³ [purchase/buy]
• 冇 – mau³³ [not have/lack]

​

/ᵐb/

f

• 風 – fung³³ [wind]
• 放 – fong³³ [to place]
• 飛 – fi³³ [to fly]
• 火 – fuo⁵⁵ [fire]
• 啡 – fia⁵⁵ [brown]
• 粉 – fun⁵⁵ [powder/noodle]

​

/f/

​

v

• 話 – va³²⁵ [speech]
• 畫 – vak³² [to draw]
• 雲 – vun²² [clouds]
• 碗 – von⁵⁵ [bowl]
• 還 – van²¹ [still]
• 會 – voi²¹ [will]

​

/v/

​

Note: Some speakers might not use this sound and instead use [w-].

For example, instead of 話 being pronounced as [va³²], it is pronounced as [wa³²].

d

• 做 – du³³ [to do]
• 左 – duo³² [left side]
• 早 – dau⁵⁵ [early]
• 井 – diang⁵⁵ [well]
• * – dok⁵⁵ [to lock]
• 姐 – di⁵⁵ [older sister]

​

/t/

​

t

• 錯 – tuo³³ [wrong]
• 前 – ten²² [front]
• 草 – tau⁵⁵ [grass]
• 請 – tiang⁵⁵ [to invite]
• 七 – tit⁵⁵ [seven]
• 切 – tet³³ [to cut]

​

/tʰ/

​

n

• 你 – ni³³ [you]
• 尼 – nai⁵⁵ [some]
• 乃 – nai²¹⁵ [where]
• 偌 – niak²¹ [you (plural)]
• * – na²² [to climb]
• 難 – nan²² [difficult]

​

/ⁿd/

​

l

• 老 – lau⁵⁵ [old]
• 來 – loi²² [to come]
• 藍 – lam²² [blue]
• 利 – li³² [sharp]
• 龍 – lung²² [dragon]
• 啦 – la⁵⁵ [ending particle]

​

/l/

​

lh

• 三 – lham³³ [three]
• 心 – lhim³³ [heart]
• 新 – lhin³³ [new]
• 笑 – lhiau³³ [laugh]
• 想 – lhiang⁵⁵ [to want to]
• 似 – lhu²¹ [to resemble]

​

/ɬ/

​

Note: One of the hardest sounds if not the hardest for learners to pronunciation.

This sound also exists in a few other Yue varieties and in Welsh.

​

Note: Some Taishan dialects may not have this sound. Instead they may have an [s-] sound. This happens more frequently the further you travel away from Taicheng.

g

• 見 – gen³³ [to see]
• 哥 – guo⁵⁵ [brother]
• 個 – goi³³ [measure word]
• 家 – ga³³ [family]
• 加 – ga³³ [add]
• 講 – gong⁵⁵ [to speak]

​

/k/

​

k

• 佢 – kui³³ [him]
• 㑢 – kiak²¹ [they/them]
• 企 – ki⁵⁵ [home]
• 窮 – kung²² [poor]
• 橋 – kiau²² [bridge]
• 靠 – kau²¹⁵ [like this/such]

​

/kʰ/

​

ng

• 我 – ngoi³³ [I/me]
• 牛 – ngeu²² [cow]
• 二 – ngi³² [two]
• 牙 – nga²² [teeth]
• 眼 – ngan⁵⁵ [eyes]
• 啱 – ngam⁵⁵ [correct]

​

/ᵑɡ/

​

dz

• 中 – dzung³³ [middle]
• 整 – dzen⁵⁵ [to make]
• 真 – dzin³³ [real]
• 直 – dzet³² [straight]
• 粥 – dzuk⁵⁵ [rice congee]
• 住 – dzi³² [to live in]

​

/t͡s/

​

Note: While some people may choose to use [j-], it might confuse people who are familiar with Jyutping as their [j-] makes a [y-] sound.

​

ts

• 茶 – tsa²² [tea]
• 床 – tsong²² [bed]
• 重 – tsung³³ [heavy]
• 橙 – tsang²²⁵ [orange]
• 車 – tsia³³ [car]
• 叉 – tsa²¹⁵ [fork]

​

/t͡sʰ/

​

Note: Unofficial romanization systems may use [ch-], but if you pay attention to how it sounds, [ts-] is more accurate as a means of portraying this sound.

​

y

• 用 – yung³² [to use]
• 有 – yiu³³ [to have]
• 亦 – yiak³² [also]
• 藥 – yiak²¹ [medicine]
• 完 – yon⁵⁵ [far]
• 爺 – yia²² [mat. grandfather]

​

/j~ʝ/

​

Note: Jyutping uses [j-] for this sound.

​

Note: Some Taishanese dialects may have a minor [z-] sound for this.

s

• 山 – san³³ [mountain]
• 聲 – siang³³ [sound]
• 城 – siang²² [city]
• 生 – sang³³ [raw]
• 省 – sang⁵⁵ [province]
• 十 – sip³² [ten]

​

/s/

​

h

• 台 – hoi²² [stage]
• 同 – hung²² [and]
• 睇 – hai⁵⁵ [to see]
• 田 – hen²² [field]
• 聽 – hiang³³ [to listen]
• 攞 – huo⁵⁵ [to get/obtain]

​

/h/

​

5 Minute Break

Hoisanva Penyim (Rhymes)

a

• 打 – a⁵⁵ [to hit]
• 媽 – ma⁵⁵ [mother]
• 花 – fa³³ [flower]
• 啊 – a³³ [ending particle]
• 下 – ha³³ [to go down]
• 哈 – ha⁵⁵ [ha]

​

/a/

​

ai

• 大 – ai³² [big]
• 米 – mai⁵⁵ [raw rice]
• 賣 – mai³² [to sell]
• 太 – hai³³ [too]
• 曬* – sai³³ [to sundry]
• 拉 – lai³³ [pull]

​

/ai/

​

au

• 好 – hau⁵⁵ [good]
• 到 – au³³ [at]
• 刀 – au³³⁵ [knife]
• 爪 – dzau⁵⁵ [claw]
• 高 – gau³³ [tall/high]
• 頭* – hau⁵⁵ [head]

​

/au/

​

Note: Some Taishanese dialects use different rhymes for this sound, for example, 好 could be [hou⁵⁵] and [hao⁵⁵].

Or they may say other words with this, such as 頭 as [hau³³].

am

• 鹹 – ham²² [salty]
• 攬 – lam⁵⁵ [hug]
• 喊 – ham³³ [to call]
• 敢 – gam⁵⁵ [pfctv. particle]
• 男 – nam²² [male]
• 擔 – am³³ [to carry]

​

/am/

​

an

• 萬 – man³² [ten thousand]
• 慢 – man³² [slow]
• 閂 – san³³ [to close]
• 飯 – fan³² [rice]
• 板 – ban⁵⁵ [board]
• 單 – an²²⁵ [bill]

​

/an/

​

ang

• 等 – ang⁵⁵ [wait]
• 行 – hang²² [to walk]
• 燈 – ang³³⁵ [light]
• * – mang⁵⁵ [irritable]
• 冷 – lang³³ [cold]
• 盲 – mang²² [blind]

​

/aŋ/

​

ap

• 答 – ap⁵⁵ [to reply]
• 鴨 – ap³³ [duck]
• 合* – hap³² [to join/fit]
• 甲 – gap²¹ [nail/hoof]
• 塔 – hap⁵⁵ [pagoda]
• 夾 – gap³² [to clip/clamp]

​

/ap̚/

​

at

• 辣 – lat³² [spicy]
• 襪 – mat³² [socks]
• 刷 – tsat²¹⁵ [brush]
• 滑 – vat³² [slippery]
• 咳 – kat⁵⁵ [cough]
• 撻 – tat⁵⁵ [tart]

​

/at̚/

​

ak

• 得 – ak³³ [possibility]
• 黑 – hak⁵⁵ [black]
• 客 – hak³³ [guest]
• 白– bak³² [white]
• 北 – bak⁵⁵ [north]
• 呃 – ngak⁵⁵ [to cheat]

​

/ak̚/

​

i

• 住 – dzi³² [to live in]
• 煮 – dzi⁵⁵ [to cook]
• 樹 – si³² [tree]
• 試 – si³³ [to try]
• 未* – mi³² [not yet]
• 意 – yi³³ [meaning]

​

/i/

​

Note: In some dialects of Taishanese that don’t have [-ei], they pronounce it with an [-i]. For example, 耳 can be [ngi⁵⁵] and [ngei⁵⁵]. No proof has been found that the Taishanese vowel shift was the same one Cantonese underwent 200 years ago.

​

Tip: It’s useful to think of this sound as ee, like the word “to see”.

iu

• 手 – siu⁵⁵ [hand]
• 有 – yiu³³ [to have]
• 油 – yiu²² [oil]
• 就– diu³² [so…]
• 洲 – dziu³³ [state]
• 九* – giu⁵⁵ [nine]

​

/iu/

​

Note: Some Taishanese dialects may pronounce [-iu] as [-eu], for example, 手 is [seu⁵⁵].

​

im

• 音 – yim³³ [sound]
• 飲 – ngim⁵⁵ [drink]
• 心 – lhim³³ [heart]
• 今 – gim³³ [today]
• 淋 – lim²² [to water]
• 金 – gim³³⁵ [gold]

​

/im/

​

in

• 緊 – gin⁵⁵ [tight/-ing]
• 人 – ngin²² [person]
• 恩 – yin³³ [Enping]
• 斤– gin³³ [500 grams]
• 近 – kin³² [close by]
• 嚀 – nen²¹⁵ [over there]

(sometimes nen215)

/in/

​

ip

• 邑 – yip⁵⁵ [county]
• 入 – yip³² [to enter]
• 廿 – ngip³² [twenty]
• 粒– lip³³ [measure word]
• 凹 – nip³³ [concave]
• 卌 – lhip³² [forty]

​

/ip̚/

​

it

• 日 – ngit³³ [day]
• 七 – tit⁵⁵ [seven]
• * – it³³ [to place/store]
• 筆– bit⁵⁵ [writing utensil]
• 失 – sit⁵⁵ [to lose]
• 㓤 – git³³ [to puncture]

​

/it̚/

​

ia

• 蛇 – sia²² [snake]
• 寫 – lhia⁵⁵ [to write]
• 借 – dia³³ [to borrow]
• 茄 – kia²¹⁵ [eggplant]
• 孭 – bia²¹/mia²¹ [to carry]
• 斜 – tia²² [incline]

​

/iɛ/

​

iau

• 表 – biau³³⁵ [watch/clock]
• 苗 – miau²² [vaccine]
• 要 – yiau³³ [to need]
• 跳 – hiau³³ [to jump]
• 笑 – lhiau³³ [to laugh]
• 掉 – iau³² [to throw away]

​

/iau/

​

Note: Alternative Taishanese dialects may have an [-el], [-eu], or [-ei] sound instead.

iam

• 點 – iam⁵⁵ [dot]
• 店 – iam³³⁵ [store]
• 甜 – hiam²² [sweet]
• 撿 – giam⁵⁵ [to pick up]
• 掩 – yiam⁵⁵ [to close]
• 鉗 – kiam²²⁵ [tongs]

​

/iam/

iang

• 香 – hiang³³ [fragrant]
• 掟 – iang³³ [to throw]
• 頸 – giang⁵⁵ [neck]
• 長 – tsiang²² [long]
• 樣 – yiang²¹⁵ [shape/look]
• 靚 – liang²² [pretty]

​

/iaŋ/

iap

• 碟 – iap³²⁵ [plates]
• 摺 – dziap³³ [to fold]
• 接 – diap³³ [to receive]
• 醃 – yiap³³ [to salt/cure]
• * – siap³³ [to sprain]
• 罅 – liap²¹ [crack]

​

/iap̚/

iak

• 偌 – niak²¹ [you (plural)]
• 佉 – kiak²¹ [they/them]
• 吃 – hiak³³ [to eat]
• 石 – siak²¹ [rock]
• 叻 – liak⁵⁵ [smart]
• 雀 – diak²¹⁵ [bird]

​

/iak̚/

5 Minute Break

u

• 肚 – u⁵⁵ [stomach]
• 路 – lu³² [road]
• 都 – du⁵⁵ [also]
• 數 – su³³ [to count]
• 步 – bu³² [step]
• 度 – u³² [degree]

​

/u/

​

Note: Some Taishanese dialects may pronounce some of these as [-ou]. For example, in Suibu, they say Suibou.

​

Tip: Think of this as the u in tune.

​

ui

• 對 – ui³³ [facing]
• 魚 – ngui²¹⁵ [fish]
• 水 – sui⁵⁵ [water]
• 佢 – kui³³ [he/her]
• 女 – nui⁵⁵ [girl]
• 去 – hui³³ [to go]

​

/ui/

​

Note: Cantonese used to commonly have this sound, but it has been replaced with [-eoi].

​

un

• 文 – mun²² [language]
• 粉 – fun⁵⁵ [noodle/powder]
• 村 – tun²¹⁵ [village]
• 問 – mun³² [to ask]
• 輪 – lun²²⁵ [wheel]
• 瞓 – fun³³ [to sleep]

​

/un/

​

Tip: Think of this as the u in tune.

ut

• 骨 – gut⁵⁵ [bone]
• 血 – hut³³ [blood]
• 月 – ngut²¹ [month]
• 出 – tsut⁵⁵ [to exit]
• * – tut³³ [to erase]
• 雪 – lhut⁵⁵ [snow]

​

/ut̚/

​

Tip: Think of this as the u in tune.

ei*

• 耳 – ngei⁵⁵ [ear]
• 畀 – ei⁵⁵ [to give]
• 你 – nei³³ [you]
• 利 – lei³² [sharp]
• 頭* – hei²² [head]
• 狗* – gei²² [dog]

​

/ei/

​

Note: In some dialects of Taishanese that don’t have [-ei], they pronounce it with an [i]. For example, 耳 can be [ngi⁵⁵] and [ngei⁵⁵].

(No proof has been found that the Taishanese vowel shift was the same one Cantonese underwent about 200 years ago.) -Citation Pending

​

​

eu

• 豆 – eu³²⁵ [bean/pea]
• 口 – heu⁵⁵ [mouth]
• 狗* – geu⁵⁵ [dog]
• 夠 – geu³³ [enough]
• 叫 – geu³³ [called]
• 嗽 – lheu³³ [cough]

​

/ɛu/

​

em

• 林* – lem²² [forest]
• 冚 – kem⁵⁵ [to cover]
• * – tsem²² [to jump]
• 甜* – hem³³ [sweet]
• 店* – em³³ [shop]
• 點* – em⁵⁵ [dot]

​

/ɜm/

​

Note: Some Taishanese dialects may pronounce [-em] in place of [-iam]. For example, 點 is pronounced [em⁵⁵].

en

• 麵 – men³² [noodles]
• 天 – hen³³ [sky]
• 明 – men²² [bright]
• 錢 – ten²²⁵ [money]
• 冰 – ben³³ [ice]
• 剪 – den⁵⁵ [to cut]

​

/en/

​

Note: Some Taishanese dialects may pronounce [-en] as [ing]. For example, in Onfun, they pronounce 明 as [ming²²].

ep

• 𢱕 – ep³² [to nail/hammer]
• 圾 – lhep⁵⁵ [garbage]

/ɵp̚/

​

et

• 色 – set⁵⁵ [colour]
• 熱 – nget³² [hot]
• 鐵 – het³³ [metal]
• 跌 – et³³ [to fall down]
• 力 – let³² [power]
• 識 – set⁵⁵ [to know]

​

/ɛt̚/

​

Note: Some Taishanese dialects may pronounce this as [-ik]. For example, in Onfun, 色 is pronounced [sik⁵⁵].

ung

• 龍 – lung²² [dragon]
• 風 – fung³³ [wind]
• 紅 – hung²² [red]
• 東 – ung³³ [east]
• 蟲 – tsung²² [bug]
• 粽 – dung²¹⁵ [zongzi]

​

/ɵŋ/

​

uuk

• 屋 – uk⁵⁵ [house]
• 讀 – uk³² [read]
• 六 – luk³² [six]
• 木 – muk²¹ [wood]
• 肉 – nguk³² [meat]
• 竹 – dzuk⁵⁵ [bamboo]

​

/ɵk̚/

o

• 多 – uo³³ [much/many]
• 攞 – huo⁵⁵ [to accept]
• 火 – fuo⁵⁵ [fire]
• 哥 – guo⁵⁵ [brother]
• 坐 – tuo³³ [to sit]
• * – buo³³⁵ [ball]

​

/ᵘɔ/

​

Note: There is a slight u sound at the beginning of this rhyme.

oi

• 愛 – oi³³ [to love]
• 我 – ngoi³³ [I/me]
• 偔 – ngoi²¹ [we/us]
• 灰 – foi³³ [grey/ash]
• 仔 – doi⁵⁵ [son]
• 海 – hoi⁵⁵ [ocean]

​

/ᵘɔi/

​

Note: There is a slight u sound at the beginning of this rhyme.

on

• 安 – on³³ [calm]
• 乾 – gon³³ [dry]
• 門 – mon²² [door]
• 碗 – von⁵⁵ [bowl]
• 船 – son²² [boat]
• 元 – yon²² [yuan (China)]

​

/ᵘɔn/

​

Note: There is a slight u sound at the beginning of this rhyme.

ong

• 當 – ong³³ [to regard as]
• 方 – fong³³ [square]
• 光 – gong³³ [bright]
• 網 – mong⁵⁵ [net]
• 湯 – hong³³ [soup]
• 黃 – vong²² [yellow]

​

/ɔŋ/

ot

• 乜 – mot⁵⁵ [what]
• 粵 – yot³² [Yue]
• 抹 – mot³³ [to wipe]
• 闊 – fot³³ [width]
• 割 – got³³ [to slice sideway]
• 脱 – hot³³ [to remove clothes]

​

/ᵘɔt̚/

​

Note: There is a slight u sound at the beginning of this rhyme.

​

ok

• 惡 – ok⁵⁵ [fierce]
• 剝 – mok³³ [to peel off]
• 殼 – hok²¹ [ladle]
• 國 – gok⁵⁵ [country]
• 鑊 – vok²¹ [wok]
• 學 – hok³² [to learn]

​

/ɔk̚/

​

Note: Don’t confuse this with [-uuk].

m

• 五 – m⁵⁵ [five]
• 唔 – m²² [negation]

/m̩/

​

Note: Older Taishanese dialects may pronounce 五 as [ng⁵⁵].

Exceptions

• Romanizing names
• Other Taishanese dialect sounds

Taishanese Romanization Test

第一阿誰打電話畀我啊？

第一阿誰打電話畀我啊？

ai³²-yit⁵⁵ a³³-sui²¹⁵ a⁵⁵ en³²-va³²⁵ i⁵⁵ ngoi³³ a³³?

我今年返去台山見親戚同埋吃黃鱔飯。

我今年返去台山見親戚同埋吃黃鱔飯。

ngoi³³ gim³³-nen²² fan³³-hui³³ hoi²²-san³³ gen³³ tin³³-tet⁵⁵ hung²²-moi²² hiak³³ vong²²-sen²¹-fan³²。

老師話：返屋企要讀書寫字

老師話：返屋企要讀書寫字

lau⁵⁵-lhu³³ va³²: fan³³ uk⁵⁵-ki⁵⁵ yiau³³ uk³²-si³³ lhia⁵⁵-du³².

Other Systems for Romanizing Taishanese

Stephen Li Simplified IPA Romanization

Pros:

• Online dictionary (with audio)
• Simplified IPA romanization is more accurate and uses less symbols
• Basic lessons on website

Cons:

• IPA romanization can’t be typed by the average person

Gene Chin Romanization

Pros:

• Most extensive online Taishanese dictionary (no audio)
• Diacritic tone markers

Cons:

• Not as easy to navigate

Defense Language Institute Romanization

Pros:

• Has an entire textbook dedicated to Taishanese

Cons:

• Inconsistent
• No chart for all the sounds
• Textbook is from the 1960s
• Textbook is handwritten in many parts

Deng Jun Romanization

Pros:

• Printed and extensive dictionary from Taishan
• Can be typed out

Cons:

• Chinese to Chinese dictionary
• Not as easy to access

That’s all!

Any questions?