I. Syllables without initials
The conventions for representing syllables withou initial consonants are as follows.
1. In the first row, no special rules.
|
anjing |
quiet |
|
hen e |
(very) hungry |
|
Aozhou |
Australia |
|
Ouzhou |
Europe |
2. In the "i" row: change i to y
|
Example with initial consonant |
Example without initial consonant |
|
jia |
family |
|
ya |
duck |
|
jie |
street |
|
ye |
also |
|
qiao |
bridge |
|
yao |
to want |
|
xian |
string |
|
yan |
salt |
|
qiong |
poor |
|
yong |
to use |
** Exceptions: i goes to yi
iu goes to you
in goes to yin
ing goes to ying
Thus:
|
Example with initial consonant |
Example without initial consonant |
|
bi |
to compare |
|
yi |
one |
|
diu |
to lose |
|
you |
to have |
|
lin |
a surname |
|
yin |
sound |
|
ting |
to listen |
|
ying |
hard, stiff |
3. In the "ü" row: prefix with y
|
Example with initial consonant |
Example without initial consonant |
|
qu |
to go |
|
yu |
fish |
|
xue |
to study |
|
yue |
month |
|
juan |
to roll, curl |
|
yuan |
distant |
|
jun |
military |
|
yun |
clouds |
4. In the "u" row: change u to w
|
Example with initial consonant |
Example without initial consonant |
|
zhua |
to grasp |
|
wa |
tile |
|
duo |
much, many |
|
wo |
I, me |
|
kuai |
fast |
|
wai |
outer |
|
chuang |
bed |
|
wang |
a surname |
**Exceptions: u goes to wu
ui goes to wei
uen goes to wen
Thus:
|
Example with initial consonant |
Example without initial consonant |
|
lu |
road |
|
wu |
five |
|
tui |
leg |
|
wei |
"Hello" (on the phone) |
|
zhun |
accurate |
|
wen |
to ask |
II. Exceptional chart spellings (applied in syllables with initial consonants)
1. * where you would expect uei instead write ui (without initial = wei)
* where you would expect iou instead write iu (without initial = you)
* where you would expect uen instead write un (without initial = wen)
2. The final uo reduced to o after the initials b, p, m, f:
thus: bo po mo fo (vs. duo zhuo zuo kuo guo)
III. Drop the umlaut except in syllables beginning with l and n.
lü : "green" .................... lu : "road"
nü : "female"................. nu :"diligent" (not actually a single syllable word)
