A Beginner's Guide to Taiwanese: Difference between revisions

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=== Syllable structure ===
=== Syllable structure ===
A syllable in Taiwanese is either:
A syllable in Taiwanese is either:
* [initial] + vowel + [nasal final consonant]
* [initial] + '''vowel''' + [nasal final consonant]
* [initial] + [nasal] vowel
* [initial] + [v] + '''vowel'''
where the brackets mean the initial consonant, nasal ''v'', or nasal final consonant (NFC) can be left out. Therefore:
Anything in square brackets is optional. This means:
* a vowel is always required
* a vowel is always required
* there is never "double nasal": ''v'', ''-m'', ''-n'', or ''-ng'' are mutually exclusive  
* ''v'', ''-m'', ''-n'', and ''-ng'' are mutually exclusive
Finally, syllables usually aren't "double nasal". For example, ''ban'' and ''bang'' are valid, but ''man'' and ''mang'' are not valid. However, when ''[[ng]]'' is the vowel, we do see ''m'' and ''n'' as the initial: ''mng'', ''{{x|mngg}}'', ''{{x|nngf}}'', etc.
 
Also, we never find nasal initials with other nasals except when ''[[ng]]'' is the vowel:
* ''{{x|man}}'' and ''{{x|mang}}'' don't exist
* ''{{x|ban}}'' and ''{{x|bang}}'' do exist
* ''{{x|mng}}'', ''{{x|mngg}}'', ''{{x|nngf}}'', ''{{x|nng}}'', ''{{x|nngx}}'', ... do exist


== Tone sandhi ==
== Tone sandhi ==
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