A Beginner's Guide to Taiwanese: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Tone Circles.png|right|frame|The seven tones, and how they change due to tone sandhi.]]
[[File:Tone Circles.png|right|frame|The seven tones, and how they change due to tone sandhi.]]


The basic unit of speech is the syllable, which can change tone depending on its environment. This process of [[tone sandhi]], from the Sanskrit word for "joining", is extensive in Taiwanese.
The basic unit of speech is the syllable, which can change tone depending on its environment. This process is generally called [[tone sandhi]] ("sandhi" is from the Sanskrit word for "joining") and in Taiwanese the rules for it are extensive.


Generally, a syllable inside of a word changes tone according to the Tone Circles. For example, the single-syllable word for "duck" (bird): ''{{x|aq}}''. Its original tone is low-short. After adding the suffix ''{{x|ar}}'', the tone becomes high-short: ''{{x|ah'ar}}''.  
Generally, a syllable inside of a word changes tone according to the Tone Circles. For example, the single-syllable word for "duck" (bird): ''{{x|aq}}''. Its original tone is low-short. After adding the suffix ''{{x|ar}}'', the tone becomes high-short: ''{{x|ah'ar}}''.  
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