Tone sandhi ("sandhi" is from the Sanskrit word for "joining") is the change of tone based on the pronunciation of adjacent words or morphemes.

  • In Taiwanese, most syllables will have to change tone (pierntiau) depending on the surrounding words and grammatical function. The rules for this are extensive. Basically, it's a way to join syllables into words as well as to join larger units.
  • Almost all verbs and adjectives will change tone to "join" them to whatever is coming next in the sentence, if present.
  • The final syllable in a noun doesn't change tone, as long as it's standing alone. (If it's being used as an adjective, see above.)

Basic rules (tone circles)

 
Taiwanese tones in isolation, and the changes they undergo when they precede another tone.
  • If the original tone number is 5 (curving-up tone), pronounce it as tone number 7 (basic).
  • If the original tone number is 7 (basic tone), pronounce it as tone number 3 (low-falling).
  • If the original tone number is 3 (low-falling), pronounce it as tone number 2 (shouting out).
  • If the original tone number is 2 (shouting tone), pronounce it as tone number 1 (high).
  • If the original tone number is 1 (high tone), pronounce it as tone number 7 (basic).
  • If the original tone number is 8 (high-short), pronounce it as tone number 4 (low-short).
  • If the original tone number is 4 (low-short), pronounce it as tone number 8 (high-short).

We admit this is a simplification. Please see Taiwanese Hokkien#Tone sandhi for a more detailed explanation.

Examples in Modern Literal Taiwanese

In MLT, most multisyllabic words are written with internal tones already changed. This way, the spelling explicitly reflects tone sandhi and thus grammar. For example:

Try using the MTL Toolbox to "unjoin" these example words into the original syllables:

Of course, there is still plenty of tone change that is not explicitly written.

Exceptions

Further details

See also