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''A Beginner's Guide to Taiwanese''
[[File:Lie hør.ogg|thumb|"Hello" in Taiwanese, written "[[Lie hør!]]"]]


==Website==
Li<u>e</u> hø<u>r</u>! Taiwanese is a beautiful and musical language spoken in Taiwan and by Taiwanese people around the world. This '''''Beginner's Guide to Taiwanese''''' will provide you with a brief introduction to the spoken language as well as a writing system called [[Modern Taiwanese Language]] (MTL).
*[http://learntaiwanese.org/Beginner's%20Guide%20to%20Taiwanese.html URL]
 
Most speakers of Taiwanese are not aware that there are established ways to phonetically write down the language. While there is not a single widely adopted system for the written form of the language (not even in [[Harnji]]), MTL is a very useful tool for learning Taiwanese. There are several other systems in use in Taiwan, such as [[Pe̍h-ōe-jī]] (POJ), Daighi tongiong pingim, and [[Taiwanese Romanization System]]. Unfortunately most Taiwanese speakers will not be able to read any of these phonetic systems but they will understand it when you read it.
 
==Introduction to Taiwanese Phonetics==
We will first introduce all of the phonetic sounds that you will encounter in Taiwanese. Some sounds have an approximation in English, while others may be less familiar. In the examples, we have underlined tone indicators that are silent, which we will explain later.
 
=== Consonants ===
[[File:conExp.ogg]]
{|
! MTL  !! Approx.  !! Example  !! Meaning
|-
| p  || B / cris'''p'''y  || papa<u>f</u>  || father
|-
| ph  || P (crisp)  || pha<u>q</u>  || to hit
|-
| m  || me  || [[mi]]  || noodle
|-
| b  || mu'''mb'''le  || ba<u>q</u>  || meat
|-
| t  || D (crisp)  || tit  || straight
|-
| th  || Thomas  || the<u>h</u>  || to take
|-
| n  || neat  || [[nii]]  || year
|-
| l  || Lima  || [[laang]]  || person
|-
| k  || gear  || ka<u>f</u> || to add (see {{x2|ka'iuu}})
|-
| kh  || key  || khi<u>x</u>  || go
|-
| h  || heap  || [[hii]]  || fish
|-
| g  || ga'''gg'''le  || go  || five
|-
| c(i)  || G  || cia<u>f</u>  || here
|-
| ch(i)  || cheese  || chia<u>f</u>  || car
|-
| s(i)  || she / sea  || si  || yes
|-
| j(i)  || Z  || [[jit]]  || day
|-
| z  || yar'''ds''' || ze<u>f</u>  || this
|-
| zh  || ca'''ts''' || zhai<u>x</u>  || vegetable
|-
| s  || Saul  || sva<u>f</u>  || three
|-
| j  || zoo  || joah  || hot
|}
 
The 'k' vs. 'g' as well as the 'p' vs. 'b' may be hard to differentiate at first. The 'g' and the 'b' are voiced, meaning the vocal cords vibrate along with the consonant. The 'k' and 'p' are unvoiced, not  as aspirated as in English but do have a distinct click or pop.
 
Note that "j" and "s" appear twice: these are slightly different when followed by an "i" vs other vowels.
 
=== Vowels ===
 
==== Single Vowels ====
[[File:SimpleVowels.ogg]]
{|
! MTL  !! Example !! Meaning
|-
| a  || ka || to bite
|-
| i  || h<u>v</u>i || ear
|-
| u  || u || to have
|-
| e  || ke || low
|-
| o  || [[lo]] || road
|-
| ø  || hø<u>r</u> || good
|-
| m  || m || no
|-
| ng || hng || far
|} 
 
The 'm' can be both vowel and consonant.
 
==== Compound Vowels ====
 
These vowels are a combination of two vowel sounds.
 
[[File:CompoundVowels.ogg]]
 
{|
! MTL !! Example !! Meaning
|-
| ai  || lai || sharp
|-
| au  || au || back
|-
| ia  || ia || to spread
|-
| iu  || [[chviu]] || elephant
|-
| iø  || [[Kiøo (kauthofng)|kiøo]] || bridge
|-
| iau  || liau || material/stuff
|-
| ui  || [[ui]] || stomach
|-
| oa  || toa || big
|-
| oe  || hoe || meeting
|-
| øe  || [[øe]] || to be able to
|-
| oai  || {{x2|koaix}} || weird 
|}
 
==== Nasal Vowel ====
 
These vowel sounds are made using your nose. Most vowels
have a nasal form. A 'v' is placed in front of the vowel to designate it.
 
[[File:FrontNasalV3.ogg]]
 
{|
! MTL  !! Example  !! Meaning
|-
| va || va  || filling (for dumplings etc.)
|-
| vi || [[hvi]] || ear
|-
| ve || gve || stiff
|-
| vo || gvo || to comprehend
|-
| vai || vai || to carry on back
|-
| vau || [[liengvau|gvau]] || lotus root
|-
| via || thviaf || to listen
|-
| viu || sviu || to think
|-
| viau || gviaugviaw || itchy
|-
| voa || voa || to exchange
|-
| voai || kvoaimngg || to close a door
|}
 
==== Ending vowel ====
 
Taiwanese has ending nasal vowel sounds using 'm', 'n' and 'ng'.
 
[[File:RearNasal.ogg]]
 
{|
! MTL !! Example !! Meaning
|-
| -am || lam || to mix
|-
| -im || a'kim (akim) || aunt
|-
| -iam || liam || to nag
|-
| -an || ban || slow
|-
| -in || kin || near
|-
| -un || tun || dull
|-
| -ien || lien || to practice
|-
| -oan || goan || wish
|-
| -ang || bang || dream
|-
| -eng || teng || hard
|-
| -ong || gong || dumb
|-
| -iang || liang || bright
|-
| -iong || iong || to use
|} 
 
A syllable in Taiwanese follows one of these two patterns:
* [consonant] + [nasal] vowel
* [consonant] + vowel + [rear nasal ending]
 
A valid syllable only needs to have a vowel. The brackets ([]) mean the consonant, nasal or rear nasal ending are optional.
 
A word can be formed with one or more syllables, but two syllables is most typical.
 
=== Tones ===
 
Taiwanese is a tonal language which means that the vowels are pronounced with a distinctive tone that
relate a distinctive meaning. A vowel spoken with a different tones has different meanings. Learning to
speak and listen for the tones correctly is often difficult for an English speaker since there are no tones
in English. With practice you will be able to hear and speak it. Taiwanese has 7 tones (Mandarin has 4).
Again most speakers of Taiwanese are not aware of the different tones but they can all understand it when
you pronounce it.
 
[[File:Tones1235784.ogg]]
{| border=3
| #
! Tones !! Description !! MTL !! Example
|-
| 1 || High || high level tone || f || af
|-
| 2 || Shouting || start high, then sharp downward || r || ar
|-
| 3 || Low Falling || start mid then downward tone || x || ax
|-
| 5 || Curving || start mid level then down and up  || doubling of vowel || aa
|-
| 7 || Basic || mid level tone || default || a
|-
| 8 || Short high || short high tone || ends with h, p, t or k  || ah, ap, at, ak 
|-
| 4 || Short low || short low tone || ends with q, b, d or g || aq, ab, ad, ag
|} 
 
The tone indicators (f, x, r, etc) are placed after the vowel.
 
Examples of the seven tones:
 
{|
! Tone !! Example !! Meaning
|-
| Basic || si || is
|-
| High || hiaf || there
|-
| Low Falling || [[zhaix]] || vegetable
|-
| Shouting || zar || early
|-
| Curving || hii || fish
|-
|  ||  || 
|-
| Short high || ciah || to eat
|-
| Short low || phaq || to hit
|-
| Short high || hap || to close
|-
| Short low || ciab || to catch
|-
| Short high || kut || slippery
|-
| Short low || [[kud]] || bone
|-
| Short high || [[lok]] || deer
|-
| Short low || [[kokkaf|kog]] || country 
|}
 
There are a few special vowels for certain tones. There are
five special vowels in the shouting-out tone, plus two special vowels in
the high tone. There is also a shortcut for the curving tone of 'ø'.
 
[[File:specialVowl.ogg]]
 
{|
! Vowel +  !!  Tone =  !! Special vowel  !! Example || Meaning
|-
| ai  || r || ae  || [[hae]] || sea
|-
| i  || r || ie  || [[lie]] || you
|-
| u  || r || uo  || kuo || (''of time'') long
|-
| e  || r || ea  || [[bea]] || horse
|-
| au  || r || ao  || [[kao]] || dog
|-
| i  || f || y  || y || he / she / it
|-
| u  || f || w || [[wtiu]] || universe
|-
| øø  ||  || øo || [[kiøo (kauthofng)|kiøo]] || bridge
|} 
 
[[File:Tone Circle.gif|right|alt=|Taiwanese tones in isolation, and the changes they undergo when they precede another tone.]]
 
The basic unit of speech is the syllable, which can change tone depending on where it is spoken in a sentence. If a syllable is spoken in the middle of a word, phrase or sentence, it changes tone according to the Tone Circle diagram below. If a syllable is spoken at the end of a phrase or sentence, it does not change tones. Most nouns do not change
tone.
 
The different tones and the [[tone sandhi|tone changes]] (sandhi) in Taiwanese are by far the hardest part of learning
Taiwanese.
 
=== Three Special Symbols ===
 
==== Apostrophe (') ====
 
When two syllables are put together, it may be necessary to
indicate a syllable boundary with an [[apostrophe]], given the rule that letters
must be grouped into a syllable starting from the right.
 
Example: '''of + kix''' vs '''og + ix'''
 
Suppose we want to combine '''of''', meaning “black”, with '''kix''', meaning “mole”. We simply take the modified tone of the first syllable and follow it by the second syllable. The result is '''[[okix]]''' (meaning “black mole”). Following the rules of MTL reading, '''kix''' is the longest possible syllable starting from the right. Thus the first syllable is the simple vowel '''o '''and the second syllable is '''kix''', and no apostrophe is needed.
 
If we combine '''og''' (“evil”) and '''ix''' (“intention”) without an apostrophe, we also get '''okix'''. By the rules of reading MTL, the final syllable appears to be '''kix'''. Therefore, we must insert an apostrophe ('''ok'ix''') to indicate that the last syllable is '''ix'''. Now we know the first syllable is '''ok''', which is the modified tone of '''og'''. The word '''[[ok'ix]]''' means “evil intention”.
 
==== Hyphen (-) ====
 
A [[hyphen]] is used to join two, or more isolated words to
make a new compound word with its own meaning.
 
Examples: '''[[Taioaan-laang]]''' (Taiwanese person); '''[[Bykog-kongbiin]]''' (American citizen).
 
When reading these hyphenated words, the syllable directly
before the hyphen must undergo tone change.
 
==== Back-quote (`) ====
 
When a word contains a [[Kiongjiok-huhø|back-quote]], all the syllables after
the back-quote are accented in a weaker, lower tone -- either a low-falling tone
or a low stop. The tone of the syllable before the back-quote remains unchanged.
 
Example:
 
[[File:Kviaf`sie vs Kviaf-sie.ogg]]
 
* kviaf`sie ((v.) ''to freak someone out'') - ''kviaf'' keeps its high tone but ''sie'' is pronounced with a weakened low tone.
 
* [[kviasie]] ((adj.) ''scared of death'') – ''kviaf'' is pronounced with normal tone change from high to basic while ''sie'' is pronounced as a shouting tone. ''{{w|Kiasi}}'' is Hokkien phrase that describes the attitude of being overly afraid or timid.
 
== Further study ==
* [[Introduction to Taiwanese Vocabulary]]
* [[Practical Taiwanese Conversation]]
* [[Taiwanese alphabet]]
 
== External links ==
* [http://learntaiwanese.org/Beginner's%20Guide%20to%20Taiwanese.html HTML version]


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