tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674533288609171573.post4146959013972165196..comments2023-08-25T22:42:44.422+08:00Comments on Mandarin Segments: The "sleeping cats" guide to pinyin pronunciationGreghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11197148648944758867noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674533288609171573.post-91632926079418238872013-09-20T13:57:55.734+08:002013-09-20T13:57:55.734+08:00Pronunciation is the way a phrase or a vocabulary ...Pronunciation is the way a phrase or a vocabulary is used, or the manner in which someone utters a phrase. If you are said to have got "correct pronunciation", then it refers to both inside a particular dialect. <a href="http://www.howdoyousaythatword.com/english-words/pronounce-london-place-names/" rel="nofollow">How to pronounce London place-names</a><br /><br /> Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09988824537426226265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674533288609171573.post-50007754458322646482011-04-21T07:50:45.463+08:002011-04-21T07:50:45.463+08:00Interesting article Greg.
I tend to struggle the ...Interesting article Greg.<br /><br />I tend to struggle the most with s, sh and x sounds. The s and sh applies to every language I guess.Ma Si Wenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15689275883324581595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674533288609171573.post-70205816821258758422010-06-03T08:08:22.693+08:002010-06-03T08:08:22.693+08:00Hi kdobson, thanks for your comment. I'm not s...Hi kdobson, thanks for your comment. I'm not sure I fully understand your point (although I liked the part where you wrote "excellent analogy" :-)<br /><br />Ultimately, I was trying to come as close to the 'correct' pronunciation as I could, and the ending sound of "zeds" (or "heads" or "kids" ...) definitely sounds more like "dz" than "ts".Greghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11197148648944758867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674533288609171573.post-32748890335203164062010-06-02T05:56:15.015+08:002010-06-02T05:56:15.015+08:00Representing pinyin 'z' as "[dz]"...Representing pinyin 'z' as "[dz]" is problematic in that the sounds in English "[dz]" are voiced (something in your throat vibrates when you produce each consonant), while pinyin 'z' represents a sound that that is not voiced.<br /><br />"C" as the 'ts' in 'cats' is an excellent analogy.Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01834215388201281542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674533288609171573.post-10179940041694306192010-05-16T07:02:28.840+08:002010-05-16T07:02:28.840+08:00Niel, thanks for commenting on this. I wish I'...<b>Niel,</b> thanks for commenting on this. I wish I'd got it right from the beginning, because it's the words I learned early (incorrectly) which I still trip-up on, like: za, xianzai, hanzi, etc. Hopefully this article will help others *before* they get into a bad habit!<br /><br /><br /><b>Puerhan,</b> I didn't think that the pinyin system matched any other systems (although I'm sure they overlap in places). For example, I can't imagine writing 'c' for 'ts' (or 'e' for 'uh', like 'feng') can be particularly common. Happy to be proven wrong, though.<br /><br />Yeah, and the fact that vowels change their sound confuses me too (although I accept that English is infinitely worse). Compare, for example, the pronuncation of: ya, yan, yang.Greghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11197148648944758867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674533288609171573.post-70937471861460347102010-05-15T21:21:40.326+08:002010-05-15T21:21:40.326+08:00Great observation of cats and zeds!
I might be wro...Great observation of cats and zeds!<br />I might be wrong but I though the hanyu pinyin system actually uses letters for pronunciation that are standard in romanisation of other languages also.<br />The initials also modify the vowels that follow. In English it's not always clear if "i" is long ("sing") or short ("sin") for example (although what follows the vowel often modifies it), whereas in pinyin "ji" is always a long "i" and "zhi" is always a short "i"Puerhanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08694501881853398233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4674533288609171573.post-41420987610430248232010-05-15T21:09:04.845+08:002010-05-15T21:09:04.845+08:00Yes, I always stumbled over 'c' and 'z...Yes, I always stumbled over 'c' and 'z'. 'c' is fine, but damn I just can't get the 'z' always right. I always end up saying 'c'. But you've got some good tips. Thanks!<br /><br />Also I've posted this up on socialmandarin.comNiel de la Rouvierehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08600136675369449575noreply@blogger.com