Learning Chinese What is Pinyin

Learning Chinese What is Pinyin Chinese Lessons: Learn About the Phonetic Chinese Writing System Chapters Why Did the People’s Republic of China Create Pinyin? Letters and Tones in Pinyin Should I Focus on Learning Pinyin?“To those who wait, time opens every door.” - Chinese Proverb.This Chinese proverb is useful for explaining the long linguistic journey foreigners have to take when it comes to taking Mandarin lessons.The tones are complicated and the alphabet and grammar can sometimes be even more confusing for those trying to learn it. Speaking, understanding, and writing Chinese requires a lot of determination. Don't even get me started on Chinese pronunciation!While it can be difficult, learning has changed in recent years with the standardisation of Chinese and the introduction of Pinyin, a writing system used to phonetically transcribe Chinese characters using the Latin Alphabet as a way to learn Chinese vocabulary and phrases more quickly.According to the BBC, 85% of China was illiterate before Pinyin but now, according to Unicef, the rate of literacy is 95%.This s ystem was revolutionary and also served to help Chinese characters be represented digitally with the advent of computers, smartphones, and tablets.“Hanyu Pinyin”, as it’s formally known, is also to thank for the creation of a Chinese version of Braille, which didn’t exist in a useful form beforehand.Pinyin is generally considered simple by most but elegant by Mandarin Chinese university professors. Let’s have a look at the writing system that you’ll definitely come across if you learn Mandarin.Discover also the history of the Chinese language...  one of the most widely used transcription systems for Chinese.Of course, other systems have been created in order to facilitate the standardisation of other Chinese dialects but they’ve never really been adopted at the national level in the same way that Pinyin has been.When it became the ISO 70981 standard, the system for “putting sounds together” (as its name is sometimes translated) cemented its position as the phonetic transcription method for Mandarin Chinese.Additionally, the system was a way to legislatively respond to the growing demand from Westerners for an easier way to learn and understand Chinese. The alternative phonetic alphabet of Bopomofo also includes characters, which further complicated matters and made it rather undesirable in the West.Pinyin was also useful at a national level as it helped China improve literacy rates around the country which also worked for the ministry of education.Today, Pinyin and its simplified characters have been applied progressively around the country. The final version was approved in 1986 and allowed almost everyone in the country to learn to write.This is why nobody learning Chinese can really complain about the writing system given that in the past, things were significantly more difficult.Now dive into the heart of China's multilingualism... Letters and Tones in Pinyin“Without an alphabet you had to learn mouth to mouth, ear to ear” - Zhou Youg uangPinyin was responsible for bringing China closer to the West. (Source: Lin2015)It was this kind of great thinking that led to the standardisation of the Chinese language and the construction of a system that he called “a bridge” between speakers of Chinese.The Pinyin system includes 25 of the 26 letters of the Latin Alphabet and has changed the way foreigners learn Chinese forever.The letter “v” is the only one that wasn’t included. Thanks to Pinyin, Mandarin Chinese is much simpler although the pronunciation isn’t exactly like it would be in English.English speakers beware! You still have to put some effort in!Familiarising yourself with Pinyin is just a jumping-off point for those taking Chinese lessons, which tend to have no relation to the Latin Alphabet.The Tones of PinyinLet’s start with what most learners of Chinese find the most difficult according to the Confucius Institute: tones.When it comes to speaking Mandarin Chinese, each syllable can be pronounced in 4 different ways as well as neutrally:1st tone: The diacritic ( ¯ ) mark as used in “ma” or ? which means “mother”. This is the high tone.2nd tone: The ( ´ ) diacritic indicates the second tone and is used for the word “má” or ? which means “hemp”. This is the rising tone.3rd tone: This tone uses the ( ? ) accent like in the word “ma” or ? which means “horse”. This is a low tone that dips before rising.4th tone: This tone is shown with a ( ` ) like in “mà” or ? which means “to scold”. This is a short descending tone.5th tone: ma ? (an interrogative particle) is in the neutral tone.Follow our in-depth lesson on tones in the Chinese language...  Consonants in PinyinThe consonants are quite easy in Pinyin as they’re pronounced similarly to the way they are in the English language!Some words in Chinese are harder to say than others. (Source: Sherisetj)They include:The consonants F, L, M, S, and Y.The letter “A” which is pronounced very simila rly to how it’s pronounced in English.The “O” which is pronounced in a similar way to English but with a slight “u” sound before it: MO: “MuO” or even PO: “PuO”. Should I Focus on Learning Pinyin?Are you wondering about which variety of Chinese you should focus on or are you looking for a way to take Mandarin lessons London?As a tool for learning Chinese, Pinyin is hugely useful. However, it  can be harmful for students learning Chinese.Let me explain... Once you’ve learnt the tones and pronunciation and can understand some spoken Chinese thanks to transcribing Chinese characters into the Latin Alphabet, you have to move on to learning how to read the Chinese characters themselves.While spending several hours using Pinyin is useful for learning Chinese in the beginning, you’ll reach a certain point where you’ll have to leave it behind if you want to better understand the structures used in Chinese.  There’s a limit to how much a student can do with Pinyin!O nce you leave the classroom, there’s no more Pinyin. If you travel to China, you’ll only be met with the traditional and simplified Chinese characters.Chinese characters are arguably as beautiful as the characters that inspired them. (Source: Sasint)While Pinyin is easier to read and write and can make communication simpler, it’s simply a stepping stone towards learning “hanzi” and Chinese characters.It’s not the best solution! Just like watching a Chinese film with English subtitles, studying for the HSK, or reheating leftovers after a takeaway!  The best method is to gradually remove Pinyin from your learning as you move towards learning Chinese characters.When I say remove, I mean start ignoring the Pinyin and start learning Chinese characters just as the Chinese do.  You have to do it if you want to improve your Mandarin. You need to get used to understanding and recognising Chinese characters.Relying too heavily on Pinyin runs the risk of making errors such as appro ximating Chinese vowels too closely to vowels as they’re written using the Latin Alphabet.Find out more about Chinese’s influence around Asia with  Mandarin tutors across the UK (including Chinese classes London) for in-home or online lessons.Discover also the influence of Mandarin on the rest of Asia...