What is the Chinese alphabet? Chinese alphabet, or how to find a black cat in a dark room
Everyone knows that learning any language begins with the alphabet. Almost every Russian child has an ABC book or its more modern “brother,” and all schoolchildren who begin learning English learn the 26 letters of the English alphabet.
It is quite logical that often, students starting to learn Chinese expect that the Chinese alphabet is the step that needs to be learned first. And here the first surprise arises. The fact is that there is no alphabet as such.
After all, in essence, the letters in the alphabet represent the sounds of a language (although the direct connection between a sound and a letter often undergoes changes in oral speech). In China, from ancient times, another type of writing developed - lolographic, where written signs do not denote sounds at all, but certain morphemes of the language, each of which has its own meaning.
For example, a grapheme denotes the concept “person”, but does not convey sound at all. And the connection between written and spoken Chinese is rather arbitrary and often not visible at all.
For a long time it was unclear how to record the pronunciation of Chinese characters, and in 1958 the Pinyin system of transcribing the Chinese language was officially adopted. Currently, Chinese first-graders begin their studies by studying Pinyin; knowledge of Pinyin is one of the basic skills required for foreign students studying Chinese.
All Pinyin sounds can be broken down into initials (the first part of a syllable); very roughly, initials can be called “consonant sounds.” There are 21 initials in total. And the finale (the final part of a syllable), very roughly we can call it the “vowel” part. There are 35 finals in total.
Despite the fact that Pinyin uses letters from the Latin alphabet, which are quite familiar to us, reading them is slightly different from reading letters in English.
In the chapter “Lesson 1” we have already met with the pronunciation of initials:
b p g k h l n
and finals:
a i o u ao an
Let's look at how to pronounce our remaining initials and finals. Initial
d (de)
t (tae)
f (fo)
m (mo)
z (zi)
x (ci)
s (sy)
ch (chi)
sh (shi)
zh (zhi)
r (er)
j (ji)
q (qi)
And the finale:
ai (ai)
e (uh)
I(s)
ou (ou)
er (ar)
ei (hey)
en (en)
iou (yo)
ong (he)
ang (an)
eng (en)
You should pay attention to those endings that have the letter g at the end, such as ang, eng, ong. They are pronounced “on the nose”, in the manner of the ending “ing” in English. There is no need to pronounce the sound g (g), but it is worth remembering the feeling when you have a cold and your nose is breathing poorly. You can practice pronouncing these endings by covering your nose with two fingers.
In all finals ending in (ng), n is pronounced firmly. And for those that end in n, for example: an, en, the final sound n is pronounced softly, as if after the n there is a soft sign (an, en).
The final r (er) conveys perhaps the most complex sound of the entire “Chinese alphabet”. This sound is something between the Russian “r” and “zh”. If you pronounce the sound “r” and at the same time bend your tongue upward towards the alvioles (roughly speaking, the gums behind the front teeth), you should get exactly r (er).
Now you can safely say that you have learned the “Chinese alphabet”. It is interesting that it is impossible to arbitrarily combine initials and finals as you please in the Chinese language; there is a certain set of possible combinations of initials and finals:
The combination of initials and finals in Chinese is limited, with only 411 possible combinations. Such a small number would impose strict limits on spoken Chinese. And here the tones of the Chinese language come to the rescue. A way to diversify the sound composition of a language with the help of tones seems to modern specialists to be a rather logical idea. But this brings us to a new chapter “Chinese Tones”.
China is one of the most visited countries in the world by tourists. It attracts mostly with its diversity of landscape, virgin villages with their own traditions and fascinating legends, and huge cities with vibrant nightlife. In China, everyone will find something new and unusual for themselves. China is one of the oldest civilizations; in this republic, architectural monuments that are tens of thousands of years old have been preserved to this day. Every attraction in China carries a secret and a centuries-old legend.
Traveling through the expanses of this extraordinary state, nothing will prevent you from enjoying its beauty, except perhaps ignorance of the Chinese language, but you can cope with this problem thanks to our Russian-Chinese phrasebook, which you can download or print directly from the site. It contains topics that you may need while traveling.
Appeals
Common phrases
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 是 | shi |
| No | 没有 | boo shi |
| Thank you! | 谢谢！ | Sese! |
| Please! | 不客气！ | Bukhatsi! |
| Sorry! | 对不起！ | Duybutsi! |
| It's OK. | 没关系。 | Meiguanxi |
| I don't understand | 我不明白。 | Wo bu mingbai |
| Please repeat what you said | 请您再说一遍 | Tsing ning zai shuo and bien |
| Do you speak Russian? | 你会说俄语吗? | No fucking way, hey ma? |
| Does anyone here speak Russian? | 这里有人会说俄语吗？ | Zheli yuzhen huisho eyyu ma? |
| Do you speak English? | 你会说英语吗？ | No fucking way? |
| Does anyone here speak English? | 这里有人会说英语吗？ | Zheli yuzhen huisho yinyu ma? |
| What is your name? | 你叫什么名字 | ni yiao shen mi ming zi |
| How are you? | 你怎么 | neither here nor there |
| Fine | 玉 | yu |
| So-so | 马马虎虎 | may may hyu hyu |
| Bon Voyage! | 一路平安! | Yi lu phing an! |
At customs
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| baggage | sinli | |
| currency | waihui | |
| import | daiju | |
| export | daichu | |
| declaration | baoguandan | |
| receipt | fapiao | |
| control (passport, customs) | chayanchu (bian jian, haiguan) | |
| medicine | yao | |
| drugs | mazuiping | |
| weapon | udzi | |
| passport | Huzhao | |
| duty | guanshui | |
| cigarettes | yang | |
| souvenirs | Jinyanping | |
| bag | bao | |
| suitcase | pussy | |
| Tell me, please, where is passport (customs) control? | Qing wen, huzhao (haiguan) chayanchu zai nali? | |
| I need a customs declaration form | Wo Xuyao and Zhang Baoguandan | |
| Please explain how to fill out a customs declaration | Qing Jieshi Yixia, Zenme Tian Baoguandan | |
| Help me fill out this form | Qing Banzhu Wo Tian Yixia Zhege Biaoge | |
| Where is your declaration? | Nide baoguandan? | |
| Here is my declaration | Zhe Jiu Shi Wode Baoguandan | |
| I do not have items that need to be included in the declaration | Wo meiyu xuyao baoguande uping | |
| Your passport? | Nide Huzhao? | |
| Here's my passport | Zhe shi wode huzhao | |
| These are my personal things | Zhe shi wode sirhen xinli | |
| I have foreign currency worth... | In yu waihui, shi shu... | |
| Where should I sign? | Zai naer qian zi? | |
| I want to call the Embassy (Consulate) | Wo xiang da dianhua gay dashiguan (lingshiguan) |
At the station
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| How much does the ticket cost? | Phyao doshao tien? | |
| When does the train arrive/depart? | Hoche shemme shihou daoda? | |
| Porter! | Banyungong! | |
| Where is the taxi stand? | Chuzu zhezhan zai naer? | |
| I need one/two/three/four/five/six/seven/eight tickets. | 我要一张/两张/三张/四张/五张/六张/七张/八张票。 | Wo yao yi zhang/liang zhang/san zhang/si zhang/wu zhang/liu zhang/tsi zhang/ba zhang phiao. |
| Which track is our train arriving at? | Womende che ting zai di ji dao? | |
| Where is the exit…? | ...chukou zai naer? | |
| -in town | Qu Chengshi | |
| -on the platform | Shan | |
| Where is the storage room? | Zsunchu zai naer? | |
| Where is the ticket window? | Shoupiao chu zai naer? | |
| Where is platform no..? | ...hao yuetai zai naer? | |
| Where is carriage No..? | hao chesiang zai naer? | |
| One ticket to… please | Qing Mai and Zhang Qu...de Piao | |
| Railway carriage… | ...chexiang | |
| …soft | Ruan Wo | |
| …sleeping | In vo | |
| …hard | Ying zuo | |
| One way | Qu Wang Yige Fanxiang | |
| Roundtrip | Wangfan | |
| Is it possible...? | ...kei ma? | |
| ...hand over this ticket | Tui Yixia Zhe Zhang Piao | |
| ...change | Huan |
In transport
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Bus | 巴士 | kkazhi |
| Car | 汽车 | gojang |
| Taxi | 的士 | taxi |
| Parking | 停车 | posu tominol |
| Stop | 停止 | jongnyujang |
| Take me here (indicate the location written on the business card). | 请把我送到这里。 | Tsin ba wo sundao zheli. |
| Open the trunk. | 请打开行李舱吧。 | Tsin dakhai xinli tshan ba. |
| Turn left here | 这里往左拐。 | Zheli Wang Zuo Guai. |
| Here turn right. | 这里往右拐。 | Zheli wan you guai. |
| How much does it cost to travel by bus/metro? | 公车/地铁票多少钱？ | Gunche/dithe pyao duoshao tsien? |
| Where is the nearest bus stop? | 附近的公交车站在哪儿？ | Fujin de gongjiaochhezhan zai nar? |
| Where is the nearest subway station? | 附近的地铁站在哪儿？ | Fujin de dithezhan zai nar? |
| What's the next stop (station)? | 下一站是什么站？ | Xia yi zhan shi shenme zhan? |
| How many stops is it to (…)? | 到 (…) 有多少站？ | Dao (...) duoshao zhan? |
| What bus goes to (...)? | 去 (…) 乘哪趟公交车？ | Tsyu (...) cheng na tang gongjiaoche? |
| Which metro line goes to (...)? | 去 (…) 乘几号线地铁？ | Tsu (...) cheng zihao xien dithe? |
| Please tell me how to get to (...)? | 请问，到 (…) 怎么走? | Tsingwen, dao (...) zenme zou? |
| Please take me to (...) | 请带我去 (…) | Tsing dao wo tsu (…)… airport. 飞机场。 fei ji chang. |
| ... railway station. | 火车站。 | huo che zhan. |
| …the nearest hotel | 最近的酒店。 | Zui jin de jiudien. |
| ...the nearest restaurant. | 最近的饭馆。 | Zui jin de fanguan. |
| ... the nearest beach. | 最近的海滨。 | Zui jin de haibin. |
| ... the nearest shopping center. | 最近的购物中心。 | Zui jin de gou wu zhong xin. |
| …the nearest supermarket | 最近的超级市场。 | Zui jin de chhao ji shi chang. |
| ... the nearest park. | 最近的公园。 | Zui jin de gong yuan. |
| ...the nearest pharmacy. | 最近的药店。 | Zui jin de yaodien. |
At the hotel
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| I need to order a room | 我需要储备 | wo hyu yao chu bei |
| I want to order a room | 我想储备 | in hyang chu bey |
| What is the price? | 要多少钱 | duo shao chien? |
| Room with bath | 带浴室的房间 | give yu cabbage soup di fang jian |
| We booked a room for two, here are our passports. | 我们预定了双人房间。 这是我们的护照。 | Women yudinle shuangren fanjien. Zhe shi women de huzhao. |
| Do you have rooms available? | 有没有空的房间？ | You meiyou khun de fanjien? |
| Is there a cheaper room? | 有没有便宜点儿的房间？ | You meiyou pienyidiar de fanjien? |
| I need a single room. | 我需要单间。 | Wo xuyao danjien. |
| I need a double room. | 我需要双人间。 | Wo xuyao shuangzhenjien. |
| I need a double room with sea view. | 我需要一个海景的双人房间。 | Wo xuyao ige haijing de shuangren fanjien. |
| Does the room have a telephone/TV/refrigerator/air conditioning? | 房间里有电话/电视/冰箱/空调吗？ | Fangjien li you dienhua/dienshi/binxiang/khuntxiao ma? |
| What floor is the room on? | 我的房间在几楼？ | Wo de fanjien zai ji lo? |
| Is breakfast included? | 价格包括早餐吗？ | Jiage baokhuo zaotshan ma? |
| What time breakfast? | 早餐几点开始? | Zaotshan ji dien khaishi? |
| My room is not cleaned. | 我的房间没有打扫。 | Wo de fanjien meiyou dasao. |
| I want to change my number. | 我想换个房间。 | Wo xiang huangge fanjien. |
| We ran out of toilet paper in our room. | 我们房间没有手纸了。 | Women fanjien meiyou shouzhi le. |
| Tips | 秘诀 | mi jue |
| Room | 室 | cabbage soup |
| We're leaving today. | 我们今天走。 | Women jinthien zou. |
| We are leaving on August 5th. | 我们八月五号走。 | Women ba yue wu hao zou. |
| We want to rent out the room. | 我们想退房。 | Women xiang thui fan. |
| The minibar was already empty before I even checked into this room. | 我进房间的时候迷你吧就是空的。 | Wo jiu fanjien de shihou miniba jiu shi khun de. |
Emergencies
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Fire Department | 消防队 | hiao fang dui |
| Police | 警察 | ying cha |
| Fire | 火灾 | Huo Zai |
| Fight | 扭打 | oh yeah |
| Ambulance | 救护车 | yuy hu che |
| Hospital | 医院 | Yui Yuan |
| I have… | 我已经… | in yui ying |
| Stretching | 实力 | shi li |
| Pharmacy | 药房 | Yao Fang |
| Doctor | 医生 | yi sheng |
| I got sick) | In Bingle | |
| I feel bad | Wo ganjue zici buhao | |
| Please call... | Qing Jiao Yixia... | |
| ...doctor | Yisheng | |
| ...ambulance | jijiu | |
| I have… | In… | |
| …cough | ...kasou | |
| …runny nose | ...shangfeng | |
| …stomach upset | ...fuse |
Dates and times
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Xingqi and | |
| Tuesday | xingqi er | |
| Wednesday | sinqi say | |
| Thursday | xingqi sy | |
| Friday | Xingqi Wu | |
| Saturday | xingqi liu | |
| Sunday | xingqi tian | |
| Today | Jintian | |
| Yesterday | Zuotian | |
| Tomorrow | Mingtian | |
| Day before yesterday | Qiantian | |
| Day after tomorrow | Houtian | |
| in the morning | zai zaoshan | |
| during the day | zai bai tian | |
| In the evening | zai wanshan | |
| every day | meitian | |
| winter | dongtian | |
| spring | chuntian | |
| summer | xiatian | |
| autumn | Qiutian | |
| in winter | zai dongtian | |
| in the spring | Tsai Chuntian | |
| in summer | Tsai Xiantian | |
| in autumn | Tsai Qiutian | |
| January | and Yue | |
| February | er yue | |
| March | San Yue | |
| April | si yue | |
| May | wu yue | |
| June | Liu Yue | |
| July | qi yue | |
| August | ba yue | |
| September | Jiu Yue | |
| October | shi yue | |
| november | Shii Yue | |
| December | shier yue | |
| What time is it now? | Ji dian zhong? | |
| Now… | Xianzai shi... | |
| …noon | shier dian | |
| …midnight | Ling Dian | |
| Now… | Xianzai shi... | |
| 1 hour 5 min. (morning) | and dian wu fen (zaoshan) | |
| 5 hours 43 min. (evenings) | wu dian syshi san fen (wanshan) |
Numerals
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 一 | And |
| 2 | 二 | [èr] er |
| 3 | 三 | san |
| 4 | 四 | sy |
| 5 | 五 | at |
| 6 | 六 | Liu |
| 7 | 七 | tsi |
| 8 | 八 | ba |
| 9 | 九 | jiu |
| 10 | 十 | shi |
| 11 | 一十一 | yī shí yī] and shi and |
| 12 | 一十二 | and shi er |
| 20 | 二十 | [èr shí] er shi |
| 30 | 三十 | san shi |
| 40 | 四十 | sy shi |
| 50 | 五十 | ears |
| 51 | 五十一 | wu shi and |
| 52 | 五十二 | w shi er |
| 53 | 五十三 | wu shi san |
| 100 | 一百 | and bye |
| 101 | 一百零一 | and bai ling and |
| 110 | 一百一十 | and bai and shi |
| 115 | 一百一十五 | and bai and shi wu |
| 200 | 二百 | [èr bǎi] er bai |
| 1 000 | 一千 | and tsien |
| 10 000 | 一万 | and Van |
| 1 000 000 | 一百万 | and Bai Wan |
In the shop
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| What is the price | 要多少钱 | yao duo shao quan |
| Cash | 现金 | hbyan jiya |
| Cashless | 对于非现金 | Dew dick fairies hyan ji |
| By check | 检查 | hyan ji |
| What payment method | 什么付款方式 | shen mi fu qiang fang shi |
| Cigarettes | 香烟 | hyang yang |
| Bread | 面包 | mian bao |
| Products | 产品 | Chan Ping |
| To wrap up | 包 | bao |
| No change | 无日期 | woo ri kwi |
| Tips | 秘诀 | mujie |
| Water | 水 | shewy |
| Fresh squeezed juice | 新鲜果汁挤压 | hin hyan guo cabbage soup yi ya |
| Sugar/salt | 糖/盐 | tang/yang |
| Milk | 牛奶 | newi nai |
| Fish | 鱼 | yuy |
| Meat | 肉类 | swarm of lei |
| Chicken | 鸡 | yay |
| Mutton | 羊肉 | young roy |
| Beef | 牛肉 | new swarm |
| Pepper/seasonings | 辣椒 / 香料 | ia iao/hyang liao |
| Potato | 土豆 | that's it |
| Rice | 大米 | yes myi |
| Lentils | 扁豆 | bian doy |
| Onion | 洋葱 | yang kong |
| Garlic | 大蒜 | yes xuan |
| Sweets | 甜点 | tian dian |
| Fruits | 水果 | Shui Guo |
| Apples | 苹果 | ping guo |
| Grape | 葡萄 | pu tao |
| Strawberry | 草莓 | khao mei |
| Oranges | 桔子 | ju zi |
| Mandarin | 柠檬 | pu tong hua |
| Lemon | 石榴石 | ning meng |
| Pomegranate | 香蕉 | I pour cabbage soup |
| Bananas | 桃 | xiang zhdiao |
| Peaches | 杏 | tao |
| Apricot | 芒果 | skinning |
| Mango | 开放 | mang guo |
| Open | 关闭 | kai |
| Closed | 折扣 | kuan |
| Discount | 关闭 | later |
| Very expensive | 非常昂贵 | tai gui le |
| Cheap | 便宜 | drunk yi |
| Where can I buy baby products? | 哪里能买到儿童产品？ | Nali nen maidao erthong chhanphin? |
| Where can I buy shoes? | 哪里能买到鞋子？ | Nali nen maidao sezi? |
| Where can you buy women's clothing? | 哪里能买到女的衣服？ | Nali nen maidao nyu de ifu? |
| Where can you buy men's clothing? | 哪里能买到男的衣服？ | Nali nen maidao nan de yifu? |
| Where can you buy cosmetics? | 哪里能买到美容？ | Nali nen maidao meizhong? |
| Where can you buy household goods? | 哪里能买到日用品？ | Nali nen maidao zhiyongphin? |
| On which floor is the grocery supermarket? | 超级市场在哪一层？ | Zhaoji shichang zai na yi zhen? |
| Where's the exit here? | 出口在哪儿？ | Chhukhou zainar? |
| Can I try it? | 我把这个试一下，好吗? | Wo ba jege shi isia, hao ma? |
| Where is the fitting room? | 试衣间在哪里？ | Shi and jien tsai nali? |
| I need a larger size. | 我需要大一点儿. | In xuyao ta idiar. |
| I need a smaller size. | 我需要小一点儿. | Wo xuyao xiao idiar. |
| I need 1 size larger. | 我要大一号. | Wo yao ta ihao. |
| I need 1 size smaller. | 我要小一号. | Wo yao xiao yihao. |
| Can I pay by card? | 可以刷卡吗？ | Khei shua kha ma? |
| What is the price? | 多少钱？ | Tuo shao tsien? |
| Very expensive! Let's go a little cheaper. | 太贵了！ 来便宜点儿。 | Thai gui le! Lai phienyi diar. |
| We are poor students, we can’t afford it. | 我们是穷学生， 这个我们买不起。 | Women shi qiong xueshen, zhege women mai butsi. |
| Is this price for 1 jin? (1 jin = 0.5 kg, in China the price is usually indicated for 1 jin) | 这是一斤的价格吗？ | Zhe shi and jin de jiage ma? |
| Where can you buy fruit? | 哪里能买到水果？ | Nali nen maidao shuiguo? |
| Where can you buy vegetables? | 哪里能买到蔬菜？ | Nali nen maidao shutzhai? |
| Where can you buy meat? | 哪里能买到肉类？ | Nali nen maidao zhoulei? |
| Where can you buy alcoholic beverages? | 哪里能买到酒类？ | Nali nen maidao jiulei? |
| Where can you buy dairy products? | 哪里能买到奶制品？ | Nali nen maidao naizhiphin? |
| Where can you buy confectionery? | 哪里能买到糖果点心？ | Nali neng maidao tangguo dienxin? |
| Where can you buy tea? | 哪里能买到茶叶？ | Nali nen maidao chhae? |
| Need 1 large package. | 我要大的袋子。 | Wo yao tade daizi. |
| Need one small package. | 我要小的袋子。 | Wo yao xiaode daizi. |
| I'll pay with a card. | 我刷卡。 | Wo shua kha. |
In a restaurant and cafe
| Phrase in Russian | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Waiter | 服务员 | woo woo one |
| Do you have any tables available | 你有自由表 | ni woy zi woy biao |
| I want to book a table | 我想预订一张桌子 | wo hyang ding ui zang zuo zi |
| Check please (bill) | 请检查（帐户） | qing yian cha |
| Accept my order | 请接受我的命令 | qing yie shou wo de ming ling |
| What year is the wine | 今年葡萄酒 | yin nian puo tao yi |
| Your signature dish | 您的特色菜 | nin di te se kai |
| Tea coffee | 茶/咖啡 | cha/ka fairies |
| Instant coffee | 速溶咖啡 | su rong ka fairies |
| Soup | 汤 | tang |
| Olives | 橄榄树 | gan lan shu |
| Salad | 沙拉 | sha la |
| Grilled | 烤 | kao |
| Fried | 烤 | kao |
| Boiled | 煮 | zhu |
| I do not eat meat! | 我不吃肉！ | wo bu yi roi |
| Vermicelli | 挂面 | gia mian |
| Pasta | 面食 | mian si |
| Stuffed pepper | 酿三宝 | niang san bao |
| Sandwich | 三明治 | san ming zhi |
| Cheese / sour cream (sour) | 奶酪/酸奶（酸奶） | nai lao / suan nai |
| Beer | 啤酒 | Phi Chiu |
| Wine | 葡萄酒 | pu tao yiy |
| Please bring the menu. | 请给我菜谱。 | Tsin gey vo tskhaiphu. |
| I want to order this... this... and this. (showing in menu) | 我要这个… 这个…和这个…。 | Wo yao jege... jege... he jege. |
| Is it spicy? | 这个辣不辣？ | Jege la bu la? |
| Please bring spoons/forks/napkins/sticks/plates | 请，给我匙子/叉子/餐巾/筷子/盘子。 | Tsin, gey wo chshi tzu/chha tzu/tshan jin/khuai tzu/phan tzu. |
| Bring the bill, please. | 买单。 | May tribute. |
| Delicious! | 很好吃！ | Hen hao chshi! |
| Squid | 鱿鱼 | yo yu |
| Shrimp | 虾 | Xia |
| Fish | 鱼 | yu |
| Pork | 猪肉 | Zhu Zhou |
| Beef | 牛肉 | niu zhou |
| Mutton | 羊肉 | Yan Zhou |
| Chicken | 鸡 | ji |
| Duck | 鸭 | I |
| Tofu | 豆腐 | dofu |
| Eggplant | 茄子 | Tse Tzu |
| Potato | 土豆 | thu dou |
| Noodles | 面 | Myen |
| Egg | 鸡蛋 | ji dan |
| Orange juice | 橙汁 | cheng zhi |
| Apple juice | 苹果汁 | Phing Guo Zhi |
| Tomato juice | 蕃茄汁 | Fan Tse Zhi |
| Grape juice | 葡萄汁 | phu thao zhi |
| Peach juice | 桃汁 | thao zhi |
| Coffee | 咖啡 | Kha Faye |
| Black tea | 红茶 | hun cha |
| Green tea | 绿茶 | Liu Cha |
| Eggplants with peppers and potatoes | 地三鲜 | Disanxian. |
| Meat in sweet and sour sauce | 锅包肉 | Guobaozhou. |
| Fried squid with cumin | 孜然鱿鱼 | Zizhan youyuy. |
| Dumplings | 饺子 | Jiaozi. |
| Dumplings with meat filling | 肉馅的饺子 | Zhou xien de jiaozi. |
| Steamed pies with filling | 包子 | Baozi. |
| Peking duck | 北京烤鸭 | Bei jing kao ya. |
| Fried strips of pork in spicy sauce | 鱼香肉丝 | Yu Xiang Rou Si. |
| Chicken with crispy peanuts | 碎米鸡丁 | Sui mi ji ding. |
| Spicy tofu | 麻辣豆腐 | Ma la doufu. |
General phrases are words on which you can start a conversation and continue it in the future. Here are the phrases that are most often used in the lexicon.
Airport – in order not to get confused at the Chinese airport, find ticket offices, access to terminals, parking, bus stops, etc., this theme is perfect for you.
Transport – by opening this topic you will find translations of words and phrases that can be used to explain to a taxi driver where you need to go, or to find out which bus route is right for you, to clarify the price of travel, to find out how to get to the station. metro, bus stop, etc.
A restaurant is a place that every tourist visits. However, the Chinese language is very different from Russian, as is the cuisine. Therefore, without knowing the translation of certain dishes, as well as their components, you will not be able to order what you want. To solve this problem, just open this topic and find the name of the dish that you like.
Hotel – when checking into a hotel you need to fill out some paperwork, choose a room that suits your taste, etc. In order to explain what you want from a hotel and to clarify the nuances of your stay, just open this section and find the appropriate phrases.
Mall - a list of common phrases that you will undoubtedly need while shopping at the mall.
Grocery supermarket - a list of words and phrases that will help you purchase the products you are interested in.
Pharmacy - if you have health problems, but everything in the pharmacy is written in Chinese, and the pharmacist himself does not understand what you need, use this topic and you will buy the medicine that you need.
Cashier - words and phrases that will help you in conversation with the cashier.
Chinese counting - translation and sound of numbers in Chinese, from zero to million.
Pronouns - pronunciation and translation of pronouns in Chinese.
Question words – frequently asked and important questions for tourists, their pronunciation and spelling.
Name of colors - here you will find translations of many colors and shades, as well as their correct pronunciation.
In one of the previous articles, I talked about the duality of the Chinese language. Modern Chinese consists of two systems:
Hieroglyphic, i.e. graphic symbols, which in writing denote a word. This system is the main system. If you pay attention, you will not be able to find Latin letters anywhere on the Chinese Internet. In books, newspapers, and store signs, only hieroglyphs are used everywhere, but there is also a second system.
Letter, auxiliary, pin-yin transcription system. This system was introduced in China recently, in the mid-20th century, in 1958. Why did the Chinese government decide to introduce a letter system as an auxiliary system? By delving a little deeper into the history and culture of China, I was able to answer this question.
I have identified the main four reasons for the emergence of an alphabetic alphabet, which was unusual for an ancient civilization with hieroglyphic writing. Let's look at them in more detail:
The first reason is illiteracy of the population.
At the beginning of the last century, the bulk of China's population were peasants who worked the land. Naturally, they were all uneducated and could not read or write. The Chinese government has carried out a number of reforms related to the education of the population. To facilitate the education process, the party decided to introduce a parallel letter system for.
The second reason - trend and desire for economic growth.
Back at the beginning of the 20th century, China was at the first stage of economic development. In order to develop and occupy a worthy place in the geopolitical arena, the Chinese government understood that it would be almost impossible to achieve such a goal only with graphic writing. The determination to occupy one of the leading places in the world economy was one of the reasons for the introduction of the Latin alphabet.
The third reason is "dialectical chaos" in colloquial speech.
Not only was the population of China uneducated, but its spoken speech also differed radically in pronunciation. In total, there were 7 main dialectical groups: Northern “dialect” (it is currently called “Mandarin” in English. This is the dialect of “officials”), “Govor” Gan, “Govor” San, “Govor” Wu, “Govor” "Kejia, "Talk" Min, "Talk" Yue.
The differences in language dialects were so strong that the northern Chinese absolutely did not understand their southern countryman. The trend of development of individual dialects was very rapid; it was necessary to urgently take measures to prevent the spread of the “regional” language. Moreover, the writing was often the same and did not differ, but the pronunciation in each region was special.
The government immediately introduced the Latin alphabet to streamline the single official language, Putonghua. By the way, I’m sure this is the reason why Chinese films are broadcast with subtitles.
And finally, the fourth reason - technological progress, the need to print hieroglyphs on a computer.
Yes Yes! Strange as it may sound, rapid technological progress was also one of the reasons for the introduction of the Latin alphabet. Nowadays, when printing Chinese characters, it is necessary to use Latin characters. I will definitely write an article about this.
So, let's return to the Chinese alphabet. When I studied in China, the alphabet appeared only in the first months of training, and then gradually they completely switched to hieroglyphs.
The education of Chinese children also begins with the study of this additional letter system. When creating the service where you are now, we also started creating lessons from the alphabet. I recommend that you also start learning with the alphabet.
Without the alphabet, you will not be able to learn to pronounce hieroglyphs correctly.
The letter system is a system that was borrowed from the English language. The purpose of this system is to represent the sounds of the Chinese language in letter form. In the future, when I mention the word “sound”, I will mean specifically some letter of the Chinese alphabet.
In fact, there are not many sounds in the Chinese alphabet. This is the simplicity of the Chinese language. The main difficulty is writing.
In total, the Chinese language uses 25 letters of the Latin alphabet. Let me remind you that there are 26 letters in the English alphabet. The Putonghua alphabet does not officially use the letter “V”, but it does use another character that is not in the Latin alphabet – “ü”.
When printing hieroglyphs, as I said above, transcription in Latin letters is also used. So, just in this case, when printing a hieroglyph, the “Pinyin” of which uses the sound “ü”, the letter “V” is used. In simple words, "ü" = "v".
Below, in the table, I have placed the alphabet of the Chinese language auxiliary system.
a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | i |
j | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r |
s | t | u | ü | w | x | y | z |
Like any alphabet, the Chinese alphabet is divided into consonant sounds and vowel sounds. In the table, I have highlighted the letters involved in the formation of vowel sounds in yellow, and the consonants in blue. Although the Chinese language borrowed 99% of the English alphabet, the formation of vowels and consonants is very different from our traditional understanding.
In Chinese transcription, consonant sounds are called initials. An initial is a sound that is always located at the beginning of a syllable. In Chinese, the initial is pronounced "生母", "shengmu", indicating the sound that originates the syllable. And the vowel sound, in the transcription of the Chinese language, is called the final, that is, the final, final part of the syllable. In Chinese, it sounds like "韵母", "yunmu", a vowel sound.
Below, in the table, I have demonstrated how each letter of the Chinese alphabet is pronounced in Russian.
Pronunciation of each letter of the Chinese alphabet.
a | A | n | ne |
b | bo | o | O |
c | qi | p | pha |
d | that | q | chi |
e | uh | r | wow |
f | F | s | sa |
g | ka | t | tha |
h | Ha | u | at |
i | And | ü | Yu |
j | tzi | w | - |
k | haha | x | si |
l | la | y | - |
m | mo | z | tsa |
And one more table, in which I have already indicated all the sounds of the Chinese alphabet, and wrote a transcription for them in Russian. You can see it in the next article.
In the Chinese language, hieroglyphs have been used as writing for centuries. In the previous century, for the purpose of teaching phonetics, the Pinyin system was developed, which uses Latin letters to convey the transcription of Chinese characters. At the same time, to denote sounds that are not in the Latin alphabet, combinations of letters “sh”, “ch”, “zh”, etc. are used.
Many people are interested in the question of whether the Chinese alphabet exists. Actually, no. There are no letters in the Chinese language and, as already mentioned, hieroglyphs consisting of individual strokes are used for writing. But since the Pinyin system consists of Latin letters, in this publication we will allow ourselves to call it the Chinese alphabet.
Most syllables in Chinese are a combination of initials and finals. The beginning of the syllables is formed by initials (consonants), the rest of them are formed by finals (vowels or a combination of vowels and consonants). Sometimes a syllable consists only of a final, or only of an initial.
The pronunciation of “m”, “f”, “s”, “h” is almost identical to the Russian “m”, “f”, “s”, “x”.
The finals “a”, “an”, “en” are transcribed as “a”, “an”, “en”.
The Chinese diphthongs “ao”, “uo” resemble the Russian “ao” and “uo”, although when they are pronounced one sound is heard rather than two, that is, the sound “o” dominates. For example, when pronouncing “ao”, open your mouth as if you were thinking of making the sound “a”, but say “o”. Same with "oo". A little practice will help you master the correct pronunciation.The vowel "i" is similar to the Russian "i", although it does not soften the consonant that precedes it. Diphthongs (sounds with two vowels) and finals “ou”, “ei”, “ai” correspond to the Russian “ou”, “ey”, “ay”, they are pronounced briefly and clearly. There is no nasal sound "ng" in Russian. In the finals "ang" and "eng" it is pronounced like the English "ng" (η) - "аη" and "еη". Complex finals “ia”, “iao”, “ian”, “iang”, “in”, “ie”, “iu” are transcribed as follows: “I”, “yao”, “yan”, “yan”, “ yin", "e", "yu". If “i” is the only vowel in a syllable, then it is written as “yi”; if there are other vowels, then as “i”. In syllables that begin with the vowel "i", "i" changes to "y". For example, the word "Yin" (from Yin and Yang) is written as "yin" in the Chinese alphabet. The Chinese “u” is pronounced like the Russian “u”. A syllable expressed by a single vowel “u” is written as “wu”, which in Russian is transcribed as “u” (but not “wu”). For example, the word “wushu” is written “wushu” using the Chinese alphabet. The syllable “wo” is a diphthong “uo”; in Russian it is transcribed as “vo”.
The sound “ü” does not exist in Russian. It is present in German, French and some others. This sound combines the sounds “i” and “u”, as if pronounced with one sound, together. The "e" in Chinese doesn't exactly sound like "e". When pronounced, it can be compared to the vowels “ee” pronounced together. The syllable "er" is similar to the "r" sound in American English. It is transcribed as "er". Listen to the audio lesson with additional explanations The official language of the People's Republic of China is
Mandarin
The main distinguishing feature of the phonetics of the Chinese language is tones. Chinese has 4 tones + a light unstressed tone. Tone is needed in order to distinguish the meaning of syllables that sound the same.
For example:
First tone: high and level, designated ā.
Second tone: rising, indicated by á.
The third tone: first falling and then rising, is designated ǎ.
Fourth tone: falling from high to low, indicated by à.
The tone sign is always placed above the final. If the tone sign is placed above the final i, then the period is not written: nǐ, nín. In syllables with compound finals, the tone sign is placed above the one at the moment of pronunciation of which the mouth is opened wider (a, o, e, i, u, ü): māo, dài, péi.
Light tone
A light tone is also sometimes called a "null" tone. A light tone is pronounced weaker and shorter. In transcription, a light tone is not indicated by any sign.
For example:
| 好吗？ | 你呢？ | 爸爸 | 谢谢 |
| Hǎo ma? | Nǐ ne? | baba | xièxie |
| Fine? | And you? | dad | Thank you |
Initials
Initial can be expressed with only one consonant sound.
Before you start studying initials, let's get acquainted with the concept of "aspiration", because in Chinese initials divided into aspirated and unaspirated. In order to learn to pronounce initials with aspiration, try when pronouncing, bring a piece of paper to your lips and pronounce the sound with a strong exhalation. The piece of paper should move away from you due to the flow of air during intense exhalation. When spoken initials without aspiration, the sheet of paper should not move. Thus, it turns out that the sound “x” is added to the sound, however, you should avoid pronouncing aspirates like the Russian sound + “x”; you should try to achieve this effect with the help of exhalation.
There are a total of 21 initials in Chinese:
| Pronunciation method | Pronounced like | Examples | |
|---|---|---|---|
| b | Something between Russian voiced[b] and deaf [P] | 爸爸 – dad | |
| p | Russian [P][n x] | 怕 – to be afraid | |
| m | Chinese [m]different from Russian[m]greater intensity and duration | 妈妈 – mother | |
| f | Similar to Russian sound[f] | 发 – send | |
| d | Chinese [d]looks like Russian[d], but is deaf | 都 – everything | |
| t | Russian [T], which is pronounced with aspiration -[t x] | 他 – he | |
| n | Unlike Russian[n]while speaking Chinese[n]the tip of the tongue is raised | 你 – you | |
| l | Chinese [l]different from Russian[l]lowering the back of the tongue | 来 – to come | |
| g | Chinese [g]looks like Russian[G], but is deaf | 狗 – dog | |
| k | Russian [To], which is pronounced with aspiration -[k x] | 看 – watch | |
| h | Russian sound [X], but more intense | 很 – very | |
| j | When spoken[j], [q]And[x]The tongue should lie below, slightly touching the lower teeth with the tip. The middle of the tongue touches the roof of the mouth when spoken. There are no such sounds in Russian. Please note that the initials[j], [q], [x]not compatible with finals[u], [a] |
Sound [j]approximately equal to Russian[dzh], pronounced softly and without aspiration | 几 – how much |
| q | Average between Russians and soft[T] And [h](something like soft[tchi]), pronounced aspirated | 七 – seven | |
| x | Similar to sizzling[With](something like hissing[smiling]) | 星 – star | |
| z | These are hissing sounds. When spoken[z], [c]And[s]the tip of the tongue touches the back surface of the front teeth |
Looks like Russian[ts], but pronounced louder (something like a combination[dz]) | 在 – in; on |
| c | Voiceless combination[ts]heavily aspirated | 从 – s; from | |
| s | Looks like Russian[With], just a little more intense | 三 – three | |
| zh | When spoken , , And[r]the tip of the tongue curls back towards the palate | Combination [j](for example, as in [jam]), but is pronounced as a single sound. | 这 is |
| ch | Combination [chsh]heavily aspirated | 车 – car | |
| sh | Close to Russian[w], but more fizzy | 书 – book | |
| r | Looks like Russian[and] | 人 – person |
The initial may be absent, then the syllable consists only of the final and is called a syllable with a zero or omitted initial.
Finals
The final can consist of either one vowel sound (simple) or several (compound). There are a total of 38 endings in Chinese:
| Pronounced like | Examples | Transcription rules | |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | Looks like Russian[A], only pronounced more intensely | 那 – that one | |
| e | When spoken[e]the tongue is in the same position as when pronouncing Russian[O], but without rounding the lips. The sound itself is something between[e] And [s] | 呢 interrogative particle | |
| i | Pronounced like Russian[And], but more intense; softens the consonant that precedes it | 骑 – to ride on horseback | If[i] [y], For example,一 – one After[z], [c], [s], , , And[r]finals[-i]reads as solid[s], For example:吃 – eat, 词 – word, 日 – day, etc. |
| o | Pronounced like Russian[O], but more intense | 摸 – touch | |
| u | Pronounced like Russian[y] | 不 – no, no | If[u]forms an independent syllable[w], For example:五 – five |
| ü | There is no such sound in Russian. Sound[ü] combines sounds[i] And [u], pronounced together as one sound. To make this sound try saying[yiu], only rounding the lips as when pronouncing[Yu] | 女 – woman | If[ü]
forms an independent syllable, then an unpronounceable initial is added before it[y], and two points above[ü]
are not written, for example:语 – language If the finals[ü] comes after the initials[j], [q]or[x],then two dots above[ü] are not written, but the sound is still read as[ü] . And if before[ü] worth an initial[n]or[l], then dots must be written, for example:去 – go |
| ai | [ouch] | 还 – yet | |
| ao | Pronounced as a combination of Russian sounds[ao] | 猫 – cat | |
| ei | Pronounced as a combination of Russian sounds[Hey], but softly | 杯 – glass | |
| ia | Pronounced like Russian[I] | 家 – home, family | [i], That[i]changes to[y], For example:鸭 – duck, 要 – want, 也 – too |
| iao | Pronounced as a combination of Russian sounds[yao] | 小 – small | |
| ie | Reads like [ie]but without stretching sounds, similar to Russian sound[e] | 姐姐 – older sister | |
| iou/iu | Pronounced as a combination of Russian sounds[yo] | 六 – six | Composite final , when placed after any initial, is written as , and the tone sign is written above[u], For example:丢 – to lose |
| ou | Pronounced as a combination of Russian sounds[OU] | 走 – walk | |
| ua | Pronounced as a combination of Russian sounds[wa], Where [y] very short | 抓 – grab | If a syllable consists only of a final that begins with[u], That[u]changes to[w], For example:挖 – dig |
| uai | Pronounced as a combination of Russian sounds[wow], Where [y] very short. | 块 – yuan | If a syllable consists only of a final that begins with[u], That[u]changes to[w], For example:外 – external |
| üe | Pronounced close to a combination of Russian sounds[yue] | 学 – to teach | If a syllable consists only of a final that begins with[ü]
, then an unpronounceable initial is added before it[y], and two points above[ü]
are not written, for example: 月
[ü] , comes after the initials[j], [q], [x], then two points above[ü] are not written, for example:雪 – snow |
| uei/ui | Pronounced as a combination of Russian sounds[way], only together and with emphasis on[e]which is pronounced very short | 水 – water | Composite final , when placed after any initial, is abbreviated as , and the tone sign is written above[i], For example:贵 – dear |
| uo | Pronounced as a combination of Russian sounds[oo], only pronounced as a single sound | 说 – to speak | If a syllable consists only of a final that begins with[u], That[u]changes to[w], For example:我 – I |
| an | Pronounced as a combination of Russian sounds[en] | 看 – watch | |
| en | Pronounced as a combination of Russian sounds[en] | 很 – very | |
| ian | Pronounced as a combination of Russian sounds[ian] | 钱 – money | If a syllable consists only of a final that begins with[i], That[i]changes to[y], For example:烟 – smoke |
| in | Pronounced as a combination of Russian sounds[in] | 新 – new | If forms an independent syllable, then an unpronounceable initial is added before it[y], For example:银 – silver |
| uan | Pronounced as a combination of Russian sounds[one]; when pronouncing[y]tube lips | 馆 – hotel, restaurant | If a syllable consists only of a final that begins with[u], That[u]changes to[w], For example:玩 – play |
| üan | It doesn't seem like a combination of Russian sounds[yuen] | 选 – choose | If a syllable consists only of a final that begins with[ü]
, then an unpronounceable initial is added before it[y], and two points above[ü]
are not written, for example:元 – yuan If the ending that begins with[ü] , comes after the initials[j], [q], [x], then two points above[ü] are not written, for example:全 – all |
| uen/un | Pronounced as a combination of Russian sounds[wen], Where [e]soft and short | 婚 – wedding | Composite final
, when placed after an initial, is abbreviated as
, For example:困 – sleepy In case the final independently forms a syllable, then[u]replaced[w], For example:问 – to ask |
| ün | [jun] | 群 – crowd | If a syllable consists only of a final that begins with[ü]
, then an unpronounceable initial is added before it[y], and two points above[ü]
are not written, for example:云 – cloud If the ending that begins with[ü] , comes after the initials[j], [q], [x], then two dots above[ü] are not written, for example:迅 – fast |
| ang | Pronounced as a combination of Russian sounds[en], only sound [n]– nasal | 忙 – busy | |
| eng | Pronounced as a combination of Russian sounds[en], only sound [n]– nasal | 冷 – cold | |
| iang | Sounds like a combination of Russian sounds[yan], only sound [n]– nasal | 想 – want, think | If a syllable consists only of a final that begins with[i], That[i]changes to[y], For example:羊 – ram |
| ing | Pronounced as a combination of Russian sounds[in], only sound [n]– nasal | 病 – to be sick | If forms an independent syllable, then an unpronounceable initial is added before it[y], For example:影 – shadow |
| iong | Pronounced as a combination of Russian sounds[yon], only sound [n]– nasal | 穷 – poor | If a syllable consists only of a final that begins with[i], That[i]changes to[y], For example:用 – to use |
| ong | Pronounced as a combination of Russian sounds[He], only sound [n]– nasal | 红 – red | |
| uang | Pronounced as a combination of Russian sounds[one], only sound [n]– nasal | 床 – bed | If a syllable consists only of a final that begins with[u], That[u]changes to[w], For example:网 – network |
| ueng | Pronounced as a combination of Russian sounds[wen], only sound [n]– nasal | 翁 – old man | If a syllable consists only of a final that begins with[u], That[u]changes to[w]. Syllable - this is the only syllable that is formed with the help of this final |
| er | Pronounced as a combination of Russian sounds[ar]; When pronouncing, the tip of the tongue bends up and back | 二 [èr] – two | When added to a syllable
the process of erization occurs. Final
can form an independent syllable, for example:儿子 [érzi] – son If stands at the end of a syllable, it loses its independence and merges with the syllable. In transcription, it is added to the syllable[r], a hieroglyph is added to the hieroglyphic notation儿 , For example:哪儿 – where In this case, the pronunciation of the last consonant sound is usually lost, for example:玩儿 – play |
The tables provide examples of monosyllabic words, during the pronunciation of which you must pay attention to the tones. In words that have two or more syllables, the tones are sometimes modulated. Now we will look at the most common cases of modulation.
3rd tone modulation
When reading two syllables of the 3rd tone together, the first syllable is read in the second tone. If there are three or more consecutive words of the third tone, then all tones except the last one change. The transcription retains the sign of the 3rd tone.
For example:
你好 (nǐ hǎo) (that's how it's written)– ní hǎo (that's how it reads)). - Hello!
我很好 (wǒ hěn hǎo (that's how it's written)– wó hén hǎo (that's how it reads)). – I'm fine.
Modulation of negative particle 不 (bù)
The negation 不 (bù) is pronounced in the fourth tone. But if 不 (bù) is followed by a syllable with a fourth tone, then 不 (bù) is read in the second tone. For example:
不是 (bú shì) – no
不去 (bú qù) – not to go
不要 (bú yào) – not to want
In sentences with repetition of a verb (affirmative-negative), when 不 (bù) is between identical verbs, we read 不 (bù) in a light tone; in the transcription the tone sign is not placed, for example:
是不是 – yes or no
去不去 – to go – not to go
Modulation "一" (yī)
The initial tone "一" is the first tone. It is pronounced “一” in the first tone if it is pronounced in isolation, if it is at the end of a phrase or sentence, if it is used as an ordinal number. In other cases, “一” is modulated: before the first, second and third tones, “一” is modulated into the fourth tone, and before the fourth tone – into the second tone.
Apostrophe
An apostrophe is used in transcription for syllable separation in cases where a regular syllable is followed by a syllable with a zero initial, for example:
先 – first
西安 – Xi'an
When learning Chinese phonetics, try to listen and repeat more. It’s like in sports: there are many techniques, but the key to success is practice.
It might be useful to read:
- How to knit short rows with knitting needles: methods and master class;
- Nourishing and protective hand creams - a detailed review of the best offers The best hand cream in winter;
- How to do a lanky look;
- Download champagne wedding label;
- How to understand that a guy likes you;
- Diabetes mellitus in pregnancy;
- What to eat after a stroke;
- You know exactly why you have no luck in your personal life;