Difference between revisions of "The "r" sound"

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{{Pronunciation Box}}
 
{{Pronunciation Box}}
  
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Have you every noticed that the <span class="enpron">"r"</span> sound is different in many foreign languages? English, Spanish, Russian, French, Japanese, German... the <span class="enpron">"r"</span> sound is different in every one. Well, guess what? It's also different in Mandarin Chinese. Pinyin "'''[[r-]]'''" does not make the same sound as <span class="enpron">"r"</span> in English. In fact, the Mandarin Chinese "[[r-]]" sound '''''does not exist''' in English'', so you're going to have to train yourself to make the sound.
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Have you every noticed that the "r" sound is different in many foreign languages? English, Spanish, Russian, French, Japanese, German... the <span class="enpron">"r"</span> sound is different in every one. Well, guess what? It's also different in Mandarin Chinese. Pinyin "'''[[r-]]'''" does not make the same sound as <span class="enpron">"r"</span> in English. In fact, the Mandarin Chinese "[[r-]]" sound '''''does not exist''' in English'', so you're going to have to train yourself to make the sound.
  
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{{#widget: Pinyin chart settings}}
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== Pinyin's "r" Sound ==
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<div class="pinyin-table-audio-container"></div>
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<div class="table-container"><table class="pinyin-table medium" id="pinyin-table">
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Like the [[ch-]], [[sh-]], and [[zh-]] sounds of last section, Mandarin Chinese's [[r-]] sound is also retroflex. That means the tip of your tongue should be pointed up toward the roof of your mouth, and also be rather far back in your mouth. That makes it quite different from the typical American <span class="enpron">"r"</span> sound, which is pronounced by raising the middle of the tongue in the back of the mouth.
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<tr><!--   TABLE HEADERS  -->
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<th class="first-row first-col"></th>
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This may seem strange, but the Mandarin [[r-]] sound really is very similar to the [[ch-]], [[sh-]], and [[zh-]] sounds.
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<th title="Click to expand" class="col-a col-placeholder first-row"><strong>-a-</strong></th>  
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-a" id="-a"><strong>-a</strong></th>
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[[File:AllSet-PronWiki-r-diagram.jpg|200px|thumb|left|R-Diagram]]
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-a" id="-ai"><strong>-ai</strong></th>
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* [[r-]] is pronounced by making the "French j" sound like in the words <span class="enpron">"lei<strong>s</strong>ure"</span> and <span class="enpron">"plea<strong>s</strong>ure"</span>. While making that sound, slowly pull the tip of your tongue further into the back of your mouth. The sound will start to sound less "buzzy" and more like an "r" sound. That's the Mandarin [[r-]] sound.
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-a" id="-ao"><strong>-ao</strong></th>
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* [[ri]] is an odd syllable because it almost feels like you're not making a vowel sound at all, or if you are, you're doing it kind of ''at the same time'' as the "r" sound. This sound rhymes with the [[zhi]], [[chi]], [[shi]] sounds of last section, and there's certainly no <span class="enpron">"ee"</span> sound in it.
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-a" id="-an"><strong>-an</strong></th>  
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-a" id="-ang"><strong>-ang</strong></th>
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There is actually a range of acceptable "buzziness" for the [[r-]] sound in Chinese. You can't actually make the sound in the words <span class="enpron">"lei<strong>s</strong>ure"</span> and <span class="enpron">"plea<strong>s</strong>ure"</span>; that's ''too'' "buzzy." But you don't have to pull your tongue so far back that the buzziness fades entirely.
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<th title="Click to expand" class="col-e col-placeholder first-row"><strong>-e-</strong></th>
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-e" id="-e"><strong>-e</strong></th>
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== Key "r" Syllables ==
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-e" id="-ei"><strong>-ei</strong></th>  
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-e" id="-en"><strong>-en</strong></th>
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If you're just getting the hang of the Mandarin "r" sound, these are some good syllables to concentrate on initially:
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-e" id="-eng"><strong>-eng</strong></th>  
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-e" id="-er"><strong>-er</strong></th>  
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<table class="table table-striped table-bordered table-hover">
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<th title="Click to expand" class="col-o col-placeholder first-row"><strong>-o-</strong></th>
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<tr>
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-o" id="-o"><strong>-o</strong></th>
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        <th width="8%">Audio</th>
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-o" id="-ou"><strong>-ou</strong></th>  
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<th width="42%">Pinyin</th>
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-o" id="-ong"><strong>-ong</strong></th>  
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        <th width="8%">Audio</th>
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<th title="Click to expand" class="col-i col-placeholder first-row"><strong>-i-</strong></th>  
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<th width="42%">Pinyin</th>
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-i" id="-i"><strong>-i</strong></th>  
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</tr>
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-i" id="-i*"><strong>-i*</strong></th>  
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<tr>
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-i" id="-ia"><strong>-ia</strong></th>  
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        <td>{{Audio-player|re1|pinyin-audio}}</td>
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-i" id="-iao"><strong>-iao</strong></th>
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<td>re</td>
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-i" id="-ie"><strong>-ie</strong></th>  
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        <td>{{Audio-player|ren1|pinyin-audio}}</td>
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-i" id="-iou"><strong>-iou</strong></th>  
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<td>ren</td>
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-i" id="-ian"><strong>-ian</strong></th>
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</tr>
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-i" id="-iang"><strong>-iang</strong></th>  
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<tr>
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-i" id="-in"><strong>-in</strong></th>  
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        <td>{{Audio-player|ri1|pinyin-audio}}</td>
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-i" id="-ing"><strong>-ing</strong></th>  
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<td>ri</td>
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-i" id="-iong"><strong>-iong</strong></th>  
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        <td>{{Audio-player|ru1|pinyin-audio}}</td>
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<th title="Click to expand" class="col-u col-placeholder first-row"><strong>-u-</strong></th>  
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<td>ru</td>
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-u" id="-u"><strong>-u</strong></th>  
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</tr>
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-u" id="-ua"><strong>-ua</strong></th>  
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<tr>
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-u" id="-uai"><strong>-uai</strong></th>  
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        <td>{{Audio-player|rou1|pinyin-audio}}</td>
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-u" id="-uei"><strong>-uei</strong></th>  
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<td>rou</td>
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-u" id="-uo"><strong>-uo</strong></th>
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        <td>{{Audio-player|rong1|pinyin-audio}}</td>
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-u" id="-uan"><strong>-uan</strong></th>  
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<td>rong</td>
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-u" id="-uang"><strong>-uang</strong></th>  
 
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-u" id="-uen"><strong>-uen</strong></th>
 
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<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-u" id="-ueng"><strong>-ueng</strong></th>  
 
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<th class="first-row last-col"></th>
 
 
</tr>
 
</tr>
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</table>
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== Pinyin Chart Fragment ==
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 +
This is just a part of the full [[pinyin chart]], limited to the sounds we've covered so far.
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{{#widget: Pinyin chart
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| exclude_col_v
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| exclude_row_null
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| exclude_row_bpmf
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| exclude_row_dtnl
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| exclude_row_jqx
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| exclude_row_zcs
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| exclude_row_gkh
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}}
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Next up: [[the "ü" vowel]] (you're almost finished!).
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== Sources and further reading ==
  
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<tr><!--  R- ROW  -->
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* Sinosplice: [http://www.sinosplice.com/learn-chinese/pronunciation-of-mandarin-chinese/4 Chinese Pronunciation]
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<th class="row-zhchshr first-col" id="r-"><strong>r-</strong></th>
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* ChinesePod: [http://chinesepod.com/tools/pronunciation/section/4 A, O with ZH, CH, SH, R], [http://chinesepod.com/tools/pronunciation/section/6 E with Z, C, S, ZH, CH, SH, R], [http://chinesepod.com/tools/pronunciation/section/9 I with Z, C, S, ZH, CH, SH, R], [http://chinesepod.com/tools/pronunciation/section/13 U with ZH, CH, SH, R]
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-a col-placeholder"></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-a"></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-a"></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-a" id="rao"><div class="table-pinyin">rao</div><div class="table-link">[[rao]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[ʐɑʊ̯]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄖㄠ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">jao</div></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-a" id="ran"><div class="table-pinyin">ran</div><div class="table-link">[[ran]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[ʐan]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄖㄢ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">jan</div></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-a" id="rang"><div class="table-pinyin">rang</div><div class="table-link">[[rang]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[ʐɑŋ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄖㄤ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">jang</div></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-e col-placeholder"></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-e" id="re"><div class="table-pinyin">re</div><div class="table-link">[[re]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[ʐɯ̯ʌ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄖㄜ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">je</div></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-e"></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-e" id="ren"><div class="table-pinyin">ren</div><div class="table-link">[[ren]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[ʐən]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄖㄣ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">jen</div></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-e" id="reng"><div class="table-pinyin">reng</div><div class="table-link">[[reng]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[ʐəŋ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄖㄥ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">jeng</div></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-e"></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-o col-placeholder"></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-o"></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-o" id="rou"><div class="table-pinyin">rou</div><div class="table-link">[[rou]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[ʐɤʊ̯]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄖㄡ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">jou</div></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-o" id="rong"><div class="table-pinyin">rong</div><div class="table-link">[[rong]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[ʐʊŋ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄖㄨㄥ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">jung</div></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-i col-placeholder"></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-i"></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-i" id="ri"><div class="table-pinyin">ri</div><div class="table-link">[[ri]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[ʐʅ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄖ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">jih</div></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-i"></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-i"></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-i"></td>
 
−
<td class="row-zhchshr col-i"></td>
 
−
<td class="row-zhchshr col-i"></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-i"></td>
 
−
<td class="row-zhchshr col-i"></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-i"></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-i"></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-u col-placeholder"></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-u" id="ru"><div class="table-pinyin">ru</div><div class="table-link">[[ru]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[ʐu]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄖㄨ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">ju</div></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-u" id="rua"><div class="table-pinyin">rua</div><div class="table-link">[[rua]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[ʐu̯ɑ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄖㄨㄚ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">jua</div></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-u"></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-u" id="rui"><div class="table-pinyin">rui</div><div class="table-link">[[rui]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[ʐu̯eɪ̯]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄖㄨㄟ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">jui</div></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-u" id="ruo"><div class="table-pinyin">ruo</div><div class="table-link">[[ruo]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[ʐu̯ɔ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄖㄨㄛ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">jo</div></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-u" id="ruan"><div class="table-pinyin">ruan</div><div class="table-link">[[ruan]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[ʐu̯an]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄖㄨㄢ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">juan</div></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-u"></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-u" id="run"><div class="table-pinyin">run</div><div class="table-link">[[run]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[ʐu̯ən]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄖㄨㄣ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">jun</div></td>
 
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<td class="row-zhchshr col-u"></td>
 
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<th class="row-zhchshr last-col" id="r-"><strong>r-</strong></th>
 
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</tr>
 
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</table></div>
 
  
 
{{Number in Series|8|Pinyin quick start  guide}}
 
{{Number in Series|8|Pinyin quick start  guide}}
  
 
[[Category:Pinyin]]
 
[[Category:Pinyin]]
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{{Basic Pronunciation|A1|37|TEST SUMMARY|pinyin|ASP00010}}}
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{{Basic Pronunciation|A1|37|This is probably an "r" sound unlike any you've ever made before. It doesn't exist in English, but it can be learned!|pinyin|ASP00010}}
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{{References|r-}}

Latest revision as of 07:41, 14 May 2020

Have you every noticed that the "r" sound is different in many foreign languages? English, Spanish, Russian, French, Japanese, German... the "r" sound is different in every one. Well, guess what? It's also different in Mandarin Chinese. Pinyin "r-" does not make the same sound as "r" in English. In fact, the Mandarin Chinese "r-" sound does not exist in English, so you're going to have to train yourself to make the sound.

Pinyin's "r" Sound

Like the ch-, sh-, and zh- sounds of last section, Mandarin Chinese's r- sound is also retroflex. That means the tip of your tongue should be pointed up toward the roof of your mouth, and also be rather far back in your mouth. That makes it quite different from the typical American "r" sound, which is pronounced by raising the middle of the tongue in the back of the mouth.

This may seem strange, but the Mandarin r- sound really is very similar to the ch-, sh-, and zh- sounds.

R-Diagram
  • r- is pronounced by making the "French j" sound like in the words "leisure" and "pleasure". While making that sound, slowly pull the tip of your tongue further into the back of your mouth. The sound will start to sound less "buzzy" and more like an "r" sound. That's the Mandarin r- sound.
  • ri is an odd syllable because it almost feels like you're not making a vowel sound at all, or if you are, you're doing it kind of at the same time as the "r" sound. This sound rhymes with the zhi, chi, shi sounds of last section, and there's certainly no "ee" sound in it.

There is actually a range of acceptable "buzziness" for the r- sound in Chinese. You can't actually make the sound in the words "leisure" and "pleasure"; that's too "buzzy." But you don't have to pull your tongue so far back that the buzziness fades entirely.

Key "r" Syllables

If you're just getting the hang of the Mandarin "r" sound, these are some good syllables to concentrate on initially:

Audio Pinyin Audio Pinyin
re
ren
ri
ru
rou
rong

Pinyin Chart Fragment

This is just a part of the full pinyin chart, limited to the sounds we've covered so far.

Tone: 1 2 3 4 1234 [Show more Settings]

-a -ai -ao -an -ang -e -ei -en -eng -er -o -ou -ong -i -i* -ia -iao -ie -iou -ian -iang -in -ing -iong -u -ua -uai -uei -uo -uan -uang -uen -ueng
zh-
zha
zhai
zhao
zhan
zhang
zhe
zhei
zhen
zheng
zhou
zhong
zhi
zhu
zhua
zhuai
zhui
zhuo
zhuan
zhuang
zhun
 zh-
ch-
cha
chai
chao
chan
chang
che
chen
cheng
chou
chong
chi
chu
chua
chuai
chui
chuo
chuan
chuang
chun
 ch-
sh-
sha
shai
shao
shan
shang
she
shei
shen
sheng
shou
shi
shu
shua
shuai
shui
shuo
shuan
shuang
shun
 sh-
r-
rao
ran
rang
re
ren
reng
rou
rong
ri
ru
rua
rui
ruo
ruan
run
 r-
-a -ai -ao -an -ang -e -ei -en -eng -er -o -ou -ong -i -i* -ia -iao -ie -iou -ian -iang -in -ing -iong -u -ua -uai -uei -uo -uan -uang -uen -ueng

Next up: the "ü" vowel (you're almost finished!).

Sources and further reading

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