Difference between revisions of "The "r" sound"
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{{Pronunciation Box}} | {{Pronunciation Box}} | ||
| − | Have you every noticed that the | + | 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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| + | == Pinyin's "r" Sound == | ||
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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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| + | This may seem strange, but the Mandarin [[r-]] sound really is very similar to the [[ch-]], [[sh-]], and [[zh-]] sounds. | ||
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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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| + | 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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| + | == 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. | ||
{{#widget: Pinyin chart settings}} | {{#widget: Pinyin chart settings}} | ||
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</tr> | </tr> | ||
</table></div> | </table></div> | ||
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| + | Next up: [[the "ü" vowel]] (you're almost finished!). | ||
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| + | == Sources and further reading == | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Sinosplice: [http://www.sinosplice.com/learn-chinese/pronunciation-of-mandarin-chinese/4 Chinese Pronunciation] | ||
| + | * 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] | ||
{{Number in Series|8|Pinyin quick start guide}} | {{Number in Series|8|Pinyin quick start guide}} | ||
Revision as of 14:31, 29 March 2015
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Level
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In series Pinyin quick start guide
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Referenced Initials
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- 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.
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.
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]
Show Text: IPA Zhuyin Wade-Giles
Text Size: Small Medium Large
Chart Mode: Audio Links (disables audio)
| -a- | -a | -ai | -ao | -an | -ang | -e- | -e | -ei | -en | -eng | -er | -o- | -o | -ou | -ong | -i- | -i | -i* | -ia | -iao | -ie | -iou | -ian | -iang | -in | -ing | -iong | -u- | -u | -ua | -uai | -uei | -uo | -uan | -uang | -uen | -ueng | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| r- | [ʐɑʊ̯] jao |
[ʐan] jan |
[ʐɑŋ] jang |
[ʐɯ̯ʌ] je |
[ʐən] jen |
[ʐəŋ] jeng |
[ʐɤʊ̯] jou |
[ʐʊŋ] jung |
[ʐʅ] jih |
[ʐu] ju |
[ʐu̯ɑ] jua |
[ʐu̯eɪ̯] jui |
[ʐu̯ɔ] jo |
[ʐu̯an] juan |
[ʐu̯ən] jun |
r- |
Next up: the "ü" vowel (you're almost finished!).
Sources and further reading
- Sinosplice: Chinese Pronunciation
- ChinesePod: A, O with ZH, CH, SH, R, E with Z, C, S, ZH, CH, SH, R, I with Z, C, S, ZH, CH, SH, R, U with ZH, CH, SH, R
