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Jyutping - a simple and professional Cantonese Romanization
What is Jyutping?
The Linguistic Society of Hong Kong Cantonese Romanization Scheme, or known as Jyutping, was designed and proposed by the Linguistic Society of Hong Kong in 1993. Jyutping is a new Cantonese romanization system which has many advantages. It is multifunctional, systematic, user-friendly, compatible with all possible modern Cantonese sounds, and solely based on alphanumeric characters without any diacritics and strange symbols. Jyutping can also be used as a Chinese computer input method. Its basic principles are simple, easy to learn, and professional.
Guide to Jyutping
1. Introduction
Jyutping reflects features of the following schemes: Yale Romanization, International Phonetic Alphabet, and Hanyu Pinyin. Below is a full explanation of all the letters used in Jyutping. It is recommended that you use this guide as a reference whenever transliterating Cantonese pronunciation.
2. The Jyutping Alphabet
The key to understanding Jyutping is that each letter or each group of
letters represents only
one particular sound. In English, a letter can represent many different sounds, for
example: The vowel sounds in "bear", "lair", "care" are all the same, despite
the fact that they are all spelt with different vowel letters. Also, the "a" in
"cat", is definitely not the same sound as the "a" in "far", or "share". In Jyutping, each letter or each group of letters
stands for one sound only.
Just remember this: If it rhymes, then it should be spelt similarly. For
example: sau (hand), hau (mouth), gau (nine), zau (to go), all rhyme
with each other, so therefore they all use the "au" ending.
2.1 The Initial Sounds
b, c, d, f, g, gw, h, j, k, kw, l, m, n, ng, p, s, t, w, z
As for the consonants, most of the consonants should be fairly easy for an English speaker to pronounce, except for c, j and z. Examples of all sounds will be provided. In total there are 19 consonant sounds. Similar consonant sounds have been grouped together.
| Letter |
English Sound |
Example |
| b |
s-p-ear |
baa1 爸 (father),
beng2
餅 (biscuit) |
| p |
p-ot (aspirated) |
paau2
跑 (to run),
pang4jau2 朋友 (friends) |
| d |
s-t-ar |
daa2
打 (to hit),
daai6 大 (big) |
| t |
t-ick (aspirated) |
tai2
睇 (to see),
teng1 聽 (to listen) |
| z |
ca-ts |
zou6
做 (to do),
zi1 知 (to know) |
| c |
ca-ts (aspirated) |
cat1
七 (seven),
ce1 車 (car) |
| g |
s-k-y |
gau2
九 (nine),
gong2 講 (to speak) |
| k |
k-ing (aspirated) |
keoi5
佢 (he/she),
kei5 企 (to stand) |
| gw |
s-qu-id |
gwai3
貴 (expensive),
gwaa1
瓜 (melon) |
| kw |
qu-een (aspirated) |
kwan4
裙 (dress/skirt),
kwaang1
框 (frame) |
| l |
l-ight |
luk6
六 (six),
lik6
力 (force/energy) |
| m |
m-an |
maai5
買 (to buy),
man6
問 (to ask) |
| n |
n-ear |
naam4
男 (male),
neoi5
女 (female) |
| ng |
thi-ng |
ngaan5
眼 (eye),
ngaa4
牙 (tooth) |
| f |
f-un |
faan6
飯 (cooked rice),
fei4
肥 (fat) |
| s |
s-it |
saam1
三 (three),
sei3
四 (four) |
| h |
h-ello |
hau2
口 (mouth),
hou2
好 (good) |
| j |
y-es |
jat1
一 (one),
jiu3
要 (to demand/need/want) |
| w |
w-ater |
wu1zou1
污糟 (dirty),
waa6
話 (to say) |
2.2 The Final Sounds
In all, Cantonese has 56 distinct final sounds that are composed of 54 compound finals and 2 syllabic nasals (m, ng). The compound finals are formed by combining 9 nuclei (aa, a, e, eo, oe, i, o, u, yu) with 8 endings (i, u, m, n, ng, p, t, k).
The p, t, and k endings end in a clipped sound. This means that these endings are never actually aspirated (air is not released from your mouth at the end of the word). Note that this is very different from English, where the p, t, and k endings are usually aspirated.
Below are examples of all the final sounds.
2.2.1 Nucleus aa - aa, aai, aau; aam, aan, aang; aap, aat, aak
2.2.2 Nucleus a - ai, au; am, an, ang; ap, at, ak
| Letter |
English Sound |
Example |
| ai |
s-i-te |
tai2
睇 (to see),
sai2
洗 (to wash) |
| au |
ou-t |
hau2
口 (mouth), sau2
手 (hand) |
| |
| am |
s-um |
jam2
飲 (to drink),
sam1
心 (heart) |
| an |
s-un |
san1
新 (new),
man6
問 (to ask) |
| ang |
s-ung |
dang2
等 (to wait),
pang4jau2 朋友 (friends) |
| |
| ap |
c-up |
sap6
十 (ten),
jap6
入 (to enter) |
| at |
c-ut |
jat1
一 (one), cat1
七 (seven) |
| ak |
s-uck |
hak1
黑 (black),
bak1
北 (north) |
2.2.3 Nucleus e - e, ei, eu; em, eng; ep, ek
| Letter |
English Sound |
Example |
| e |
l-e-t |
ce1 車 (car),
se2
寫 (to write) |
| ei |
s-ay |
fei4
肥 (fat),
bei2
畀 (to give) |
| eu |
c-al-culate |
deu6 掉 (to drop), zeu6 (to
chew) |
| |
| em |
s-am |
lem2 舐 (to lick) |
| eng |
s-ang |
beng2
餅 (biscuit),
teng1 聽 (to listen) |
| |
| ep |
m-ap |
gep6 夾 (to nip/to clamp) |
| ek |
s-ec |
sek6tau4
石頭 (stone), kek6zaap6
劇集 (drama serials) |
2.2.4 Nucleus eo - eoi; eon; eot
| Letter |
English Sound |
Example |
| eoi |
oy + ee |
keoi5
佢 (he/she),
seoi2
水 (water) |
| |
| eon |
very short oo + n |
ceon2
蠢 (stupid/foolish),
seon4
唇 (lips) |
| |
| eot |
short p-ut |
ceot1
出 (go out/come out),
seot1saam1
恤衫 (shirt) |
2.2.5 Nucleus oe - oe; oeng; oek
| Letter |
English Sound |
Example |
| oe |
f-ur |
hoe1
靴 (boot) |
| |
| oeng |
urn + ng |
soeng2
想 (want to/wanna),
loeng5
兩 (two) |
| |
| oek |
j-erk |
joek6
藥 (drug/medicine), zoek2 (bird) |
2.2.5 Nucleus i - i, iu; im, in, ing; ip, it, ik
| Letter |
English Sound |
Example |
| i |
s-ee |
zi1 知 (to know),
ji6
易 (easy) |
| iu |
ee + ew |
siu2
少 (few),
ziu1tau4zou2
朝頭早 (morning) |
| |
| im |
s-im |
dim2
點 (o'clock),
tim4
甜 (sweet) |
| in |
s-in |
min6
面 (face),
tin1
天 (sky/heaven) |
| ing |
s-ing |
ming4
明 (to understand),
zing6
靜 (quiet) |
| |
| ip |
s-ip |
jip6
葉 (leaf), dip2
碟 (plate) |
| it |
s-it |
jit6
熱 (hot) |
| ik |
s-ick |
sik6
食 (to eat),
lik6
力 (force/energy) |
2.2.6 Nucleus o - o, oi, ou; on, ong; ot, ok
| Letter |
English Sound |
Example |
| o |
f-ou-r |
co5
坐 (to sit),
do1
多 (many/much) |
| oi |
s-oy |
hoi1 開 (to open),
ngoi6min6
外面 (outside) |
| ou |
s-o |
zou6
做 (to do),
hou2
好 (good) |
| |
| on |
on |
gon1
乾 (dry),
hon6
汗 (sweat) |
| ong |
s-ong |
gong2 講 (to speak),
fong2
房 (room) |
| |
| ot |
h-ot |
hau2hot3
口渴 (thirsty),
got3
割 (to cut/to shear) |
| ok |
s-ock |
hok6
學 (to learn),
lok6
落 (go down) |
2.2.7 Nucleus u - u, ui; un, ung; ut, uk
| Letter |
English Sound |
Example |
| u |
t-oo |
wu1zou1
污糟 (dirty),
fu2
苦 (bitter) |
| ui |
oo + ee |
bui1
杯 (cup/glass),
mui5
每 (every) |
| |
| un |
m-oon |
mun4
門 (door),
wun2
碗 (bowl) |
| ung |
l-one + ng |
jung6
用 (to use),
tung4
同 (and) |
| |
| ut |
f-oot |
sang1wut6
生活 (life) |
| uk |
c-ook |
luk6
六 (six), juk6
肉 (meat) |
2.2.8 Nucleus yu - yu; yun; yut
| Letter |
English Sound |
Example |
| yu |
rounded u |
syu1
書 (book),
zyu1
豬 (pig) |
| |
| yun |
rounded u + n |
dyun2
短 (short),
jyun5
遠 (far) |
| |
| yut |
rounded u + d |
jyut6
月 (month) |
2.2.9 Syllabic Nasals - m, ng
| Letter |
English Sound |
Example |
| m |
mmm... |
m4goi1
唔該 (thank you) |
| ng |
su-ng |
ng5
五 (five) |
3. Cantonese Tones
Tones are related to music. When you say "do re mi fa so la ti do" the tone
rises each word up. In Chinese languages like Cantonese, tones are important in
conveying meaning.
Mandarin has 4 tones,
Shanghainese has 5 and Teochew 6.
Cantonese has 6 tones. If you think that is a lot, it is really not. It is
actually easy for intuitive Cantonese speakers.
It many help to envision these tones drawn out in a diagram. The white
horizontal lines show pitch levels, while the blue lines show tones.
In representing the tones, the corresponding tone number can be written after each syllable as a superscript, e.g.
seoi2
水 (water), haang4
行 (to walk), gwai3
貴 (expensive), and
goek3
腳 (foot). Pronounce a word listed next to each tone and then
look at the corresponding tone diagram.
| Tone |
Contour |
Pitch Level |
Fu |
Si |
| 1 |
Level |
High (5-5) |
fu1
夫 (husband) |
si1
詩 (poem) |
| 2 |
Rising |
Mid to High (3-5) |
fu2
苦 (bitter) |
si2
史 (history) |
| 3 |
Level |
Mid (3-3) |
fu3
富 (rich) |
si3
試 (to try) |
| 4 |
Falling |
Low-Mid to Low (2-1) |
fu4
扶 (to lean) |
si4
時 (time) |
| 5 |
Rising |
Low to Mid (1-3) |
fu5
婦 (woman) |
si5
市 (city) |
| 6 |
Level |
Low-Mid (2-2) |
fu6
父 (father) |
si6
事 (event) |
Here are two examples to give you a clear idea of the differences between
the 6 tones:
fu1
fu2, fu3, fu4, fu5, fu6
夫 (husband),
苦 (bitter), 富
(rich),
扶 (to lean), 婦 (woman),
父 (father)
si1
si2, si3, si4, si5, si6
詩
(poem),
史 (history), 試
(to try),
時 (time), 市
(city),
事 (event)
4. References
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