Mike Posted December 24, 2006 at 07:37 PM Report Posted December 24, 2006 at 07:37 PM In general, is pinyin an accurate indication of how characters are pronounced in Chinese? For example, are the following three shi2s pronounced in the same way? 十 shí 10 时 shí o'clock 识 shí to know Quote
Yuchi Posted December 25, 2006 at 12:57 AM Report Posted December 25, 2006 at 12:57 AM Pretty much yes. Quote
djwebb2004 Posted December 25, 2006 at 01:17 AM Report Posted December 25, 2006 at 01:17 AM Yes, they are pronounced the same, except for example where 识 is neutral tone, as in 认识. Pinyin is a very accurate indication of the pronunciation of characters, except that usage of erhua varies from person to person and is not always indicated in writing. Also: usage of neutral tone can vary. There are lots of words where neutral tone can optionally be used (indicated in the Contemporary Chinese Dictionary by a raised dot before the syllable). Tone marks do not fully indicate the exact pronunciation, but that is another question... Quote
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