Syllables with just one character

[heqi_liegou]

It seems that syllables nuan, neng & sen only have one possible character (暖， 能， 森). Are there more such syllables?

[Angelina]

Not exactly only one. 森 and 槮  are both sen1 in Mandarin. Then my input method gives me 滲 摻 篸 襂 㜗 㵕  for 'sen' as well. Don't forget that tones have lexical meaning in Mandarin.  

 

'nuan' has 10 entries here, 'neng' 9. 

 

Interesting observation anyway. I wonder how those characters can be read in all other Sinitic languages (Cantonese, Wu, etc.) Maybe we will find some pattern. Another option is to look into old rhyming dictionaries. 

[Angelina]

Zen3 can only be written down as 怎. zen4 has a few options 谮 撍 㻸 䫈

 

No other ideas right now

 

Correction: 撍 is zen1 according to 新华词典

[heqi_liegou]

I have two different input methods (Chinese simplified) at home and at the university and they both give just one character for those syllables mentioned (regardless of tone). Also the web dictionary I use seems to know just one character for each. It calls character 滲 as "shen" and does not recognize those others. Probably those alternative characters for these three syllables are rarely used or even archaic.

[Angelina]

What input methods have you been using? I am mostly using 搜狗 and Simplified Chinese for Mac.

You can download 搜狗 for Windows and Android. Not sure about Linux platforms. 

[Angelina]

http://baike.sogou.com/v465006.htm

[Angelina]

Anyone who knows more about the terminology? 

 

input method means 输入法 as in 拼音、五笔 等等

 

and input method editor or input method tool refers to the software used right? 

[hedwards]

Angela, the IME I'm using has the same number of characters for nuan and neng, I'm guessing that it is an IME thing. I wouldn't expect there to be any syllables that genuinely have only 1 character, as Chinese has such a small number of unique syllables that the writing would be a complete mess.

 

Oh, and I got 12 characters for sen. :-P

[wushucrab20]

another one is 日 （ri4). I always thought it would be interesting if there were other words with the ri sound of tones 1 2 or 3.

[Pedroski]

I use Linux and ibus input method. Works great!

 

日也有不雅的意思

 

http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/detail/%E6%97%A5/34514

[michaelS]

How about 'gei'?

 

It's always surprised me that, on the input methods I use at least, there's no other character (apart form traditional variant) for such a common one

[tooironic]

谁 comes to mind.

[Shelley]

That's an interesting one tooironic because it has 2 pronunciations shei and shui both with the same meaning.

[Lugubert]

If I'm to believe Wenlin,  there's only one character for [cěi] and [cèi]. Won't copy here from there; 卒 as the left half and 瓦 to the right. My paper dictionary shows its for cèi break (of glass, china etc.)

[skylee]

See this thread - http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/36565-%E5%8D%92%E7%93%A6cei4/