Phonetics of Modern Standard Mandarin (普通话)

[BanZhiYun]

Hello everyone,

I am currently doing Chinese language and Literature @ PKU, I am in my freshman year. We're taking Modern Chinese (Part 1 [out of 2]) this semester, whose main focus is to introduce us to the Phonetics of Standard Chinese (普通话). As probably most of you know, for undergrads, we need to write a graduation thesis in our final year, and I am almost sure I will be writing mine on a Linguistic topic. Right now I am leaning towards Phonetics, but I will wait to take the Syntax class next semester, and take some more additional elective courses on linguistics (e.g 现代汉语虚词研究，现代汉语词汇 etc.) We still haven't had a Literature class (古代文学史 and so on), but we will start having them from next semester, for 2 years. (古代文学史，现代文学史，当代作品 etc). Then we're having 古代汉语 at the moment as well, but it is, without questions the toughest subject after Ancient History (中国古代史, run by the History department). I feel like if I don't have enough understanding of the Chinese language's structure and it's specifics, I would have a much harder time understanding literature. So I'd prefer to specialize on Modern Chinese and linguistics in general. Doesn't hurt it's basically a science, a logical science. Is there anyone on this forum who is also interested in Phonetics of 普通话? I'd like to share some opinions.

[Ruky]

Hi I'm interested in phonetics, although mostly as a way to improve my pronunciation. One book I can recommend is Wang Ruo Jiang's "A Course in Chinese Pronunciation Correction". The book contains tongue position charts for every phoneme, a CD, description of sandhi rules. You'll also get to learn Chinese phonetics terms by reading it. Unfortunately, most Chinese textbooks are woefully inadequate regarding phonetics. I started learning Bengali and Edward Dimock's textbook provides 50 pages to phonetics. With audio comparing aspirated and unaspirated consonants, dental vs retroflex ect. Bengali has a greater sound inventory than Chinese, but I wish Chinese was covered similarly in beginning textbooks.

[Michaelyus]

I'm a bit of an amateur in phonetics, although I have greater interest in historical phonology and comparative phonology than modelling phonological systems. However I'm thoroughly self-taught, so I wouldn't know about PKU's requirements.

 

For a good academic introduction to Modern Standard Mandarin phonology, I don't think San Duanmu's The phonology of Standard Chinese can be beaten. It's also fairly non-traditional in its analysis (especially of semivowel glides), and is also one of the books that deals with lexical stress in Mandarin too.

[陳德聰]

For a good academic introduction to Modern Standard Mandarin phonology... San Duanmu's The phonology of Standard Chinese... is also one of the books that deals with lexical stress in Mandarin too.

Yessssssssssssssss

[BanZhiYun]

@Ruky Hello! I've met Wang Ruojiang at the School of Chinese as a Second Language, she has been teaching the foundation class for a long, long time. Too bad she retired in 2014. I guess it's my bad, but I've never heard the name of her book in English, is it 《汉语正音教程》by chance? 

@Michaelyus Hello there! Glad to you hear you also enjoy this discipline, even though you are self-thought. As I said above, I've never heard about any English written books, everything I use as a textbook or a reference book, is in Chinese, mostly written by Chinese scholars. These are our reference books for 语音部分参考文献:

 

常培、王均，2002，《普通语音学纲要（修订本）》，北京：商务印书馆。

林焘、王理嘉，2003，《语音学教程》（王韫佳、王理嘉增订），北京：北京大学出版社。

王理嘉，1992，《音系学基础》，北京：语文出版社。

赵元任，1980，《语言问题》，北京：商务印书馆。

赵元任，1979，《汉语口语语法》（语音部分），吕叔湘译，北京：商务印书馆。

王士元，1983，语言的发生，载于《语言学论丛》第十一辑，北京：商务印书馆。

 

I will try to look for the book you've mentioned, thanks for the input. )

 

[BanZhiYun]

I took pictures of my textbook, but for some reason I can't upload them. Anyways, I am interested in the change of sounds using the same symbol (e.g. a, e, i, o in Pinyin, but totally different sounds in different combinations) as well as the classification called "四呼"。“四呼” is a specific classification of Chinese vowels, so I doubt it's very wildly known by the Western scholars. Correct me if I am wrong. If it is, I would be pleasantly surprised!

On a side note, 赵元任 is supposed to be one of the best linguists on 普通话, most of his books are originally written in English even and then translated into Chinese (he imigrated to USA at an early age). So I'd strongly recommend reading 赵元任，1980，《语言问题》，北京：商务印书馆。

赵元任，1979 and 《汉语口语语法》（语音部分），吕叔湘译，北京：商务印书馆,  respectively. 
 

P.S.

Grammar of Spoken Chinese (1968). Berkeley: University of California Press. = 《汉语口语语法》，吕叔湘译，北京
I am not sure what's the original name of the other one. If I find it, I will post it here.
 

[OneEye]

Anyways, I am interested in the change of sounds using the same symbol (e.g. a, e, i, o in Pinyin, but totally different sounds in different combinations)

 

If you're starting from how the sounds are represented in pinyin, you've lost before you've even begun. I could make up my own system which represents the 'i' in 七 with a 'q' and the 'i' in 四 with a '&' if I wanted to, it makes no difference. The sound is the sound, regardless of how it's represented in writing. So don't look for "change of sounds using the same symbol (e.g. a, e, i, o in Pinyin, but totally different sounds in different combinations)," but rather look into how those sounds (not letters) are related to each other historically (if and when they are) and how they developed over time.

[Ruky]

Yes, 汉语正音教程 is the Chinese name of her book.

[BanZhiYun]

@OneEye Well, that's what we are studying. As I said, too bad I can't upload pictures of our textbook, but we have it there, explained with IPA and it's 规律, how and why they change. We just had it on the exam last Thursday: 举例说明《汉语拼音方案》里i的音值。The topic you are talking about is 音韵史, I believe. I am interested on Phonetics on 普通话 at the moment.

[BanZhiYun]

@Ruky I guess they have it in the library, I will give it a look these days! Thanks for the head ups.

[BanZhiYun]

@OneEye Basically, 《汉语拼音方案》is a transcription on Chinese sounds made for Chinese people (initially, of course) to represent the different sounds in Chinese. The study of sounds in Modern Standard Chinese is basically the Phonetics of 普通话. Using the same 字符 that represents different sounds is a topic of Phonetics of the Modern language, rather than how they developed through the time. To me, at least, these sound like two different subjects. I am currently interested on the Phonetics. I believe that if I don't have a thorough understanding of it, well then, I'd be totally lost studying the later one. That's my take on it.

[OneEye]

My point is that two sounds being represented with the same letter in pinyin doesn't make them related, and it doesn't mean there's any "change" involved.

 

Best of luck.

[BanZhiYun]

Well then, if you want to tell me that "i"'s (since we're talking about this case) different sounds (and there are more than just the 机, 资，知) are not related and there is no change in that, well, I am not the one to convince you. What I can assure you, though, is that there is relation and there is change. The same goes for "o, a, e". As that same teacher said: "If we haven't heard about something, it doesn't mean it doesn't exist." Thanks for your encouragement and best of luck to you too!

[Angelina]

Have you heard about Praat?

http://www.fon.hum.uva.nl/praat/

We are using it here.

[BanZhiYun]

@Angelina No, I haven't, thanks for sharing! I'll give it a look!

[Shelley]

As I said, too bad I can't upload pictures of our textbook

 

Not sure why you can't but here is the how to:

 

Click on "More Reply Options" at the bottom right side of the reply box.

 

Then click "Browse"  and then navigate to the file/s on your PC and then click "Attach This File"

 

 

[BanZhiYun]

@Angelina Do you know if it can be run by an OS operating system? I am using a Macbook (unfortunately). And so far I don't find whether it can be used on Mac or not, but I'll keep looking.

@Shelley Thanks for telling me! I'll try it out.

[BanZhiYun]

This is our textbook, the content on Phonetics (语音部分) and the vowels part (韵母). As seen, it uses the IPA translation next to each vowel in 普通话, whether it's a monophthong, diphthong or triphthong. I forgot to mention I am freshman first year, so we're not doing any experimental phonetics. I will try to upload some more pictures. Thanks again @Shelley!

[Angelina]

more 材料

[BanZhiYun]

^I just realized some of the pics I've taken are not very clear. If you guys want me to retake any of them, let me know. These are the slides that our teacher has uploaded on our 教学网; strictly the vowels in 普通话 and their IPA.