Pronounciation

Once Upon a Time in China uses the Pinyin (PY) system of romanization, with the exception of latinized names like Confucius and Mencius, and sometimes in the case of proper names for Mandarin speaking southern Chinese who will have their names romanized using the Wade-Giles (WG) system. Cantonese will have their names transliterated in (TES) or (JY) systems. Another exception is Shaolin, which will retain its traditional spelling due to common usage, and the fact that the name has become an icon. In other cases, there are words which come from transliterations of various Chinese dialects or in more archaic systems of transliteration for which I cannot be sure of the Mandarin word, thus the original form will be retained. All such words will be noted. In addition, due to personal preference, I often chose not to run words together in the Pinyin convention, and add hyphens or spaces instead. Thus qigong (qi power) is qi-gong, but huoche (train) remains huoche. I hope the gentle readers can appreciate the difference. Follow this link to find out more about Speaking Chinese .

The pronunciations of some words follow, but first one little peeve...

Beijing is pronounced like it's spelled Bei-Jing, not Bei-Zhing like they say it on the evening news. Sheesh.

-ang sound: ang, bang, cang, chang, chuang, dang, fang, gang, guang, hang, huang, jiang, kang, lang, liang, mang, nang, niang, pang, qiang, rang, sang, shang, shuang, tang, wang, xiang, yan, zang, shang, zhuang

Rhymes with the English words gong or pong, rather thangang or pang. Thus the name Wang is actually pronouncedlike the name Wong rather than the name Wayne. Unless it is the Cantonese Wong, which in Mandarin would actually be pronounced Huang. Also, these words are pronounced as one syllable. Thus shuang is pronounced schwong not shoo-ain.

-e sound: ce, che, de, e, ge, he, ke, le, ne, re, se, she, te, ye, ze, zhe

Sounds like u as in guppy, not ee as in meet nor ei as in lei.

-i sound: ci, ri, si, zi
The i sound is usually pronounced as in English, with these exceptions. This is a rather difficult sound describe. Ci sounds like ts in bandits, not see. Ri sounds like ir in girl not ree. Si sounds like ss in distress not si. Zi sounds like ds in roads not zee.

-ian sound: bian, dian, jian, lian, pian, qian, tian, xian

Tian would be pronounced like tien (one syllable) as opposed to tee-ann (two syllables). In fact, this is a good reminder that all non-compound words are pronounced with one syllable

-ie sound: bie, die, jie, lie, mie, nie, pie, qie, tie, xie

Die would be pronounced like dieh, rather than die.

-o sound: bo, fo, mo, po, wo

Sounds like the o in forget, not the o in go.

-ong sound: chong, dong, gong, hong, jiong, kong, long, nong, qiong, rong, song, tong, xiong, yong, zhong, zong

A source of endless mirth. Rhymes with loan, not the marital aid.

-ou sound: chou, cou, dou, fou, gou, hou, kou, lou, mou, nou, pou, rou, sou, shou, tou, you, zhou, zou

You would be pronounced like yo as in yo-yo not you as in youth.

-ue sound: jue, lue, nue, pue, xue, yue

Yue would be pronounced like yueh, not the English you.

-c sound: ca, cai, can, cang, cao, ce, cen, ceng, ci, cong, cou, cu, cuan, cui, cun, cuo

Sounds like ts as in cats. I actually prefer the Wade-Giles version of these words, except for the fact that people don't make any distinction between ts'/tz' and ts/tz. The former being pronounced like ts, and the latter like dz (as in modes).

-q sound: qi, qia, qian, qiang, qiao, qie, qin, qing, qiong, qiu, qu, quan, que, qun

Sounds like ch as in chat. Thus qi is pronounced like the Chinese chi (or if you prefer, c'hi), not the Japanese ki.

-x sound: xi, xia, xian, xiang, xiao, xie, xin, xing, xiong, xiu, xu, xuan, xue, xun

Sounds like sh as in shimmy, not z as in zap.

-yi sound: yi, yin, ying
The y is silent so ying actually sounds like ing, rhymes with being.

-z sound: za, zai, zan, zang, zao, ze, zei, zen, zeng, zha, zhai, zhan, zhang, zhao, zhe, zhei, zhen, zheng, zhi, zhong, zhou, zhu, zhua, zhuai, zhuan, zhuang, zhui, zhun, zhuo, zi, zong, zou, zu, zuan, zui, zun, zuo
Sounds like dz as in modes.

Back

-ang sound: ang, bang, cang, chang, chuang, dang, fang, gang, guang, hang, huang, jiang, kang, lang, liang, mang, nang, niang, pang, qiang, rang, sang, shang, shuang, tang, wang, xiang, yan, zang, shang, zhuang	Rhymes with the English words gong or pong, rather thangang or pang. Thus the name Wang is actually pronouncedlike the name Wong rather than the name Wayne. Unless it is the Cantonese Wong, which in Mandarin would actually be pronounced Huang. Also, these words are pronounced as one syllable. Thus shuang is pronounced schwong not shoo-ain.
-e sound: ce, che, de, e, ge, he, ke, le, ne, re, se, she, te, ye, ze, zhe	Sounds like u as in guppy, not ee as in meet nor ei as in lei.
-i sound: ci, ri, si, zi	The i sound is usually pronounced as in English, with these exceptions. This is a rather difficult sound describe. Ci sounds like ts in bandits, not see. Ri sounds like ir in girl not ree. Si sounds like ss in distress not si. Zi sounds like ds in roads not zee.
-ian sound: bian, dian, jian, lian, pian, qian, tian, xian	Tian would be pronounced like tien (one syllable) as opposed to tee-ann (two syllables). In fact, this is a good reminder that all non-compound words are pronounced with one syllable
-ie sound: bie, die, jie, lie, mie, nie, pie, qie, tie, xie	Die would be pronounced like dieh, rather than die.
-o sound: bo, fo, mo, po, wo	Sounds like the o in forget, not the o in go.
-ong sound: chong, dong, gong, hong, jiong, kong, long, nong, qiong, rong, song, tong, xiong, yong, zhong, zong	A source of endless mirth. Rhymes with loan, not the marital aid.
-ou sound: chou, cou, dou, fou, gou, hou, kou, lou, mou, nou, pou, rou, sou, shou, tou, you, zhou, zou	You would be pronounced like yo as in yo-yo not *you* as in youth.
-ue sound: jue, lue, nue, pue, xue, yue	Yue would be pronounced like yueh, not the English you.
-c sound: ca, cai, can, cang, cao, ce, cen, ceng, ci, cong, cou, cu, cuan, cui, cun, cuo	Sounds like ts as in cats. I actually prefer the Wade-Giles version of these words, except for the fact that people don't make any distinction between *ts'/tz'* and ts/tz. The former being pronounced like ts, and the latter like dz (as in modes).
-q sound: qi, qia, qian, qiang, qiao, qie, qin, qing, qiong, qiu, qu, quan, que, qun	Sounds like ch as in chat. Thus qi is pronounced like the Chinese chi (or if you prefer, c'hi), not the Japanese ki.
-x sound: xi, xia, xian, xiang, xiao, xie, xin, xing, xiong, xiu, xu, xuan, xue, xun	Sounds like sh as in shimmy, not z as in zap.
-yi sound: yi, yin, ying	The y is silent so ying actually sounds like *ing, rhymes with being*.
-z sound: za, zai, zan, zang, zao, ze, zei, zen, zeng, zha, zhai, zhan, zhang, zhao, zhe, zhei, zhen, zheng, zhi, zhong, zhou, zhu, zhua, zhuai, zhuan, zhuang, zhui, zhun, zhuo, zi, zong, zou, zu, zuan, zui, zun, zuo	Sounds like dz as in modes.