Reading Teochew

> How do I read Teochew?
On this blog, I use the Gaginang Peng-Im Romanization System (GPIRS). I also provide the Teochew Chinese characters (sometimes). The GPIRS system is described in short, below. For a full explanation go here. For information on how to input tone marks go here. Occasionally you'll see peng-im without tone marks which is easier for quick communication.

Consonant Initials: b, bh, ch, d, g, gh, h, j, k, l, m, n, ng, p, s, t, y
Vowel finals: a, ai, ao, e, eu, i, ia, iao, io, iu, u, ua, uai, ue, ui
Consonant finals: p, t, k, m, ng
Nasalization marker: ":" (colon)
Compound differentiator: "-" (hyphen)
Capitalization: Same as English
Tone marks: 1 = a (none), 2 = à (grave accent), 3 = ă (breve), 4 = at, ap, ak (none), 5 = ā (macron), 6 = á (acute accent), 7 = ạ (underdot), 8 = āt, āp, āp (macron). All tones shown are post-change forms.

Examples:
jiatbẹung  to eat rice 食飯
giạ:lọu to walk a street 行路
buegidiō: airport 飛機場
jạise:iọ: how are things? 在生樣?
dà: diọjiu-uẹ to speak Teochew 呾潮州話

> Why should I learn how to read Teochew?

The same reason why one should learn to read any language: It opens worlds for recording, accessing, and communicating information. 

> 15 Common Teochew words that differ from Mandarin
  • 厝 chŭ - house, home
  • 著 dẹu - chopsticks
  • 乜 mit - what
  • 個 gāi - posessive particle (ex: 我個 Uà gāi - my)
  • 行 giā: - to walk
  • 囝 già: - child, son
  • 底 di - which
  • 勿 măi - don't
  • 溪 koi - river
  • 攏 lòng - all
  • 捌 bak - to know, be familiar with, ever
  • 怎 jŏ - how (ex:  怎呢 jònī)
  • 俺 nàng - we (inclusive)
  • 阮 uàng - we (exclusive)
  • 夗 ūk, í: - to sleep




2 comments:

  1. It's good lesson .. I find it hard to catch the Consonant and Vowel
    thanks for upload

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have been trying very hard to recall the name of a headrest my dad (he's from China) usually sleep with. Kind of look like a brick. Its hard and make of pig skin. Red colour.

    What is it called in teochew?

    None of my teochew friends including those older folks I mixed with , is able to tell me. Can anyone please help?

    ReplyDelete