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Taiwanese Mandarin (traditional Chinese: 台灣國語; pinyin: Táiwān Guóyǔ; Wade-Giles: T'ai2-wan1 Kuo2-yü3; also 台灣華語, Táiwān Huáyǔ) is the dialect of Mandarin Chinese spoken in Taiwan.
The official Standard Mandarin of the Republic of China, known in Taiwan as 國語 (Guóyǔ, Kuo-yü), is based on the phonology of the Beijing dialect and the grammar of Vernacular Chinese. It is almost identical to the standard of Mandarin used in the People's Republic of China, known in mainland China as Pǔtōnghuà (普通话); the differences between the two are mainly due to the separation of the two sides since 1949 as well as the period of Japanese rule from 1895 to 1945. However, Mandarin as spoken informally in Taiwan has some notable differences in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation with Standard Mandarin, which have arisen by virtue of contact with native Taiwanese (Amoy Min Nan) speakers.
In 1945 when the island of Taiwan came under the control of the Kuomintang's Republic of China, Mandarin was introduced as the official language and made compulsory in schools. (From 1895 to 1945, Japanese was the official language and taught in schools.) Since then, Mandarin has been established as a lingua franca among the various groups in Taiwan: the majority Minnan-speaking Hoklo (Hokkien), the Hakka who have their own spoken language, Mainlanders whose native tongue may be any Chinese variant in mainland China, and the Indigenous Taiwanese who speak Indigenous languages.
Until the 1980s the Kuomintang administration heavily promoted the use of Standard Mandarin and discouraged the use of Taiwanese and other vernaculars, even portraying them as inferior. Mandarin was the only sanctioned language for use in the media. This produced a backlash in the 1990s. Although some more extreme supporters of Taiwan independence tend to be opposed to standard Mandarin in favor of Taiwanese, efforts to replace standard Mandarin either with Taiwanese or with a multi-lingual standard have remained stalled. Today, Mandarin is taught by immersion starting in elementary school. After the second grade, the entire educational system is in Mandarin, except for local language classes that have been taught for a few hours each week starting in the mid-1990s.
Taiwanese Mandarin (as with Singlish and many other situations of a creole speech community) is spoken at different levels according to the social class and situation of the speakers. Formal occasions call for the acrolectal level of Guoyu, which in practice differs little from Putonghua. Less formal situations often result in the basilect form, which has more uniquely Taiwanese features. Bilingual Taiwanese speakers often code-switch between Mandarin and Taiwanese, sometimes in the same sentence.
Mandarin is spoken fluently by almost the entire Taiwanese population, except for some elderly people who were educated under Japanese rule. In the capital Taipei, where there is a high concentration of Mainlanders whose native language is not Taiwanese, Mandarin is used in greater frequency than in southern and rural Taiwan.
[edit] Differences from Standard Mandarin
- Further information: Standard Mandarin
[edit] Pronunciation
There are two categories of pronunciation differences. The first is of characters that have an official pronunciation that differs from Putonghua (this mainly means a difference in tone rather than vowels or consonants). The second is more general, with differences being unofficial and arising through the influence of Taiwanese on Guoyu.
[edit] Variant official pronunciations
There are a few differences in official pronunciations, mainly in tone, between Guoyu and Putonghua.
The following is a partial list of such differences:
|
Putonghua
(PRC) |
Guoyu
(Taiwan) |
Remarks |
垃圾
("garbage") |
lājī |
lèsè |
|
液體
("liquid") |
yètǐ |
yìtǐ |
|
和
("and") |
hé |
hàn |
hé is also used in Taiwan |
星期
("week") |
xīngqī |
xīngqí |
|
企業
("enterprise") |
qǐyè |
qìyè |
|
[edit] Taiwanese-influenced
In acrolectal Taiwanese Mandarin:
- the retroflex sounds (ch, zh, sh, r) from Putonghua are softened considerably
- the Beijing retroflex "r" (兒) ending is very rarely heard
- the pinyin feng is pronounced as fong
In basilectal Taiwanese Mandarin, sounds that do not occur in Taiwanese are replaced by sounds from that language. These variations from Standard Mandarin are similar to the variations of Mandarin spoken in southern China. Using the Hanyu Pinyin system, the following sound changes take place (going from Putonghua to Taiwanese Mandarin followed with an example):
- f- becomes hu- (fan – huan 反→緩)[1]
- -ie, ye becomes ei (tie – tei)
- chi (stand-alone) becomes tu (chi – tu)
- ch- becomes c- (chuan – cuan 傳→攢)
- r- becomes l- (ren - len)
- zh-, zhi becomes z-, zi (zhao – zao 照→造)
- sh-, shi becomes s-, si (shuo – suo 說→縮)
- yu becomes yi (yue – ye 月→夜)
[edit] Grammar
The Putonghua construct 有…沒有 (have or not have) is not used in Taiwanese Mandarin.
For example: 你有汽車沒有? (lit. "you have a car or not have?") is not often found in Taiwanese Mandarin, where the preferred usage would be the alternative Putonghua construction 你有没有汽车？ (lit. "you have or not have a car?"). Both phrases have the same meaning of "Do you have a car?"
In some contexts, the construction involving 有 is often used where the sentence final particle 了 would normally be used to denote perfect aspect. For instance, a Taiwanese person would say "你有吃飯嗎？" to mean "Have you eaten?" whereas the preferred Putonghua is "你吃饭了吗？". This is due to the influence of Taiwanese grammar which uses 有 in a similar fashion.
[edit] Vocabulary
Vocabulary differences can be divided into four categories – different usage of the same term, loan words, technological words, idioms, and words specific to living in Taiwan. Because of the limited transfer of information between mainland China and Taiwan after the Chinese civil war, many things that were invented after this split have different names in Guoyu and Putonghua. Additionally, many terms were adopted from Japanese both as a result of its close proximity as well as Taiwan's status as a Japanese colony in the first half of the 20th century.
[edit] Same words, different meaning
Some terms have different meanings in Taiwan and mainland China, which can sometimes lead to misunderstandings between speakers of both territories. Often there are alternative unambiguous terms which can be understood by both sides.
| Term |
Meaning in Taiwan |
Meaning in mainland China |
Remarks |
土豆
tǔ dòu |
peanut |
potato |
Unambiguous terms:
- 花生 (peanut)
- 馬鈴薯/马铃薯 (potato).
|
搞
gǎo |
to carry out something insidious |
to do, to perform a task |
As such, it is a verb that is rarely seen in any official or formal setting in Taiwan, whereas it is widely used in China even by its top officials in official settings. |
窩心 (T)
窝心 (S)
wō xīn |
a kind of warm feeling |
having an uneased mind |
|
出租車 (T)
出租车 (S)
chū zū chē |
rental car |
taxi |
In Taiwan, taxis are called 計程車 (jì chéng chē), which is used less frequently in the mainland. |
計算機 (T)
计算机 (S)
jì suàn jī |
calculator |
computer |
Unambiguous terms:
- 計算器/计算器 (calculator)
- 電腦/电脑 (computer).
|
研究所
yán jiū suǒ |
graduate school |
research institute |
|
愛人 (T)
爱人 (S)
ài ren |
lover (unmarried) |
spouse |
|
Some terms can be understood by both sides to mean the same thing; however, their preferred usage differ.
Common meaning
in English |
Taiwanese |
Mainland Chinese |
| tomato |
番茄
fān qié
literally,
"barbarian eggplant" |
西红柿
xī hóng shì
literally,
"western red persimmon" |
| box lunch |
便當
biàn dāng
(loanword from Japanese bento) |
盒饭
hé fàn |
| bicycle |
腳踏車
jiǎotàchē |
自行车
zìxíngchē |
[edit] Loan words
- The term "machi" (麻吉 Pinyin: májí) is borrowed from the English term "match", and is used to describe items or people which complement each other.
- Note: 麻吉 has become popular in the PRC as well.
- The English term "hamburger" has been adopted in many Chinese speaking communities. In Taiwan, the preferred form is 漢堡 (Pinyin: hànbǎo) rather than 漢堡包 (Pinyin: hànbǎobāo).
- The term "Fensi 粉絲" is borrowed from the English term "fans", and is used to describe fans or people who idolize a superstar.
- Note: 粉絲 has become popular in the PRC as well.
- The terms "阿公 agōng" and "阿嬤 amà" are more commonly heard than the standard Mandarin 爺爺 yéye (paternal grandfather), 外公 wàigōng (maternal grandfather), 奶奶 nǎinai (paternal grandmother) and 外婆 wàipó (maternal grandmother).
- Some local foods usually are referred to using their Taiwanese names. These include:
| Taiwanese |
POJ |
IPA |
English |
| 銼冰[2] |
chhoah-peng |
[tsʰuaʔ˥˧piŋ˥˥] |
Shaved ice with sliced fresh fruit on top (usually strawberry, kiwi or mango) |
| 麻糬 |
môa-chî |
[mua˧˧tɕi˧˥] |
glutonous rice cakes (see Mochi) |
| 蚵仔煎 |
ô-á-chian |
[o˧˧a˥˥tɕiɛn˥˥] |
oyster omelette |
- List of Taiwanese words commonly found in local Mandarin language newspapers and periodicals
| As seen in two popular newspapers[3] |
Taiwanese (POJ) |
Mandarin Equivalent (Pinyin) |
English |
| 鴨霸
|
壓霸
|
惡霸
|
a local tyrant; a bully |
| 甲意
|
合意
|
喜歡
|
to like |
| 見笑[4]
|
見笑
|
害羞
|
shy; bashful; sense of shame |
| 摃龜
|
摃龜
|
落空
|
to end up with nothing |
| 龜毛[5]
|
龜毛
|
不乾脆
|
picky; high-maintenance |
| Q |
糗
|
軟潤有彈性 (ruǎn rùn yǒu tánxìng)
|
description for food -- soft and pliable (like mochi cakes) |
| LKK
|
老柝柝
|
老態龍鍾
|
old and senile |
| 落跑
|
落跑
|
逃跑
|
to run away; to flee; to escape |
| 趴趴走
|
拋拋走
|
東奔西跑
|
to rush about or around |
| 歹勢
|
歹勢
|
不好意思
|
I beg your pardon; I am sorry; Excuse me. |
| 速配
|
四配
|
相配
|
to be well suited to each other |
| 代誌
|
代誌
|
事情
|
an event; a matter; an affair |
| 凍未條
|
擋未住
|
1受不了
| (shòu bù liǎo) |
| ²擋不住 |
| (dǎng bù zhù) |
|
1can not bear something
| ²compelled to do something |
|
| 凍蒜
|
當選
|
當選
|
to win an election[6] |
| 頭殼壞去
|
頭殼歹去
|
腦筋有問題
|
(you have/he has) lost (your/his) mind! |
| 凸槌
|
脫箠
|
出軌
|
to go off the rails; to go wrong |
| 運將
|
運將
|
司機
|
driver (of automotive vehicles) |
| 鬱卒
|
鬱卒
|
悶悶不樂
|
depressed; sulky; unhappy; moody |
| Japanese (Romaji) |
Taiwanese Mandarin (Pinyin) |
PRC Mandarin (Pinyin) |
English |
| 弁当 (bentō) |
便當 (biàndāng) |
盒饭 (héfàn) |
A boxed lunch. |
| 達人 (tatsujin) |
達人 (dárén) |
|
Someone who is very talented at doing something (a pro or expert). |
| 中古 (chūko) |
中古 (zhōnggǔ) |
|
Used, second-hand. |
- Japanese loanwords based on phonetics, transliterated using Chinese characters with similar pronunciation.
| Japanese (Romaji) |
Taiwanese Mandarin (Pinyin) |
English |
| 馬鹿 (baka) |
霸咖 (bàkā) or similar variant. |
A foolish person. |
| 気持ち (kimochi) |
奇蒙子 (qíméngzǐ)[7] |
Mood; Feeling. |
| お婆さん (obāsan) |
歐巴桑 (ōubāsāng)[8] |
Antie. |
| おでん (oden) |
黑輪 (hēilún)[9] |
A type of stew. |
| お爺さん (ojīsan) |
歐吉桑 (ōujísāng)[10] |
Uncle. |
| オートバイ (ōtobai) |
歐多拜 (ōuduōbài) |
An Autobike or motorcycle. |
[edit] Technical terms
Taiwanese Mandarin (Pinyin)
| Google hits: .tw |
| Google hits: .cn |
|
PRC Mandarin (Pinyin)
| Google hits: .tw |
| Google hits: .cn |
|
English |
| 部落格 (bùluògé)
|
博客 (bókè)
|
Blog |
| 電腦 (diànnǎo)
|
计算机 (jìsuànjī)
|
computer [11] |
| 光碟 (guāngdié)
|
光盘 (guāngpán)
|
Optical disc |
| 滑鼠 (huáshǔ)
|
鼠标 (shǔbiāo)
|
mouse (computing) |
| 計程車 (jìchéngchē)
|
出租车 (chūzūchē)
|
Taxicab |
| 加護病房 (jiāhùbìngfáng)
|
监护病房 (jiānhùbìngfáng)
|
Intensive Care Unit (ICU); Intensive Treatment Unit (ITU) |
| 雷射 (léishè)
|
激光 (jīguāng)
|
Laser |
| 錄影機 (lùyǐngjī)
|
录像机 (lùxiàngjī)
|
video camera |
| 軟體 (ruǎntǐ)
|
软件 (ruǎnjiàn)
|
software |
| 伺服器 (sìfú qì)
|
服务器 (fúwù qì)
|
server |
| 網際網路 (wǎngjì wǎnglù)
|
互联网 (hùliánwǎng)
|
Internet |
| 印表機 (yìnbiǎojī)
|
打印机 (dǎyìnjī)
|
computer printer |
| 硬碟 (yìngdié)
|
硬盘 (yìngpán)
|
Hard disk |
| 螢幕 (yíngmù)
|
显示器 (xiǎnshìqì)
|
computer monitor |
| 資料庫 (zīliàokù)
|
数据库 (shùjùkù)
|
database |
| 資訊 (zīxùn)
|
信息 (xìnxī)
|
Information |
| 作業系統 (zuòyè xìtǒng)
|
操作系统 (cāozuò xìtǒng)
|
operating system |
[edit] Idioms and proverbs
Taiwanese Mandarin (Pinyin)
| Google hits: .tw |
| Google hits: .cn |
|
PRC Mandarin (Pinyin)
| Google hits: .tw |
| Google hits: .cn |
|
English |
| 一蹴可幾 (yī cù kě jī)
|
一蹴而就 (yī cù ér jiù)
|
to reach a goal in one step |
| 入境隨俗 (rù jìng suí sú)
|
入乡随俗 (rù xiāng suí sú)
|
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. |
[edit] Words specific to living in Taiwan
Mandarin
| Google hits: .tw |
| Google hits: .cn |
|
Pinyin |
English |
| 安親班
|
ānqīnbān |
after school childcare |
| 綁樁
|
bǎngzhuāng |
pork barrel |
| 便當
|
biàndāng |
a box meal (from Japanese, bento), word traditionally means "convenient" |
| 閣揆[12]
|
gékuí |
the premier |
| 公車
|
gōngchē |
public bus |
| 機車
|
jīchē |
motor scooter (means "locomotive" in mainland China)[14] |
| 腳踏車
|
jiǎotàchē |
bicycle |
| 捷運
|
jiéyùn |
rapid transit (e.g. Taipei MRT) |
| 統一編號[15]
|
tǒngyī biānhào |
the ID number of a corporation |
- ^ This applies to native Hoklo speakers - Hakka speakers maintain precisely the opposite: (e.g. hua - fa 花→發)
- ^ Often written using the Mandarin equivalent 刨冰, but pronounced using the Taiwanese word.
- ^ Google hits from the China Times (中時電子報) and Liberty Times (自由時報) are included.
- ^ This can be a tricky one, because 見笑 means "to be laughed at" in Standard Mandarin. Context will tell you which meaning should be inferred.
- ^ Many people in Taiwan will use the Mandarin pronunciation (guīmáo).
- ^ the writing 凍蒜 probably originated in 1997, when the price of the garlics was overly raised, and people called for the government to gain control of the price.
- ^ Derived from Taiwanese pronunciation (POJ: kî-bông-jí, IPA: [ki˧˧bɔŋ˧˧ʑi˥˧])
- ^ Most people in Taiwan will use the Taiwanese pronunciation (POJ: o·-bá-sáng, IPA: [ɔ˧˧ba˥˥sang˥˧])
- ^ Derived from Taiwanese pronunciation (烏鰱, POJ: o·-liân, IPA: [ɔ˧˧liɛn˧˥])
- ^ Most people in Taiwan will use the Taiwanese pronunciation (POJ: o·-jí-sáng, IPA: [ɔ˧˧ʑi˥˥sang˥˧])
- ^ 計算機 can also mean "calculator" on Taiwan.
- ^ The first character 閣 is usually omitted when placed behind the surname. For example, the former premier was Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌). Since his surname is 蘇, he was referred to in press as 蘇揆.
- ^ The numbers are a bit misleading in this case because in the PRC, 公车 also refers to government owned vehicles.
- ^ Young people in Taiwan also use this word to refer to someone or something extremely damnable.
- ^ Often abbreviated as 統編 (tǒngbiān).
[edit] References
