Romanization of Wu Chinese

{{Short description|Romanization of Shanghainese dialect of Wu Chinese}}

Wu Chinese has four major schools of romanization.

The most popular school, Common Wu Pinyin ({{lang|zh-Hans-CN|通用吴语拼音}}), was developed by amateur language clubs and local learners. There are two competing schemes; both adhere to the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and are very similar to each other. The initial scheme was "Wu Chinese Society pinyin" ({{lang|zh-Hans-CN|吴语协会拼音}}, developed around 2005), and it formed the basis of "Wugniu pinyin" ({{lang|zh-Hans-CN|吴语学堂拼音}}, around 2016). Wu Chinese Society pinyin in general does not mark tones.[http://wu-chinese.com/romanization/tone.html] – Wu chinese (Tones) The name Wugniu comes from the Shanghainese pronunciation of 吴语. Either of them is the default romanization scheme in most learning materials.

The second and historical school is the missionary school (see :zh:吴语拉丁化方案). This school of English-based Latin orthographies was developed by Western missionaries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and used to write Bible translations and other educational texts. A representative romanization from this school is the Edkins romanization of Shanghainese.{{cite web |title=Shanghainese Romanization |url=https://wu-chinese.com/zanhei/latin.html |website=吴语协会 |publisher=吴语协会 (Wu Chinese Society) |access-date=15 May 2024}}

Another school is the Latin Phonetic Method ({{lang|zh-Hans-CN|吴语拉丁式注音法}}, French-Wu or Fawu [{{lang|zh-Hans-CN|法吴}}]). Its use is in decline. It utilizes the similarities between French and Wu phonetics and thus adheres to both IPA and French orthography. It was developed in 2001 by a Shanghai-born surgeon living in Lyon, France.{{Cite web |work=Youth Daily|location=Shanghai|trans-work=青年报|title=都市年轻人为传承上海方言走到一起|language=zh |date=19 August 2007|url=http://why.eastday.com/eastday/qnjj/q/20070819/u1a343290.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130629142832/http://why.eastday.com/eastday/qnjj/q/20070819/u1a343290.html |archive-date=29 June 2013 |last1=唐骋华|last2=孔亮}}{{Cite web |url=http://edu.sina.com.cn/l/2001-09-10/15828.html |title=吳語拼音草案|language=zh |archive-date=4 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100304060004/http://edu.sina.com.cn/l/2001-09-10/15828.html}}

The final, and least used school, is developed by modifying Hanyu pinyin as sanctioned by the State Council. It is the only school developed by professional linguists, mostly working in state-administered universities. While more than 20 competing schemes within this school have been published since the 1980s, the most notable one is the Shanghainese Pinyin ({{lang|zh-Hans-CN|上海话拼音方案}}, often shortened to Qian's Pin [钱拼]), developed by Qian Nairong in 2006.{{cite web |url=http://www.pkucn.com/viewthread.php?tid=187427 |title=首届国际上海方言学术研讨会审定上海话拼音方案 |first=Nairong|last=Qian|author-link=Qian Nairong |date=6 December 2006|website=北大中文论坛 |language=zh |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20210216155652/http://www.360doc.com/content/15/0316/19/14689595_455629863.shtml|url-status=dead|archivedate=16 February 2021 }} This school is often used in formally published dictionaries and textbooks compiled by Qian and others.{{cite book |last1=Qian |first1=Nairong |title=上海话大词典 |date=August 2007 |publisher=上海辞书出版社 |location=Shanghai |isbn=9787532622481}}{{cite book |last1=Qian |first1=Nairong |title=新上海人学说上海话 |date=September 2013 |publisher=上海大学出版社 |location=Shanghai |isbn=9787567108820}}{{cite book |last1=Ding |first1=Dimeng |title=学说上海话 |date=January 2015 |publisher=上海科技技术文献出版社 |location=Shanghai |isbn=9787543964181}}

<span class="anchor" id="IPA"></span>Comparison chart

All examples are given in Shanghainese and Suzhounese.

=Initials=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" ! rowspan="2"\|IPA ! colspan="4"\|Romanization schemes ! rowspan="2"\|Characters
Wu Chinese Society ! Wugniu ! French-Wu ! Qian's Pinyin
{{IPAlink\|p}} \| p \| p \| p \| b \|巴百
{{IPA\|pʰ}} \| ph \| ph \| ph \| p \|怕捧
{{IPAlink\|b}} \| b \| b \| b \| bh \|旁别
{{IPAlink\|m}} \| m \| m \| m \| mh \|没母
{{IPA\|ˀm}} \| 'm \| m \| mh \| m \|闷美
{{IPAlink\|f}} \| f \| f \| f \| f \|夫反
{{IPAlink\|v}} \| v \| v \| v \| fh \|佛犯
{{IPA\|ˀv}} \| v \| v \| vh \| v \|朆/ˀvəɲ⁵³/
{{IPAlink\|t}} \| t \| t \| t \| d \|多德
{{IPA\|tʰ}} \| th \| th \| th \| t \|体通
{{IPAlink\|d}} \| d \| d \| d \| dh \|地同
{{IPAlink\|n}} \| n \| n \| n \| nh, -n \|纳努
{{IPA\|ˀn}} \| 'n \| n \| nh \| ng \|囡呢
{{IPA\|ȵ}} \| ny \| gn \| gn \| nh \|尼女
{{IPA\|ˀȵ}} \| 'ny \| gn \| kn \| n \|研妞
{{IPAlink\|l}} \| l \| l \| l \| lh \|勒路
{{IPA\|ˀl}} \| 'l \| l \| lh \| l \|拎了
{{IPA\|ts}} \| \| ts \| tz \| z \|煮增質
{{IPA\|tsʰ}} \| \| tsh \| ts \| c \|處倉出
{{IPAlink\|s}} \| s \| s \| s \| s \|书三
{{IPAlink\|z}} \| z \| z \| z \| sh \|传食
{{IPA\|ˀz}} \| 'z \| z \| zh \| sh \|乳（杭州）/ˀzʉ⁵³/
{{IPAlink\|tɕ}} \| c \| c \| c \| j \|居尖
{{IPA\|tɕʰ}} \| ch \| ch \| ch \| q \|曲青
{{IPAlink\|dʑ}} \| j \| j \| dj \| jh \|求极
{{IPAlink\|ɕ}} \| sh \| sh \| x \| x \|需血
{{IPAlink\|ʑ}} \| zh \| zh \| j \| xh \|谢墙
{{IPAlink\|k}} \| k \| k \| k \| g \|工各
{{IPA\|kʰ}} \| kh \| kh \| kh \| k \|苦客
{{IPAlink\|ɡ}} \| g \| g \| g \| gh \|共搞
{{IPAlink\|ŋ}} \| ng \| ng \| ng \| nhg-, -ng \|鹅牙
{{IPA\|ˀŋ}} \| ng \| ng \| nk \| ng \|我砑
{{IPAlink\|h}} \| h \| h \| h \| h \|好黑
{{IPAlink\|ɦ}} \| gh / w / y \| gh / w / y \| r /w / y \| hh/wh/yh \|红合
{{IPA\|ˀɦ}} \| \| \| rh \| h \|嗨 /ˀɦɛ⁵³/
{{IPA\|ˀ}} \| -/u/i \| -/u/i \| -/u/i \| -/w/y \|恩en乌u衣i迂iu

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

! rowspan="2"|IPA

! colspan="4"|Romanization schemes

! rowspan="2"|Characters

Wu Chinese Society

! Wugniu

! French-Wu

! Qian's Pinyin

| p

| b

|巴百

| ph

| p

|怕捧

| b

| bh

|旁别

| m

| mh

|没母

| 'm

| m

| mh

| m

|闷美

| f

|夫反

| v

| fh

|佛犯

| v

| vh

| v

|朆/ˀvəɲ⁵³/

| t

| d

|多德

| th

| t

|体通

| d

| dh

|地同

| n

| nh, -n

|纳努

| 'n

| n

| nh

| ng

|囡呢

| ny

| gn

| nh

|尼女

| 'ny

| gn

| kn

| n

|研妞

| l

| lh

|勒路

| 'l

| l

| lh

| l

|拎了

|

| ts

| tz

| z

|煮增質

|

| tsh

| ts

| c

|處倉出

| s

|书三

| z

| sh

|传食

| 'z

| z

| zh

| sh

|乳（杭州）/ˀzʉ⁵³/

| c

| j

|居尖

| ch

| q

|曲青

| j

| dj

| jh

|求极

| sh

| x

|需血

| zh

| j

| xh

|谢墙

| k

| g

|工各

| kh

| k

|苦客

| g

| gh

|共搞

| ng

| nhg-, -ng

|鹅牙

| ng

| nk

| ng

|我砑

| h

|好黑

| gh / w / y

| r /w / y

| hh/wh/yh

|红合

|

| rh

| h

|嗨 /ˀɦɛ⁵³/

| -/u/i

| -/w/y

|恩en乌u衣i迂iu

=Finals=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" ! rowspan="2"\|Shanghainese IPA ! rowspan="2"\|Suzhounese IPA{{cite book\|author=刑雯芝\|date=2018-02-03\|title=Shíyòng Sūzhōuhuà\|script-title=zh:实用苏州话\|trans-title=Practical Suzhou Dialect\|lang=zh-Hans, wuu, en\|publisher=Peking University Press\|isbn=978-7-301-18998-6}} ! colspan="4"\|Romanization schemes ! rowspan="2"\|Characters
Wu Chinese Society\|Wu Chinese Society ! Wugniu ! French-Wu ! Qian's Pinyin
{{IPAlink\|a}} \|{{IPAlink\|ɑ}} \| a \| a \| a \| a \|蟹
{{IPA\|ua}} \|{{IPA\|uɑ}} \| ua \| ua \| ua \| ua \|怪
{{IPA\|ia}} \|{{IPA\|iɑ}} \| ia \| ia \| ia \| ia \|写
{{IPAlink\|o}} \|{{IPAlink\|o}} \| o \| o \| au \| o \|沙
{{IPA\|io}} \|{{IPA\|io}} \| io \| io \| iau \| io \|靴
{{IPA\|ɿ}}({{IPAlink\|ɨ}}) \|{{IPA\|ɿ}}({{IPAlink\|ɨ}}) \| y \| y \| y \| y \|斯
- \|{{IPA\|ʮ}}({{IPAlink\|ʉ}}) \| yu \| yu \| y \| y \|书
{{IPAlink\|i}} \|{{IPAlink\|i}} \| i \| i \| i \| i \|移
{{IPAlink\|u}} \|{{IPAlink\|u}} \| u \| u \| u \| u \|副
{{IPA
}} \|{{IPA\|əu}} \| ou \| ou \| u \| u \|乌
{{IPAlink\|y}} \|{{IPAlink\|y}} \| iu \| iu \| ü \| (y)u \|遇
{{IPAlink\|ɛ}} \|{{IPAlink\|ɛ}} \| ae \| ae \| e \| ae \|兰
{{IPAlink\|e}} \|{{IPAlink\|e̞\|ᴇ}} \| e \| e \| e \| e \|雷
{{IPA\|uɛ}} \|{{IPA\|uɛ}} \| uae \| uae \| ue \| ue \|还
{{IPAlink\|ɔ}} \|{{IPAlink\|æ}} \| au \| au \| o \| ao \|包
{{IPA\|iɔ}} \|{{IPA\|iæ}} \| iau \| iau \| io \| iao \|萧
{{IPAlink\|ɤ}} \|{{IPA\|øʏ}} \| eu \| eu \| oe \| ou \|勾
{{IPA\|iɤ}} \|{{IPA\|iøʏ}} \| ieu \| ieu \| ioe \| iou \|旧
{{IPA
}} \|{{IPA\|iɪ}} \| ie \| ie \| i \| i \|先
{{IPAlink\|ø}} \|{{IPAlink\|ø}} \| oe \| oe \| eu \| oe \|干
{{IPA\|uø}} \|{{IPA\|uø}} \| uoe \| uoe \| ueu \| uoe \|碗
{{IPA\|yø}} \|{{IPA\|iø}} \| ioe \| ioe \| ieu \| ioe \|捐
{{IPA\|ã}} \|{{IPA\|ã}} \| an \| an \| aen \| an \|梗
{{IPA\|uã}} \|{{IPA\|uã}} \| uan \| uan \| uaen \| uan \|横
{{IPA\|iã}} \|{{IPA\|iã}} \| ian \| ian \| iaen \| ian \|阳
{{IPA\|ɑ̃}} \|{{IPA\|ɑ̃}} \| aon \| aon \| an \| ang \|刚
{{IPA\|uɑ̃}} \|{{IPA\|uɑ̃}} \| uaon \| uaon \| uan \| uang \|黄
{{IPA\|iɑ̃}} \|{{IPA\|iɑ̃}} \| iaon \| iaon \| ian \| iang \|旺
{{IPA\|oŋ}} \|{{IPA\|oŋ}} \| on \| on \| on \| ong \|东
{{IPA\|ioŋ}} \|{{IPA\|ioŋ}} \| ion \| ion \| ion \| iong \|兄
{{IPA\|ən}} \|{{IPA\|ən}} \| en \| en \| en \| eng \|真
{{IPA\|uəɲ}} \|{{IPA\|uəɲ}} \| uen \| uen \| uen \| ueng \|昆
{{IPA\|iɪɲ}} \|{{IPA\|iɪɲ}} \| in \| in \| in \| in \|清
{{IPA\|yɪn}} \|{{IPA\|yən}} \| iuin \| iun \| ün \| (y)un \|君
{{IPA\|ɐʔ}} \|{{IPA\|aʔ}} \| aeh \| aeq \| aq \| ak \|鸭
{{IPA\|uɐʔ}} \|{{IPA\|uaʔ}} \| uaeh \| uaeq \| uaq \| uak \|刮
{{IPA\|iɐʔ}} \|{{IPA\|iaʔ}} \| iaeh \| iaeq \| iaq \| iak \|甲
{{IPA\|yɪʔ}} \|{{IPA\|yaʔ}} \| iuaeh \| iuaeq \| uiq \| yuik \|曰
{{IPA\|ɐʔ}} \|{{IPA\|ɑʔ}} \| ah \| aq \| aq \| ak \|格
{{IPA\|uɐʔ}} \|{{IPA\|uɑʔ}} \| uah \| uaq \| uaq \| uak \|猾
{{IPA\|iɐʔ}} \|{{IPA\|iɑʔ}} \| iah \| iaq \| iaq \| iak \|脚
{{IPA\|əʔ}} \|{{IPA\|əʔ}} \| eh \| eq \| eq \| ek \|黑
{{IPA\|uəʔ}} \|{{IPA\|uəʔ}} \| ueh \| ueq \| ueq \| uek \|阔
{{IPA\|iɪʔ}} \|{{IPA\|iəʔ}} \| ih \| iq \| iq \| ik \|立
{{IPA\|yɪʔ}} \|{{IPA\|yəʔ}} \| iuih \| iuq \| uiq \| yuik \|决
{{IPA\|oʔ}} \|{{IPA\|oʔ}} \| oh \| oq \| oq \| ok \|读
{{IPA\|ioʔ}} \|{{IPA\|ioʔ}} \| ioh \| ioq \| ioq \| iok \|局
{{IPA\|ɦəl}} \|{{IPA\|əl}} \| r \| er \| er \| er \|而
{{IPA\|m̩}} \|{{IPA\|m̩}} \| m \| m \| m \| m \|无
{{IPA\|n̩}} \|{{IPA\|n̩}} \| n \| n \| n \| n \|尔
{{IPA\|ŋ̍}} \|{{IPA\|ŋ̍}} \| ng \| ng \| ng \| ng \|五

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

! rowspan="2"|Shanghainese IPA

! rowspan="2"|Suzhounese IPA{{cite book|author=刑雯芝|date=2018-02-03|title=Shíyòng Sūzhōuhuà|script-title=zh:实用苏州话|trans-title=Practical Suzhou Dialect|lang=zh-Hans, wuu, en|publisher=Peking University Press|isbn=978-7-301-18998-6}}

! colspan="4"|Romanization schemes

! rowspan="2"|Characters

Wu Chinese Society|Wu Chinese Society

! Wugniu

! French-Wu

! Qian's Pinyin

|{{IPAlink|ɑ}}

| a

|蟹

|{{IPA|uɑ}}

| ua

|怪

|{{IPA|iɑ}}

| ia

|写

|{{IPAlink|o}}

| o

| au

| o

|沙

|{{IPA|io}}

| io

| iau

| io

|靴

{{IPA|ɿ}}({{IPAlink|ɨ}})

|{{IPA|ɿ}}({{IPAlink|ɨ}})

| y

|斯

-

|{{IPA|ʮ}}({{IPAlink|ʉ}})

| yu

| y

|书

|{{IPAlink|i}}

| i

|移

|{{IPAlink|u}}

| u

|副

{{IPA

}}

|{{IPA|əu}}

| ou

| u

|乌

|{{IPAlink|y}}

| iu

| ü

| (y)u

|遇

|{{IPAlink|ɛ}}

| ae

| e

| ae

|兰

|{{IPAlink|e̞|ᴇ}}

| e

|雷

|{{IPA|uɛ}}

| uae

| ue

|还

|{{IPAlink|æ}}

| au

| o

| ao

|包

|{{IPA|iæ}}

| iau

| io

| iao

|萧

|{{IPA|øʏ}}

| eu

| oe

| ou

|勾

|{{IPA|iøʏ}}

| ieu

| ioe

| iou

|旧

{{IPA

}}

|{{IPA|iɪ}}

| ie

| i

|先

|{{IPAlink|ø}}

| oe

| eu

| oe

|干

|{{IPA|uø}}

| uoe

| ueu

| uoe

|碗

|{{IPA|iø}}

| ioe

| ieu

| ioe

|捐

|{{IPA|ã}}

| an

| aen

| an

|梗

|{{IPA|uã}}

| uan

| uaen

| uan

|横

|{{IPA|iã}}

| ian

| iaen

| ian

|阳

|{{IPA|ɑ̃}}

| aon

| an

| ang

|刚

|{{IPA|uɑ̃}}

| uaon

| uan

| uang

|黄

|{{IPA|iɑ̃}}

| iaon

| ian

| iang

|旺

|{{IPA|oŋ}}

| on

| ong

|东

|{{IPA|ioŋ}}

| ion

| iong

|兄

|{{IPA|ən}}

| en

| eng

|真

|{{IPA|uəɲ}}

| uen

| ueng

|昆

|{{IPA|iɪɲ}}

| in

|清

|{{IPA|yən}}

| iuin

| iun

| ün

| (y)un

|君

|{{IPA|aʔ}}

| aeh

| aeq

| aq

| ak

|鸭

|{{IPA|uaʔ}}

| uaeh

| uaeq

| uaq

| uak

|刮

|{{IPA|iaʔ}}

| iaeh

| iaeq

| iaq

| iak

|甲

|{{IPA|yaʔ}}

| iuaeh

| iuaeq

| uiq

| yuik

|曰

|{{IPA|ɑʔ}}

| ah

| aq

| ak

|格

|{{IPA|uɑʔ}}

| uah

| uaq

| uak

|猾

|{{IPA|iɑʔ}}

| iah

| iaq

| iak

|脚

|{{IPA|əʔ}}

| eh

| eq

| ek

|黑

|{{IPA|uəʔ}}

| ueh

| ueq

| uek

|阔

|{{IPA|iəʔ}}

| ih

| iq

| ik

|立

|{{IPA|yəʔ}}

| iuih

| iuq

| uiq

| yuik

|决

|{{IPA|oʔ}}

| oh

| oq

| ok

|读

|{{IPA|ioʔ}}

| ioh

| ioq

| iok

|局

|{{IPA|əl}}

| r

| er

|而

|{{IPA|m̩}}

| m

|无

|{{IPA|n̩}}

| n

|尔

|{{IPA|ŋ̍}}

| ng

|五

=Tones=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" ! rowspan="2"\|Shanghainese IPA ! rowspan="2"\|Suzhounese IPA{{cite book\|author=刑雯芝\|date=2018-02-03\|title=Shíyòng Sūzhōuhuà\|script-title=zh:实用苏州话\|trans-title=Practical Suzhou Dialect\|lang=zh-Hans, wuu, en\|publisher=Peking University Press\|isbn=978-7-301-18998-6}} ! rowspan="2"\|Wenzhounese IPA ! colspan="4"\|Romanization schemes ! rowspan="2"\|Characters
Wu Chinese Society	Wugniu	French-Wu	Qian's Pinyin
˥˧(53) \|˥(44) \|˧(33) \| 1 \| 1 \| / \| \|天听知
˦(22)or˩˩˧(113) \|˨˨˦(223) \|˨˧(23) \| 1 \| 2 \| / \| \|人华词
˦˧˦(434)or˨˨˥(334) \|˥˩(51) \|˧˥(35) \| 2 \| 3 \| -h \| \|可海洗
˨˩˧(213)or˩˩˧(113) \|- \|˧˥(35) \| 2 \| 4 \| -h \| \|尾有近
˨˨˥(334) \|˥˨˦(523) \|˥˨(42) \| 3 \| 5 \| -r \| \|去会唱
˩˩˧(113) \|˨˧˩(231) \|˨˧(23) \| 3 \| 6 \| -r \| \|定烂自
˥(55) \|˥˧(43) \|˨˩˧(213) \| 4 \| 7 \| -q \| \|只不结
˩˨(12) \|˨˧(23) \|˨˩˧(213) \| 4 \| 8 \| -q \| \|日绝缚

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

! rowspan="2"|Shanghainese IPA

! rowspan="2"|Suzhounese IPA{{cite book|author=刑雯芝|date=2018-02-03|title=Shíyòng Sūzhōuhuà|script-title=zh:实用苏州话|trans-title=Practical Suzhou Dialect|lang=zh-Hans, wuu, en|publisher=Peking University Press|isbn=978-7-301-18998-6}}

! rowspan="2"|Wenzhounese IPA

! colspan="4"|Romanization schemes

! rowspan="2"|Characters

Wu Chinese Society

Wugniu

French-Wu

Qian's Pinyin

˥˧(53)

|˥(44)

|˧(33)

| 1

| /

|

|天听知

˦(22)or˩˩˧(113)

|˨˨˦(223)

|˨˧(23)

| 1

| 2

| /

|

|人华词

˦˧˦(434)or˨˨˥(334)

|˥˩(51)

|˧˥(35)

| 2

| 3

| -h

|

|可海洗

˨˩˧(213)or˩˩˧(113)

|-

|˧˥(35)

| 2

| 4

| -h

|

|尾有近

˨˨˥(334)

|˥˨˦(523)

|˥˨(42)

| 3

| 5

| -r

|

|去会唱

˩˩˧(113)

|˨˧˩(231)

|˨˧(23)

| 3

| 6

| -r

|

|定烂自

˥(55)

|˥˧(43)

|˨˩˧(213)

| 4

| 7

| -q

|

|只不结

˩˨(12)

|˨˧(23)

|˨˩˧(213)

| 4

| 8

| -q

|

|日绝缚

References

Category:Wu Chinese