![]() ![]() Today, it is used primarily in Taiwan where children are expected to learn the zhuyin system prior to learning Chinese characters. Zhuyin 注音 (aka bopomofo) was introduced by the Republican Government (aka KMT or 國民黨, Guómíndǎng) in the 1910s and consist of 37 characters and four tone marks, transcribing all possible sounds in Mandarin. For more information about pinyin, check out its wiki page. ![]() The simple chart to the right shows the different pinyin combinations. With the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, Hanyu Pinyin 拼音 became the new standard for teaching Chinese in China. Using the 26 Latin alphabets and diacritics to mark the four tones in the Chinese language, pinyin is widely taught and used even today. The same movement prompted the simplification of the Chinese language, resulting in the existence of both the traditional Chinese (used in Taiwan) and the simplified Chinese (used in China). To improve literacy among the general population, there was a major push to write in a more vernacular style to reflect the expressions spoken by the common folks. In the early 20th century, literacy level was less than 45% for men and less than 10% for women. However, two popular phonological systems are often used to help beginners (and native children) learn the Mandarin sounds – Hanyu pinyin 拼音 and zhuyin 注音. ![]() Unlike English, French, or Spanish, Chinese is not a phonetic language. ![]()
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