MEotW: Pīnyīn

The Mandarin Expression of the Week is:

• Pīnyīn

What are some common myths and misconceptions about Pīnyīn?

If a Mandarin expression can only be understood when it’s written in characters, then it will lead to a failure to communicate when it’s spoken.

If a Mandarin expression can be understood when it’s spoken, then it can be understood when it’s written in _Pīnyīn_. — Troubadour WW (@troubadourww) October 24, 2020

Comments are enabled on this blog, so if you are so inclined, comment away!

A news feed for this blog is available here.

MEotW: Zhùyīn

The Mandarin Expression of the Week is:

• Zhùyīn

For Mandarin field language learners, how does Zhùyīn compare with Pīnyīn?

Zhùyīn, or Bopomofo, in regular, handwritten regular, and cursive formats

Comments are enabled on this blog, so if you are so inclined, comment away!

A news feed for this blog is available here.

MEotW: jìjiào

The Mandarin Expression of the Week is:

• jìjiào

How do some nitpick about Pīnyīn while ignoring a huge issue about characters?

Screenshot of “jìjiào” in 1 Co. 13:5 (nwtsty, CHS+Pīnyīn WOL)

The problem is not that Pīnyīn is like training wheels, because Pīnyīn is actually like regular wheels. The real problem is that characters are like square wheels!

Comments are enabled on this blog, so if you are so inclined, comment away!

A news feed for this blog is available here.

MEotW: chuīxū

The Mandarin Expression of the Week is:

• chuīxū

Might Chinese characters present a test for Mandarin field language learners? If so, what might they test?

Comments are enabled on this blog, so if you are so inclined, comment away!

A news feed for this blog is available here.

MEotW: fā yǔyīn

The Mandarin Expression of the Week is:

• fā yǔyīn

What does the popularity among WeChat users of sending voice messages tell us about Chinese characters?

Comments are enabled on this blog, so if you are so inclined, comment away!

A news feed for this blog is available here.

Safari Extension for Adding Pīnyīn, etc. to Web Pages

In addition to the existing Android-based solutions for adding Pīnyīn, etc. to web pages with Chinese characters, the following Safari extension that works on Apple mobile devices is now available, and has been added to the list on tiandi.info/apps:

• Chinese words separator
  (Safari web browser extension,
  iOS/iPadOS 15.0 or later required,
  “Color, space, pinyin, zhuyin/bopomofo, tone, HSK for Chinese words. Dictionary: read more, hover less with sentence dictionary. Convert between Traditional and Simplified characters.”)
• Short Link:
  tiandi.info/apps

BTW, this extension also works on Safari on Mac computers (macOS 12.0 or later required).

I have been informed that this extension is available for free until September 25; I have no information about what the price will be after that.

MEotW: Pīnyīn

The Mandarin Expression of the Week is:

• 
• Pīnyīn

Many believe that Pīnyīn is just a pronunciation aid. However, Pīnyīn actually qualifies as, and works well as, a full writing system for Modern Standard Mandarin.

What are some other common myths and misconceptions regarding Pīnyīn?

If a Mandarin expression can only be understood when it’s written in characters, then it will lead to a failure to communicate when it’s spoken.

If a Mandarin expression can be understood when it’s spoken, then it can be understood when it’s written in _Pīnyīn_. — Troubadour WW (@troubadourww) October 24, 2020

Comments are enabled on this blog, so if you are so inclined, comment away!

A news feed for this blog is available here.

MEotW: Zhùyīn

The Mandarin Expression of the Week is:

• 
• Zhùyīn

After decades of using Zhùyīn, why did China move on to Pīnyīn?

Comments are enabled on this blog, so if you are so inclined, comment away!

A news feed for this blog is available here.

Some Official PDF Files That Have Recently Become Available on jw.org

Besides the official Jehovah’s Will brochure Pīnyīn PDF file mentioned in the previous post, here are some other official PDF files that have recently become available for download from jw.org:

• Good News br. - Pīnyīn
• Good News br. - Sidney Lau
• Lasting Peace br. - Sidney Lau
• Bible Stories bk. - Zhùyīn

The short links for the above-listed publications have been updated accordingly:

• Good News br.: tiandi.info/fg
• Lasting Peace br.: tiandi.info/pc
• Bible Stories bk.: tiandi.info/my

Pinyin and Zhuyin

...is the title of a new post at tiandi.info. Here’s the text from the news feed:

Is pinyin really less accurate than zhuyin? Which has been more effective at helping Mandarin-learners in the Chinese field? And, what does judo have to do with it?

To obtain the login information for tiandi.info, request e-mail notification of news regarding available resources, or if you have any questions or comments, you may e-mail me at waynerj@shaw.ca, providing information such as what group or congregation you’re with, who referred you to this site, etc.