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'''Hanyu Pinyin''', also known as '''Pinyin''', is the internationally recognised [[standard]] for [[romanising]] [[Mandarin Chinese]]. It was approved by the Chinese government in 1958 and adopted in 1979 as the basis for romanising all Chinese names and also for the teaching of Mandarin. It is used in all schools as a basic [[literacy]] tool upon which the learning of [[Chinese characters]] is based. It is also used by most universities outside [[China]], other than those in [[Taiwan]] as a basis for teaching Mandarin as a foreign language. It is also noteworthy that Taiwan has developed a variant of Hanyu Pinyin, known as [[Tongyong Pinyin]] to replace the [[Wade-Giles]] [[romanisation]] system that was previously used internationally, but is now only used in Taiwan.

'''Hanyu Pinyin''', also known as '''Pinyin''', is the internationally recognized [[standard]] for [[romanizing]] [[Mandarin Chinese]]. It was approved by the Chinese government in 1958 and adopted in 1979 as the basis for romanizing all Chinese names and also for the teaching of Mandarin. It is used in all schools as a basic [[literacy]] tool upon which the learning of [[Chinese characters]] is based. It is also used by most universities outside [[China]], other than those in [[Taiwan]] as a basis for teaching Mandarin as a foreign language. It is also noteworthy that Taiwan has developed a variant of Hanyu Pinyin, known as [[Tongyong Pinyin]] to replace the [[Wade-Giles]] [[romanization]] system that was previously used internationally, but is now only used in Taiwan.

== How Pinyin Works ==

== How Pinyin Works ==

In addition to the pinyin letters, there are also four tone marks to indicate which of the four tones is to be used. For example, the syllable "ma" may be written "mā", "má", "mǎ" or "mà"

In addition to the pinyin letters, there are also four tone marks to indicate which of the four tones is to be used. For example, the syllable "ma" may be written "mā", "má", "mǎ" or "mà"

[[Chinese characters]] are all monosyllabic and may exist on their own as individual words or be combined together to make new ones. This is reflected in Pinyin, for example the character "车" (chē) on its own means "vehicle". However, it is combined with another character to make "火车" (huǒchē), which is "train". In this instance "huǒchē" is written as one word and not two. Pinyin words are also [[capitalise]]d in the European fashion if the words refered to are [[proper nouns]]. [[Chinese names]] in pinyin treat the [[surname]] and [[given name]] as two words, so the name of China's current [[president]] is written as [[Hu Jintao]] (Hu is the surname) and not Hu Jin Tao.

[[Chinese characters]] are all monosyllabic and may exist on their own as individual words or be combined together to make new ones. This is reflected in Pinyin, for example the character "车" (chē) on its own means "vehicle". However, it is combined with another character to make "火车" (huǒchē), which is "train". In this instance "huǒchē" is written as one word and not two. Pinyin words are also [[capitalize]]d in the European fashion if the words referred to are [[proper nouns]]. [[Chinese names]] in pinyin treat the [[surname]] and [[given name]] as two words, so the name of China's current [[president]] is written as [[Hu Jintao]] (Hu is the surname) and not Hu Jin Tao.

[[category:China]]

[[category:China]]

[[category:linguistics]]

[[category:linguistics]]