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'''Hanyu Pinyin''', also known as '''Pinyin''', is the internationally recognized standard for [[romanizing]] [[Mandarin Chinese]]. It was approved by the government of Communist China 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.  In September 2008 the government of Taiwan announced it will switch to pinyin for schools and official business, although individuals can continue to use the older Wade-Giles system.

'''Hanyu Pinyin''', also known as '''Pinyin''', is the internationally recognized standard for [[romanizing]] [[Mandarin Chinese]]. It was approved by the government of Communist China 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.  In September 2008 the government of Taiwan announced it will switch to pinyin for schools and official business, although individuals can continue to use the older Wade-Giles system.

Pinyin can also refer to a system for entering Chinese characters into a computer. It is a pronunciation-based system, in which the character is rendered based on its pinyin pronunciation, as opposed to structure-based systems such as [[Yangguizi]].

Pinyin can also refer to a system for entering Chinese characters into a computer. It is a pronunciation-based system, in which the character is rendered based on its pinyin pronunciation, as opposed to structure-based systems such as [[Yangguizi Method|Yangguizi]].

== 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 [[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.

[[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 noun]]s. [[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]]