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Bopomofo: Using Zhuyin Input on a Taiwanese Keyboard
DID YOU KNOW – Pinyin is used throughout mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. But have you ever heard of Zhuyin input or bopomofo?
Pinyin is not the only form of romanisation for Chinese characters.
Chinese characters are difficult not only for those trying to learn Mandarin Chinese but also for Chinese people themselves.
Pinyin was introduced as a romanisation of Chinese characters as a government initiative in the 1950s. This drastically improved the literacy rate in adults.
Bopomofo: What’s in the name?
Bopomofo? Why do we refer to Taiwanese Zhuyin input as ‘Bopomofo’?
Does the word ‘qwerty‘ mean anything to you?
Yes, that’s right.
The first 4 characters on the Taiwanese keyboard of Zhuyin input are bo po mo fo (ㄅㄆㄇㄈ). Just like on a standard English keyboard the first 6 letters spell out qwerty.
So. Bopomofo!
Bopomofo: Bopomofo vs. Pinyin
Pinyin
This is the most common system that transcribes Chinese symbols into a phonetic system.
It is used in mainland China and is the preferred phonetic system for foreigners learning Chinese.
Instead of transcribing characters into… different characters, which is seemingly what transcribing Chinese characters into Zhuyin input does, pinyin transcribes Chinese characters into phonetic symbols from the Roman alphabet.
So, for many foreigners whose first language uses the Roman alphabet (e.g. English!), using pinyin is a clear first choice.
However!
Many Chinese learners will also have found out that not is all quite what it seems.
Yes, Chinese characters are transcribed into the Roman alphabet.
But, you just need to study Chinese for a few minutes before you realise that you don’t pronounce a ‘c’ in pinyin in the same way as a ‘c’, but instead more like a ‘ts’.
So, although pinyin is very useful, it’s not perfect…
Bopomofo
Whilst pinyin may be the main phonetic system used to transcribe mandarin, there are other romanisation systems.
Zhuyin, or Zhuyin Fuhao, concentrates on sounds, unlike pinyin which concentrates on the romanisation spelling.
This means that the sounds that Zhuyin input transcribes are more similar to the actual sound that you should produce.
In turn, meaning that your pronunciation is potentially a lot better!
No more getting confused between the ‘j’ and the ‘zh’, the ‘q’ and the ‘ch’!
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Bopomofo: How do you read Zhuyin?
The Zhuyin bopomofo symbols with their corresponding pinyin:
| Zhuyin | Pinyin |
|---|---|
| ㄅ | b |
| ㄆ | p |
| ㄇ | m |
| ㄈ | f |
| ㄉ | d |
| ㄊ | t |
| ㄋ | n |
| ㄌ | l |
| ㄍ | g |
| ㄎ | k |
| ㄏ | h |
| ㄐ | j |
| ㄑ | q |
| ㄒ | x |
| ㄓ | zh |
| ㄔ | ch |
| ㄕ | sh |
| ㄖ | r |
| ㄗ | z |
| ㄘ | c |
| ㄙ | s |
| ㄚ | a |
| ㄛ | o |
| ㄜ | e |
| ㄝ | ê |
| ㄞ | ai |
| ㄟ | ei |
| ㄠ | ao |
| ㄡ | ou |
| ㄢ | an |
| ㄣ | en |
| ㄤ | ang |
| ㄥ | eng |
| ㄦ | er |
| ㄧ | i |
| ㄨ | u |
| ㄩ | u |
These Zhuyin symbols are then combined together, as well as the tone marker, to form Chinese characters.
Another important thing to note when using Zhuyin input is that you also need to add the correct tone mark.
Yup – that means you have to know the tone of the character when writing it! Just in case Chinese tones weren’t hard enough… but wait, we are here for you!
These Zhuyin symbols may look similar to the Japanese Hiragana or Katakana writing system.
There’s some debate on how similar these are and whether the Japanese influence on Taiwanese history had an input in this.
In reality, they’re entirely not similar. They kind of look the same. Sometimes.
For example,
| ㄜ | e |
| ㄝ | ê |
These two Zhuyin input symbols look very similar to the Japanese せ (read as ‘se’) and さ (read as ‘sa’).
But really, they’re only similar in that they’re both phonetic writing systems.
Bopomofo: Who Uses Bopomofo?
Taiwan uses bopomofo to teach young children Mandarin Chinese.
Many people in Taiwan also use Zhuyin input on their computers or laptop instead of the pinyin input system.
Zhuyin is also used for some Taiwanese aboriginal languages.
Zhuyin input is also used in some children’s books or materials together with the Chinese characters to help with comprehension.
(Image courtesy of http://castleofcostamesa.com)
Bopomofo: The History Behind it
Bopomofo, or Zhuyin, was first developed in the early 20th century.
Pinyin was introduced to Mainland China in the 1950s and has since stuck as the official phonetic system.
The first name of Zhuyin was “Phonetic Alphabet of the National Language” (國音字母). This was first proposed in 1928.
In 1930 Zhuyin was then later referred to as the official name of Zhùyīn Fúhào (注音符號). This literally means “Phonetic symbols”.
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Bopomofo: Should I learn to use a Taiwanese Keyboard?
There are some advantages to learning to use Zhuyin input.
Many students rely on pinyin too much when they first begin learning Chinese.
Relying on pinyin is easy to do since it uses the same script as your native language, so it’s easy to learn from.
However, this sometimes stunts learners as they learn Chinese characters slower.
What’s more, bopomofo is an entire phonetic system. The sounds that are transcribed into Zhuyin are much more similar to the sounds to be produced.
Pinyin relies on using romanisations, which don’t necessarily have the sounds available to transcribe the exact sounds of the Chinese language.
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Bopomofo – FAQ’s
What does bopomofo mean?
Bopomofo is the equivalent of the term QWERTY. The first 4 characters on the Taiwanese keyboard of Zhuyin input are bo po mo fo (ㄅㄆㄇㄈ). Just like on a standard English keyboard the first 6 letters spell out qwerty.
Is there a Chinese Alphabet?
No there isn’t. There is no Chinese Alphabet, just thousands upon thousands of characters. Some of the characters look remarkably similar also!
Can I practice typing Chinese on my phone?
Yes you can, follow these steps:
1 – Go to System Preferences
2 – Choose Keyboard
3 – Choose Input Sources
4 – Click the + symbol
5 – Select Chinese (Simplified) – Pinyin – Simplified then click Add.
6 – Make sure ‘Show Input menu in menu bar‘ is ticked.
When was bopomofo first used?
Bopomofo, or Zhuyin, was first developed in the early 20th century. Pinyin was introduced to Mainland China in the 1950s and has since stuck as the official phonetic system.
Do Taiwanese use pinyin or bopomofo the most?
Many people in Taiwan also use Zhuyin input on their computers or laptop instead of the pinyin input system.
Zhuyin input is also used in some children’s books or materials together with the Chinese characters to help with comprehension.
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