平话

Pinghua

Sinitic (Pinghua)

FamilySinitic (Pinghua) Speakers~7M ScriptSimplified Chinese CountriesChina (Guangxi, near Vietnam border) Official inNo (regional) Vitalitysafe

Pinghua (平话) is a Sinitic group spoken by ~7M people across Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, especially around Nanning, Liuzhou, and the borderlands with Vietnam. Its classification is contested — Li Rong (1987) recognized it as a top-level Sinitic branch, but other scholars treat it as a sub-branch of Yue (Cantonese). Pinghua's distinctive feature is heavy substrate contact with Tai-Kadai languages, particularly Zhuang, with whom Pinghua speakers have shared territory for centuries — many sound changes and lexical items reflect this Zhuang substrate. The northern (Guilin-area) and southern (Nanning-area) varieties differ substantially. Pinghua is associated with the descendants of Han military settlers sent to the Lingnan frontier from the Song dynasty onward.

Where it is spoken

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87 core words in Pinghua

Water

水

ʃui˧˧

Fire

火

hu˧˧

Sun

日头

ȵɐt˨˦ tɐu˨˩

Moon

月光

ȵyt˨˦ koŋ˥˧

Star

星子

ɬeŋ˥˧ tʃi˧˧

Night

夜晚

ja˨˨ man˨˦

Rain

雨

jy˨˦

Snow

雪

ɬyt˧

Wind

风

fœŋ˥˧

Earth

土

tʰu˧˧

Stone

石头

ʃek˨ tɐu˨˩

Mountain

山

ʃan˥˧

Sea

海

hai˧˧

Mother

阿妈

a˥˥ ma˥˥

Father

阿爸

a˥˥ pa˥˥

Daughter

女

ny˨˦

I

我

ŋo˨˦

You

你

ni˨˦

We

我哋

ŋo˨˦ ti˨˨

Name

名

meŋ˨˩

Person

人

ȵɐn˨˩

Head

头

tɐu˨˩

Eye

眼

ȵan˨˦

Ear

耳

ȵi˨˦

Nose

鼻

pɐt˨

Mouth

口

hɐu˧˧

Tooth

牙

ȵa˨˩

Tongue

脷钱

li˨˨ tʃin˨˩

Hand

手

ʃɐu˧˧

Foot

脚

kiɐk˧

Heart

心

ɬɐm˥˧

Bone

骨

kʷɐt˧

Blood

血

hyt˧

Poop

屎

ʃi˧˧

Love

爱

ai˥˥

Tree

树

ʃy˨˨

Dog

狗

kɐu˧˧

Cat

猫

mɛu˥˥

Fish

鱼

ȵy˨˩

Bird

鸟

niu˨˦

Egg

鸡蛋

kɐi˥˧ tan˨˨

Bear

熊

jœŋ˨˩

Horse

马

ma˨˦

House

屋

œk˧

Milk

牛奶

ȵɐu˨˩ nai˨˦

Honey

蜂蜜

fœŋ˥˧ mɐt˨˦

Salt

盐

jim˨˩

Wine

葡萄酒

pu˨˩ tau˨˩ tʃɐu˧˧

Rice

米

mɐi˨˦

Iron

铁

tʰit˧

Silk

丝

ɬi˥˧

Book

书

ʃy˥˧

Eat

食

ʃek˨

Drink

饮

ȵɐm˧˧

One

一

ɐt˧

Two

二

ȵi˨˨

Three

三

ɬam˥˧

Four

四

ɬi˥˥

Five

五

ŋ̍˨˦

Hundred

百

piɐk˧

Hello

你好

ni˨˦ hau˧˧

Thank you

多谢

to˥˧ tʃe˨˨

Good

好

hau˧˧

New

新

ɬɐn˥˧

Red

红

hœŋ˨˩

White

白

piɐk˨

Black

黑

hɐk˧

Green

绿

lœk˨˦

Blue

蓝

lam˨˩

Ninety-nine

九十九

kɐu˧˧ ʃɐp˨ kɐu˧˧

Sources

Words compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: Sinitic (Pinghua)

Meaning PinghuaNanning YueCantoneseDongguan YueZhongshan YueTaishaneseHailu Hakka
Water 水 /ʃui˧˧/ 水 /ʃui˧˥/ 水 /sɵy˧˥/ 水 /ʃɵ˧˥/ 水 /sɵy˨˩˧/ 水 /ɬui˧˧/ 水 /ʃui˨˦/
Fire 火 /hu˧˧/ 火 /fɔ˧˥/ 火 /fɔː˧˥/ 火 /fɔ˧˥/ 火 /fɔ˨˩˧/ 火 /fɔ˥˥/ 火 /fo˨˦/
Sun 日头 /ȵɐt˨˦ tɐu˨˩/ 日头 /jɐt˨ tʰɐu˨˩/ 太陽 /tʰaːi˧ jœːŋ˨˩/ 日头 /jak˧ tʰau˧˩/ 熱頭 /ŋit˧ tʰɐu˥˩/ 日头 /ɲit˨˨ heu˧˧/ 日頭 /ŋit˥ tʰeu˥˥/
Moon 月光 /ȵyt˨˦ koŋ˥˧/ 月光 /jyt˨ kɔŋ˥˥/ 月光 /jyːt˨ kʷɔːŋ˥/ 月光 /jɵt˧ kʷɔŋ˨˧/ 月光 /ŋyt˧ kɔŋ˥˥/ 月光 /ɲut˧˧ kwɔŋ˨˨/ 月光 /ŋiet˨ koŋ˥˧/
Star 星子 /ɬeŋ˥˧ tʃi˧˧/ 天星 /tʰin˥˥ ɬɛŋ˥˥/ 星 /sɪŋ˥/ 星 /ʃœŋ˥˥/ 天星 /tʰin˥˥ siaŋ˥˥/ 星 /ɬaŋ˧˧/ 星仔 /siaŋ˥˧ ɤ˥˥/
Night 夜晚 /ja˨˨ man˨˦/ 夜晚 /jɛ˨˨ man˨˦/ 夜晚 /jɛː˨ maːn˩˧/ 夜晚 /jœ˦˦˧ mɛŋ˧˦/ 夜晚 /ja˧˧ man˨˩˧/ 夜晚 /jɛ˧˨ man˧˧/ 暗晡夜 /am˩˩ pu˥˧ ʒa˧˧/
Rain 雨 /jy˨˦/ 雨 /jy˨˦/ 雨 /jyː˩˧/ 雨 /jy˧˦/ 雨 /y˨˩˧/ 雨 /ji˨˩/ 雨 /ʒi˨˦/
Snow 雪 /ɬyt˧/ 雪 /ɬyt˧/ 雪 /syːt˧/ 雪 /ʃɵt˧/ 雪 /syt˧/ 雪 /ɬet˥˥/ 雪 /siet˥/
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Han readings compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: Sinitic (Pinghua)

Character PinghuaNanning YueZhongshan YueDongguan YueHailu HakkaCantoneseHong Kong Cantonese
一 ɐt³ /ɐt̚˧/ jat1 /jɐt̚˥/ jat1 /jɐt̚˥/ jaak1 /jak̚˥/ yit /jit̚˥/ jat1 /jɐt̚˥/ jat1 /jɐt̚˥/
二 ȵi²² /ȵi˨˨/ ji6 /ji˨˨/ ngi6 /ŋi˧˧/ ji6 /ji˦˦˧/ ngì /ŋi˧˧/ ji6 /jiː˨/ ji6 /jiː˨/
三 ɬam⁵³ /ɬam˥˧/ slaam1 /ɬam˥˥/ saam1 /sam˥˥/ saang1 /ʃaŋ˨˧/ sâm /sam˥˧/ saam1 /saːm˥/ saam1 /saːm˥/
四 ɬi⁵⁵ /ɬi˥˥/ sli3 /ɬi˧˧/ si3 /si˧˧/ sai3 /ʃɐi˦˦˧/ sì /si˩˩/ sei3 /sei˧/ sei3 /sei˧/
五 ŋ̍²⁴ /ŋ̍˨˦/ ng5 /ŋ̍˨˦/ ng5 /ŋ̍˨˩˧/ m5 /ʔm̩˧˦/ ńg /ŋ̩˨˦/ ng5 /ŋ̍˩˧/ ng5 /ŋ̍˩˧/
六 lœk²⁴ /lœk̚˨˦/ luk6 /lʊk̚˨/ luk6 /lʊk̚˧/ luk6 /lok̚˧/ liu̍k /liuk̚˨/ luk6 /lʊk̚˨/ luk6 /lʊk̚˨/
七 tʃʰɐt³ /tʃʰɐt̚˧/ cat1 /tʃʰɐt̚˥/ cat1 /tsʰɐt̚˥/ caak1 /tʃʰak̚˥/ chhit /tsʰit̚˥/ cat1 /tsʰɐt̚˥/ cat1 /tsʰɐt̚˥/
八 pat³ /pat̚˧/ 白讀bet3 /pɛt̚˧/文讀baat3 /pat̚˧/ baat3 /pat̚˧/ be3 /pɛ˧˦/ pat /pat̚˥/ baat3 /paːt̚˧/ baat3 /paːt̚˧/
九 kɐu³³ /kɐu˧˧/ gau2 /kɐu˧˥/ gau2 /kɐu˨˩˧/ gaau2 /kau˧˥/ kiú /kiu˨˦/ gau2 /kɐu˧˥/ gau2 /kɐu˧˥/
十 ʃɐp² /ʃɐp̚˨/ sap6 /ʃɐp̚˨/ sap6 /sɐp̚˧/ sok6 /ʃɔk̚˧/ shi̍p /ʃip̚˨/ sap6 /sɐp̚˨/ sap6 /sɐp̚˨/
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