Bizisa

Tujia

Sino-Tibetan (Tibeto-Burman, Tujia)

FamilySino-Tibetan (Tibeto-Burman, Tujia) Speakers~830K speakers ScriptLatin (Pinyin-based; recent literacy efforts) CountriesChina (Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou, Chongqing — Wuling Mountains) Official inChina (autonomous prefectures and counties) Vitalityseverely endangered ISO 639-3tji

Tujia (Bizisa) is the language of the Tujia people, China's seventh-largest ethnic minority, distributed across the Wuling Mountains spanning Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou, and Chongqing. Of roughly 8 million ethnic Tujia, only about 10% — mostly elders in remote villages — still speak the language natively; the majority have shifted to Mandarin. Northern and Southern Tujia are now sufficiently divergent that linguists often treat them as separate languages within Tibeto-Burman.

Where it is spoken

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87 core words in Tujia

Water

ce

tsʰe˨˩

Fire

mi

mi˥˧

Sun

laoci

lau˨˩tsʰi˨˩

Moon

susu

su˨˩su˨˩

Star

sei

sei˥˧

Night

layo

lajo˥˥

Rain

mezie

mɯe˧˥tsie˨˩

Snow

susu

su˧˥su˥˥

Wind

ziesu

zie˧˥su˥˥

Stone

aba

a˨˩pa˨˩

Mountain

kuza

kʰu˥˥tsa˥˥

Sea

hai

xai˥˧

Mother

a-nie

a˨˩ȵie˥˥

Father

a-pa

a˨˩pa˥˥

Daughter

piu

piu˧˥

I

nga

ŋa˧˥

You

ni

ȵi˧˥

We

angni

aŋ˧˥ȵi˧˥

Name

mingzi

miŋ˨˩tsi˧˥

Person

luo

lo˥˧

Head

kuoba

kʰo˥˥pa˥˥

Eye

luobu

lo˧˥pu˥˥

Ear

engqie

ən˨˩tɕʰie˧˥

Nose

engqi

ən˧˥tɕʰi˥˥

Mouth

zaqi

tsa˧˥tɕʰi˥˥

Tooth

sisi

sisi˥˥

Tongue

yila

jila˥˥

Hand

jie

tɕie˧˥

Foot

ji

tɕi˨˩

Heart

likuoli

li˥˥kʰu˥˥li˥˥

Bone

luka

lu˥˥ka˥˥

Blood

mie

mie˥˧

Poop

sie

sie˨˩

Love

aci

a˧˥tsʰi˥˥

Tree

kamong

kʰa˨˩moŋ˨˩

Dog

halie

xa˥˥lie˨˩

Cat

mo

mo˨˩

Fish

song

soŋ˧˥

Bird

niebi

ȵie˧˥pi˥˥

Butterfly

tasi

tʰa˥˥si˥˥

Egg

alie

a˥˥lie˥˥

Horse

ma

ma˥˧

House

cuo

tsʰo˥˧

Milk

mangcie

man˨˩tsʰie˨˩

Honey

cece

tsʰe˧˥tsʰe˥˥

Salt

lapu

la˧˥pu˥˥

Rice

zihhe

tsi˨˩ɣɯe˨˩

Iron

xie

ɕie˥˧

Wheel

cielunzi

tsʰie˥˥luən˨˩tsi˨˩

Silk

sacie

sa˥˥tsʰie˨˩

Book

cipu

tsʰi˥˥pʰu˥˥

Eat

ga

ka˧˥

Drink

hu

xu˨˩

One

la

la˧˥

Two

nie

ȵie˥˥

Three

so

so˥˥

Four

zie

zie˥˥

Five

ong

oŋ˥˥

Hundred

be

pɯe˨˩

Hello

ni ca

ȵi˧˥tsʰa˧˥

Thank you

angzai

aŋ˧˥tsai˥˥

Good

ca

tsʰa˧˥

New

axi

a˨˦ɕi˥˥

Red

mianjie

mian˥˥tɕie˥˥

White

asi

a˨˩si˨˩

Black

langga

lan˧˥ka˥˥

Green

luga

lu˧˥ka˥˥

Sources

Words compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: Sino-Tibetan (Tibeto-Burman, Tujia)

Meaning TujiaHaniNorthern PumiHailu HakkaChengdu MandarinHengyang XiangSouthern Qiang
Water ce /tsʰe˨˩/ wulquvq /u˥˥tɕʰu˧˩/ tɕɨ53 /tɕɨ˥˧/ 水 /ʃui˨˦/ 水 /suei˥˧/ 水 /ɕy˧˧/ tsuə /tsuə˧˧/
Fire mi /mi˥˧/ miqzaq /mi˧˩dza˧˩/ mɐ35 /mɐ˧˥/ 火 /fo˨˦/ 火 /xo˥˧/ 火 /xo˧˧/ mi /mi˧˧/
Sun laoci /lau˨˩tsʰi˨˩/ naolma /nɔ˥˥ma˧˧/ bu̵53 /bʉ˥˧/ 日頭 /ŋit˥ tʰeu˥˥/ 太阳 /tʰai˨˩˧ iaŋ˨˩/ 日头 /ɕi˩˩˨ təu˩˩˨/ masɿ /ma˧˧sɿ˥˥/
Moon susu /su˨˩su˨˩/ bala /ba˧˧la˧˧/ ɬi55 /ɬi˥˥/ 月光 /ŋiet˨ koŋ˥˧/ 月亮 /ye˨˩ lia̠ŋ˨˩˧/ 月光 /ye˩˩˨ kuan˦˦˥/ ɕyɕya /ɕy˧˧ɕya˥˥/
Star sei /sei˥˧/ aqgeel /a˧˩ɡɯ˥˥/ dʐə35 /ɖʐə˧˥/ 星仔 /siaŋ˥˧ ɤ˥˥/ 星星 /ɕin˥˥ ɕin˥˥/ 星子 /ɕin˦˦˥ tsɿ/ χdʐepe /χdʐe˧˧pe˥˥/
Night layo /lajo˥˥/ aoqqivq /ɔ˧˩tɕi˧˩/ ɕyɛ55 /ɕyɛ˥˥/ 暗晡夜 /am˩˩ pu˥˧ ʒa˧˧/ 晚上 /wan˥˧ saŋ/ 夜里 /ia˨˩˧ ti˧˧/ mudʑo /mu˧˧dʑo˨˦˩/
Rain mezie /mɯe˧˥tsie˨˩/ aoqsseil /ɔ˧˩ze˥˥/ gui53 /ɡui˥˧/ 雨 /ʒi˨˦/ 雨 /y˥˧/ 雨 /y˧˧/ maʐi /ma˧˩ʐi˥˥/
Snow susu /su˧˥su˥˥/ haqju /xa˧˩dʑu˧˧/ pu̵53 /pʉ˥˧/ 雪 /siet˥/ 雪 /ɕye˨˩/ 雪 /ɕye˨˨/ məpɑ /mə˧˩pɑ˥˥/
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