南京话

Nanjing Mandarin

Sinitic (Mandarin, Jianghuai — Hong-Chao)

FamilySinitic (Mandarin, Jianghuai — Hong-Chao) Speakers~6M (Nanjing city + Jiangning, Liuhe) ScriptHan characters (Simplified) CountriesChina (Jiangsu: Nanjing metropolitan area) Official inNo (regional; Putonghua is official). Historically the de facto court koine of the Ming and early Qing. ISO 639-3cmn Glottocodenanj1234

Nanjing Mandarin (南京话) is the urban-prestige variety of Jianghuai Mandarin spoken by ~6M people in greater Nanjing, and one of the most historically prestigious Chinese vernaculars: it served as the de facto national koine (官話 Guanhua) of the Ming and early Qing courts, was the basis of the "Mandarin" recorded by Matteo Ricci and Jesuit missionaries in the 17th century, and remained the standard pronunciation taught in late-Qing schoolbooks until Beijing-based Putonghua displaced it in the 1920s–30s. Phonologically Nanjing preserves the Middle Chinese entering tone (rusheng, ~˥ʔ) — lost in northern Mandarin but shared with Wu and Hui — and lacks the /n-/ ~ /l-/ merger typical of southwestern Mandarin. Its 5-tone system (˧˩, ˩˧, ˨˩˨, ˦, ˥ʔ) makes it transitional between Mandarin and Wu.

Where it is spoken

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87 core words in Nanjing Mandarin

Water

水

ʂueɪ˨˩˨

Fire

火

xuo˨˩˨

Sun

太阳

tʰɛ˦ iaŋ˩˧

Moon

月亮

yʔ˥ liaŋ˦

Star

星

ɕiŋ˧˩

Night

晚上

uɛ̃˨˩˨ ʂaŋ

Rain

雨

y˩˩

Snow

雪

ɕyɛ˥

Wind

风

fən˧˩

Earth

土

tʰu˨˩˨

Stone

石头

ʂʅʔ˥ tʰəɯ

Mountain

山

ʂan˧˩

Sea

海

xɛ˩˩

Mother

姆妈

m̩˧˩ ma˧˩

Father

爹

tie˧˩

Daughter

女儿

ny˨˩˨ ɚ˨˦

I

我

ŋo˨˩˨

You

你

ni˨˩˨

We

我们

ŋo˨˩˨ mən

Name

名字

miŋ˨˦ tsɿ

Person

人

ɻə̃˨˦

Head

头

tʰəɯ˨˦

Eye

眼睛

iɛn˨˩˨ tɕin˧˩

Ear

耳朵

əɻ˩˩ to

Nose

鼻子

pi˧˥ tsɿ

Mouth

嘴

tsuəi˩˩

Tooth

牙

ia˨˦

Tongue

舌头

ʂəʔ˥ tʰəu˨˦

Hand

手

ʂəɯ˨˩˨

Foot

脚

tɕioʔ˥

Heart

心

ɕin˧˩

Bone

骨头

kuʔ˥ tʰəu˨˦

Blood

血

ɕyʔ˥

Poop

屎

ʂz̩˨˩˨

Love

爱

ɛ˦

Tree

树

ʂu˦

Dog

狗

kəɯ˨˩˨

Cat

猫

mɔ˧˩

Fish

鱼

y˨˦

Bird

鸟

niau˨˩˨

Egg

鸡蛋

tɕi˧˩ tan˦

Bear

熊

ɕioŋ˨˦

Horse

马

ma˩˩

House

房子

fɑŋ˩˧ tsɿ

Milk

牛奶

liəɯ˨˦ lɛ˨˩˨

Honey

蜂蜜

fən˧˩ miʔ˥

Salt

盐

iɛn˨˦

Wine

葡萄酒

pʰu˨˦ tʰɔ˨˦ tɕiəu˨˩˨

Rice

米

mi˩˩

Iron

铁

tʰiʔ˥

Wheel

轮盘

lwən˨˦ pʰɑŋ˨˦

Silk

丝

sz̩˧˩

Book

书

ʂu˧˩

Eat

吃

tʂʰʅʔ˥

Drink

喝

xəʔ˥

Sleep

睡觉

ʂwei˦ tɕjɔ˦

One

一

iʔ˥

Two

二

ɚ˦

Three

三

sã˧˩

Four

四

sɿ˦

Five

五

u˩˩

Hundred

百

pəʔ˥

Hello

你好

li˨˩˨ xɔ˨˩˨

Thank you

谢谢

ɕie˦ ɕie

Good

好

xɔ˨˩˨

New

新

ɕin˧˩

Red

红

xoŋ˨˦

White

白

pai˧˥

Black

黑

xəʔ˥

Green

绿

luʔ˥

Blue

蓝

lan˨˦

Cuckoo

布谷鸟

pu˦ kuʔ˥ niau˨˩˨

Computer

电脑

tiɛn˦ nɔ˨˩˨

Sushi

寿司

ʂəɯ˦ sz̩˧˩

Tea

茶

tʂʰa˨˦

Sugar

糖

tʰaŋ˨˦

Orange

橙

tʂʰɤŋ˨˦

Ninety-nine

九十九

tɕiəu˨˩˨ ʂʅʔ˥ tɕiəu˨˩˨

Sources

Words compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: Sinitic (Mandarin, Jianghuai — Hong-Chao)

Meaning Nanjing MandarinJianghuai MandarinLanyin MandarinHefei MandarinTianjin MandarinXi'an MandarinChongqing Mandarin
Water 水 /ʂueɪ˨˩˨/ 水 /suei˨˩˦/ 水 /fei˦˦˨/ 水 /ʂueɪ˨˦/ 水 /suei˩˧/ 水 /fei˥˧/ 水 /suei˦˨/
Fire 火 /xuo˨˩˨/ 火 /xuo˨˩˦/ 火 /xo˦˦˨/ 火 /xuo˨˦/ 火 /xwo˩˧/ 火 /xuo˥˧/ 火 /xo˦˨/
Sun 太阳 /tʰɛ˦ iaŋ˩˧/ 日头 /ʐəʔ˦˦ tʰəu˨˦/ 日头 /ʐɨ˩˧ tʰəu˥˧/ 日头 /ʐəʔ˦ tʰəu˥˥/ 日头 /ʐʅ˥˧ tʰoʊ˦˥/ 日头 /ʐɿ˥˥ tʰou˨˦/ 太阳 /tʰai˨˩˧ iaŋ˨˩/
Moon 月亮 /yʔ˥ liaŋ˦/ 月亮 /yeʔ˥˥ liaŋ˦˦/ 月亮 /yɛ˩˧ ljaŋ/ 月亮 /yɛʔ˦ liaŋ˥˧/ 月亮 /ɥɛ˥˧ ljaŋ/ 月亮 /ye˥˥ liaŋ˨˩/ 月亮 /yo˨˩ liaŋ˨˩˧/
Star 星 /ɕiŋ˧˩/ 星 /siŋ˧˩/ 星星 /ɕiŋ˧˩ ɕiŋ/ 星 /ɕiən˨˩˨/ 星星 /ɕiŋ˨˩ ɕiŋ/ 星星 /ɕiɣ̃˨˩ ɕiɣ̃/ 星星儿 /ɕin˥ ɕiəɹ˥/
Night 晚上 /uɛ̃˨˩˨ ʂaŋ/ 晚上 /uan˨˩˦ saŋ/ 晚上 /van˦˦˨ ʂaŋ/ 晚上 /uæ̃˨˦ ʂaŋ/ 晚上 /wan˩˧ ʂɑŋ/ 晚上 /van˥˧ ʂaŋ/ 晚上 /wan˦˨ saŋ/
Rain 雨 /y˩˩/ 雨 /i˨˩˦/ 雨 /y˦˦˨/ 雨 /y˨˦/ 雨 /y˩˧/ 雨 /y˥˧/ 雨 /y˦˨/
Snow 雪 /ɕyɛ˥/ 雪 /seʔ˥˥/ 雪 /ɕyɛ˩˧/ 雪 /ɕyɐʔ˦/ 雪 /ɕye˨˩/ 雪 /ɕyɛ˨˩/ 雪 /ɕye˨˩/
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Han readings compared

Character Nanjing MandarinChangzhi JinNortheastern MandarinHefei MandarinLanyin MandarinXi'an MandarinMandarin Chinese
一 yiq⁵ /iʔ˥/ iɛʔ⁵³ /iɛʔ˥˧/ yi⁵⁵ /i˥˥/ yiq⁴ /iʔ˦/ yi¹³ /i˩˧/ yiq²¹ /i˨˩/ yī /i˥˥/
二 er⁴⁴ /ɚ˦˦/ ɚ⁵⁴ /ɚ˥˦/ er⁵³ /ɚ˥˧/ er⁵³ /ɚ˥˧/ er¹³ /ɚ˩˧/ er⁴⁴ /ɚ˦˦/ èr /ɑɻ˥˩/
三 san³¹ /sã˧˩/ saŋ³¹² /saŋ˧˩˨/ san⁵⁵ /san˥˥/ san²¹ /sæ̃˨˩/ san³¹ /sã˧˩/ san²¹ /sã˨˩/ sān /san˥˥/
四 si⁴⁴ /sɿ˦˦/ sɿ⁴⁴ /sɿ˦˦/ si⁵³ /sɿ˥˧/ si⁵³ /sɿ˥˧/ si¹³ /sɿ˩˧/ si⁴⁴ /sɿ˦˦/ sì /sɿ˥˩/
五 wu²¹² /u˨˩˨/ u⁵³⁴ /u˥˧˦/ wu²¹³ /u˨˩˧/ wu²⁴ /u˨˦/ wu⁴⁴² /u˦˦˨/ wu⁵³ /u˥˧/ wǔ /u˨˩˦/
六 loq⁵ /loʔ˥/ luəʔ⁵³ /luəʔ˥˧/ liu⁵³ /liou˥˧/ luq⁴ /lɤʔ˦/ liu¹³ /liou˩˧/ liuq²¹ /liou˨˩/ liù /ljou˥˩/
七 ciq⁵ /tsʰiʔ˥/ tɕʰiɛʔ⁵³ /tɕʰiɛʔ˥˧/ qi⁵⁵ /tɕʰi˥˥/ ciq⁴ /tsʰəʔ˦/ qi¹³ /tɕʰi˩˧/ qiq²¹ /tɕʰi˨˩/ qī /tɕʰi˥˥/
八 baq⁵ /paʔ˥/ paʔ⁵³ /paʔ˥˧/ ba⁵⁵ /pa˥˥/ baq⁴ /paʔ˦/ ba¹³ /pa˩˧/ baq²¹ /pa˨˩/ bā /pa˥˥/
九 jiu²¹² /tɕiəu˨˩˨/ tɕiəu⁵³⁴ /tɕiəu˥˧˦/ jiu²¹³ /tɕiou˨˩˧/ jiu²⁴ /tɕiɯ˨˦/ jiu⁴⁴² /tɕiou˦˦˨/ jiu⁵³ /tɕiou˥˧/ jiǔ /tɕjou˨˩˦/
十 seq⁵ /ʂəʔ˥/ səʔ⁵³ /səʔ˥˧/ shi³⁵ /ʂʐ̩˧˥/ siq⁴ /səʔ˦/ shi⁵³ /ʂʅ˥˧/ siq²⁴ /sɿ˨˦/ shí /ʂʐ̩˧˥/
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