Tone confusion

[doraemon]

Hi everyone,

I've been a little confused lately over the pronunciation (tone) of the words

亚洲

情谊

As for 亚洲, I'm pretty sure that the correct pronunciation is ya4 zhou2 but I've heard many people around me and even some newsreaders who say ya3 zhou2.

When I looked up 情谊 in the dictionary, it said qing2 yi4 but when I pronounced it like that I was corrected by a Chinese teacher who told me it should be qing2 yi2.

Are there actually words/characters in Mandarin which people pronounce a certain way even though it shouldn't be?

Thanks!

[imron]

For 亚洲 I would say neither of those options are correct It should be Yàzhōu. For reference I've never heard Yǎ for 亚.

I'm not sure about the second word. There are however plenty of words that are pronounced differently in real-life from what gets listed in the dictionary.

See these threads for more reference:

http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/14520-pronunciation-in-dictionaries-and-in-reality

http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/2-favourite-chinese-musician9445

[doraemon]

For 亚洲 I would say neither of those options are correct It should be Yàzhōu.

Sorry, that was just a typo. Thanks for the link!

[Kenny同志]

I've heard many people around me and even some newsreaders who say ya3 zhou2.

(You might have wanted to say ya3zhou1)

If so, yes. this is true in Hong Kong and Taiwan but on the mainland, the correct version is ya4zhou1.

Check out 情谊（qing2yi4）and 谊 here.

Edited April 10, 2010 at 01:55 PM by kenny2006woo

[Daan]

In Taiwan both Yǎzhōu and Yàzhōu are commonly used and accepted. Yǎzhōu is the more conservative pronunciation, I believe.

Kenny, 情谊 is surely not pronounced as qǐngyì with a third tone?

[skylee]

If so, yes. this is true in Hong Kong or Taiwan

Probably not in Hong Kong as real Hong Kong people hardly speak Mandarin.

doraemon, this thread is relevant -> Characters with different pronunciations on Mainland / Taiwan

PS -

For reference I've never heard Yǎ for 亚.

Very strange, considering all those Taiwan entertainers on TV.

[Kenny同志]

Kenny, 情谊 is surely not pronounced as qǐngyì with a third tone?

I am sorry, Daan. I made a typo.

Probably not in Hong Kong as real Hong Kong people hardly speak Mandarin.

I meant Tongtonghua radio&TV programmes.

[Daan]

There's no need to be sorry! We all make mistakes. I was just worried that doraemon might get even more confused

[Kenny同志]

I was just worried that doraemon might get even more confused

Me too. And that's why I was sorry.

[imron]

Very strange, considering all those Taiwan entertainers on TV

I don't watch that many Taiwanese shows I guess.

[doraemon]

I was just worried that doraemon might get even more confused

Me too. And that's why I was sorry.

Haha...thanks for your concern guys! Sorry, I just made a typo.

So I guess it's pretty much settled then, the correct pronunciations should be

ya4 zhou1 &

qing2 yi4 (I think I'll just stick to this one for the moment regardless of what other people say)

Anyway, I've just got another question, for the word, 主意 my dictionary says zhu3 yi4 but in reality, it should be pronounced zhu2 yi4, right? Or is that just another wide misconception?

Thanks!

[Shi Tong]

I say zhu3 yi4 old chap..

Sometimes when I get confused over a certain word, I think of another phrase which has the same words.. usually works for me, for instance, how do you pronounce 公主.. gōng​zhǔ. Always with a third tone. So unless we're up against a character with several tones, that shold work.

[Daan]

I've never heard zhúyì, only zhǔyì.