Zhuyin vs Pinyin: Differences and Which to Learn
Updated
Zhuyin (Bopomofo) and Pinyin both write the sounds of Mandarin. Pinyin uses the Latin alphabet and is the standard in mainland China and in most textbooks abroad. Zhuyin uses its own 37 symbols and is what Taiwan uses in schools, children's books and dictionaries, and for typing on phones and computers.
The main differences
- Script: Pinyin uses Latin letters with tone marks over the vowels (mǎ). Zhuyin uses its own symbols with the tone mark after the syllable (ㄇㄚˇ).
- Spelling rules: Pinyin changes some spellings depending on position (yi, wu, yu, and the short forms -iu, -ui, -un). Zhuyin writes each sound with the same symbol everywhere.
- Where it is used: Taiwan teaches reading with Zhuyin alongside traditional characters. Pinyin is taught in mainland China and Singapore, and Taiwan adopted Hanyu Pinyin as its official romanization in 2009.
- Reading aids: children's books in Taiwan print small Zhuyin next to the characters, not Pinyin.
Which one should you learn?
If you are learning Mandarin for Taiwan, want to read Taiwanese children's books or want to type the way people in Taiwan do, learn Zhuyin. If your course and materials use Pinyin, keep Pinyin as your main system. Adding Zhuyin later is mostly a matter of learning new symbols for sounds you already know.
Many learners in Taiwan end up knowing both. The table below maps every Zhuyin symbol and combination to its Pinyin spelling.
Zhuyin to Pinyin table
Initials
| Zhuyin | In a syllable | On its own |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | zhi |
| ㄔ | ch | chi |
| ㄕ | sh | shi |
| ㄖ | r | ri |
| ㄗ | z | zi |
| ㄘ | c | ci |
| ㄙ | s | si |
Finals without a medial
| Zhuyin | In a syllable | On its own |
|---|---|---|
| ㄚ | a | a |
| ㄛ | o | o |
| ㄜ | e | e |
| ㄝ | ê | ê |
| ㄞ | ai | ai |
| ㄟ | ei | ei |
| ㄠ | ao | ao |
| ㄡ | ou | ou |
| ㄢ | an | an |
| ㄣ | en | en |
| ㄤ | ang | ang |
| ㄥ | eng | eng |
| ㄦ | er | er |
Finals starting with ㄧ
| Zhuyin | In a syllable | On its own |
|---|---|---|
| ㄧ | i | yi |
| ㄧㄚ | ia | ya |
| ㄧㄛ | io | yo |
| ㄧㄝ | ie | ye |
| ㄧㄞ | iai | yai |
| ㄧㄠ | iao | yao |
| ㄧㄡ | iu | you |
| ㄧㄢ | ian | yan |
| ㄧㄣ | in | yin |
| ㄧㄤ | iang | yang |
| ㄧㄥ | ing | ying |
Finals starting with ㄨ
| Zhuyin | In a syllable | On its own |
|---|---|---|
| ㄨ | u | wu |
| ㄨㄚ | ua | wa |
| ㄨㄛ | uo | wo |
| ㄨㄞ | uai | wai |
| ㄨㄟ | ui | wei |
| ㄨㄢ | uan | wan |
| ㄨㄣ | un | wen |
| ㄨㄤ | uang | wang |
| ㄨㄥ | ong | weng |
Finals starting with ㄩ
| Zhuyin | In a syllable | On its own |
|---|---|---|
| ㄩ | ü(u after j, q, x) | yu |
| ㄩㄝ | üe(ue after j, q, x) | yue |
| ㄩㄢ | üan(uan after j, q, x) | yuan |
| ㄩㄣ | ün(un after j, q, x) | yun |
| ㄩㄥ | iong | yong |
Where Pinyin learners trip up
- ü is ㄩ. Pinyin spells it u only after j, q and x (ju, qu, xu) and as yu on its own, so it is easy to miss. After n and l it stays ü (nü, lü). In Zhuyin it is always ㄩ: ㄐㄩ, ㄑㄩ, ㄒㄩ, ㄋㄩ, ㄌㄩ, ㄩ.
- zhi, chi, shi, ri, zi, ci and si are a single symbol each. The i in these syllables is not the vowel in yi, and Zhuyin writes no vowel at all: ㄓ, ㄔ, ㄕ, ㄖ, ㄗ, ㄘ, ㄙ.
- -iu, -ui and -un are short forms. Pinyin drops a vowel after an initial: liu is ㄌㄧㄡ, dui is ㄉㄨㄟ and lun is ㄌㄨㄣ, but jun is ㄐㄩㄣ. Type every symbol.
- ㄝ is the e in ye and yue. It rarely stands alone and appears mainly as ㄧㄝ and ㄩㄝ.
- ㄦ is er, as in 二 (two). It never follows an initial.
- Tones go after the syllable. Pinyin puts the mark over a vowel; Zhuyin writes it after the symbols, and the neutral tone dot goes before them.
Start practicing
Typing connects the symbols to sounds you already know. Start with the symbol drill to learn the keys, then practice beginner words.