莆仙话

Pu-Xian Min

Sinitic (Pu-Xian Min)

FamilySinitic (Pu-Xian Min) Speakers~3M ScriptHan characters CountriesChina (Putian and Xianyou, Fujian) Official inNo Vitalitysafe ISO 639-3cpx

Pu-Xian Min (莆仙語, also Xinghua or Henghua; ISO 639-3: cpx) is a branch of Min Chinese spoken mainly in Putian and Xianyou in coastal Fujian, with diaspora communities in Southeast Asia. Historical-comparative research treats it as descending from Southern Min while undergoing substantial contact influence from Eastern Min, which helps explain its transitional profile. Putian and Xianyou are its two principal regional varieties, and its phonology preserves older Min features alongside innovations produced by contact. It is normally written with Chinese characters; William Brewster devised Hinghwa Romanized (興化平話字), a Latin-alphabet system, in 1890 for missionary and educational use. The language is also the traditional medium of Puxian opera, a long-established regional dramatic form.

Where it is spoken

31 core words in Pu-Xian Min

Water

/ɬui˦˩/

Fire

/hø˦˩/

Sun

日头

/lit˥˥tʰau˧˧/

Moon

/ɣueʔ˥˥/

Star

/tsʰĩ˥˧/

Mother

老母

/lau˥˥bo˦˩/

Father

老父

/lau˥˥pe˥˧/

I

/ɡua˩˧/

You

/ty˦˥˧/

Name

/miã˩˧/

Eye

目睭

/bak˥˥tsiu˧˧/

Hand

/ɬiu˦˩/

Heart

/ɬim˧˧/

Love

/tʰiã˨˩/

Tree

/tsʰiu˥˧/

House

/tsʰu˨˩/

Dog

/kau˦˩/

Cat

/ŋiau˧˧/

Eat

/siaʔ˥˥/

Drink

/lim˧˧/

One

/it˥˥/

Two

/ni˩/

Hello

你好

/ni˦˩ho˦˩/

Thank you

多谢

/to˧˧ɬia˥˧/

Good

/ho˦˩/

Cuckoo

布谷

/pɔu˦˨kɒʔ˨˩/

Computer

电脑

/tɛŋ˩˩nɒ˦˥˧/

Sushi

寿司

/ɬiu˩˩ɬi˥˧˧/

Sources

Words compared

Compared with related Sinitic (Pu-Xian Min) languages

Meaning Pu-Xian MinPenang HokkienQuanzhou HokkienTeochewXiamen HokkienZhangzhou HokkienHainanese
Water /ɬui˦˩/ /tsui˥˧/ /tsui˥˥/ /tsui˥˧/ /tsui˥˧/ /tsui˥˧/ /zui˨˩˧/
Fire /hø˦˩/ /hue˥˧/ /hə˧˥/ /hue˥˧/ /hue˥˧/ /he˥˧/ /hə˨˩˧/
Sun 日头 /lit˥˥tʰau˧˧/ 日頭 /lit˥˥tʰau˨˨/ 日頭 /lit̚˨˦tʰau˨˦/ 日头 /ʒik˥˥tʰau˥˥/ 日頭 /dzit̚˦tʰau˨˦/ 日頭 /dzit̚˩˨˩tʰau˩˧/ 日头 /dit˨˨tʰau˨˦/
Moon /ɣueʔ˥˥/ 月娘 /ɡueʔ˥˥niũ˨˦/ /ɡəʔ˨˦/ 月娘 /ɡueʔ˥˥niũ˥˥/ 月娘 /ɡueʔ̚˦ niũ˨˦/ 月娘 /ɡeʔ̚˩˨˩ niũ˩˧/ /ŋet˨˨/
Star /tsʰĩ˥˧/ /tsʰẽ˥/ /tsʰĩ˧˧/ /tsʰẽ˧/ /tsʰĩ˥/ /tsʰẽ˧˦/ /ɕe˨˦/
Mother 老母 /lau˥˥bo˦˩/ 阿媽 /a˧˧ma˧˧/ 老母 /lau˦˩bo˧˧/ /ma˧˧/ 老母 /lau˨˨bu˥˧/ 老母 /lau˨˨bu˥˧/ /bo˨˩˧/
Father 老父 /lau˥˥pe˥˧/ 阿爸 /a˧˧pa˥˥/ 老父 /lau˦˩pɛ˧˧/ /pa˧˧/ 老爸 /lau˨˨pe˨˨/ 老爸 /lau˨˨pe˨˨/ /ba˨˨/
I /ɡua˩˧/ /ɡua˥˧/ /ɡua˥˥/ /ua˥˨/ /ɡua˥˧/ /ɡua˥˧/ /va˨˩/
Page 1/4

Han readings compared

Compared with related Sinitic (Min) languages

Character Pu-Xian MinMin BeiEastern MinMin Zhong (Yong'an)Thai TeochewHuiyang HakkaHui Chinese
白讀cik /tɬiʔ˥/文讀ik /iʔ˥/ 白讀ì /i˧˧/文讀ĭ /i˨˦/ 白讀sĭk /siɪʔ˥/文讀ék /ʔɛiʔ˥/ 白讀i /i˦˨/文讀ieʔ /iɛʔ˥/ 白讀zêg8 /tseʔ˥/文讀ig4 /ik̚˨/ yit /jit̚˩/ ie⁵ /iɛʔ˥/
白讀nō͘ /nɔ˧˩/文讀ñî /ɲi˧˩/ 白讀lâng /laŋ˧˧/文讀 /ni˨˦/ 白讀lâng /laŋ˨˦˨/文讀nê̤i /nei˨˦˨/ 文讀ni /ni˨˨/白讀laŋ /laŋ˨˨/ 白讀no6 /no˧˥/文讀ri6 /dzi˧˥/ ngì /ŋi˥˧/ n²² /n̩˨˨/
白讀 /sã˥˧/文讀sang /saŋ˥˧/ sáng /saŋ˥˦/ săng /saŋ˦˦/ saŋ /saŋ˥˦/ 白讀sã1 /sã˧/文讀sam1 /sam˧/ sâm /sam˧˧/ se³³ /sɛ˧˧/
lhì /ɬi˦˨/ /si˧˧/ /sei˨˩˧/ si /si˧˥/ si3 /si˨˩˧/ /si˥˧/ si³⁵ /sɿ˧˥/
白讀ngô͘ /ŋɔ˧˩/文讀ngū /ŋu˧˧/ 白讀ngǚ /ŋy˨˦/文讀ngǔ /ŋu˨˦/ 白讀ngô /ŋou˨˦˨/文讀ngū /ŋu˧˧/ ŋu /ŋu˨˨/ 白讀ngou6 /ŋou˧˥/文讀ngou2 /ŋou˧˥/ ńg /ŋ̍˧˩/ ng²¹ /ŋ̩˨˩/
白讀la̍k /laʔ˨˦/文讀lo̍k /lɔʔ˨˦/ 白讀lü̆ /ly˨˦/文讀liŭ /liu˨˦/ 白讀lĕ̤k /løyʔ˨˦/文讀liŏk /liɔuʔ˨˦/ lu /lu˦˨/ 白讀lag8 /lak̚˥/文讀liog8 /liɔk̚˥/ liu̍k /liuk̚˥/ lu²¹ /lu˨˩/
cheh⁵ /tsʰiʔ˥/ chĭ /tsʰi˨˦/ chék /tsʰeiʔ˨˦/ tsʰi /tsʰi˦˨/ cig4 /tsʰiʔ˨/ chhit /tsʰit̚˩/ chii⁵ /tsʰiɪʔ˥/
白讀poeh /pɔeʔ˥/文讀pat /pat̚˥/ păi /paiʔ˨˦/ báik /paiʔ˨˦/ pai /pai˦˨/ 白讀boih4 /poiʔ˨/文讀bag4 /pat̚˨/ pat /pat̚˩/ pa⁵ /paʔ˥/
白讀kâu /kau˧˩/文讀kiû /kiu˧˩/ giǔ /kiu˧˩/ 白讀gāu /kau˧˩/文讀giū /kiu˧˩/ kiu /kiu˧˩/ 白讀gao2 /kau˧˩/文讀giu2 /kiu˧˩/ kiú /kiu˧˩/ jiu³⁵ /tɕiu˧˥/
白讀sa̍p /saʔ˨˦/文讀si̍p /siʔ˨˦/ sĭp /siʔ˨˦/ 白讀sĕk /seiʔ˨˦/文讀sĭk /siʔ˥/ si /si˦˨/ 白讀zab8 /tsap̚˥/文讀sib8 /sip̚˥/ si̍p /sip̚˥/ sii²¹ /siɪʔ˨˩/
Page 1/7

Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.