湘语

Xiang (Hunan)

Sinitic (Xiang)

FamilySinitic (Xiang) Speakers~36M ScriptSimplified Chinese CountriesChina (Hunan) Official inNo (regional) Vitalitysafe ISO 639-3hsn

Xiang Chinese (湘语) is the dominant Sinitic group of Hunan Province, with ~36M speakers, traditionally divided into New Xiang (Changsha-centered, urbanized, heavily Mandarinized) and Old Xiang (rural southwestern Hunan, conservative). Old Xiang preserves the Middle Chinese voiced obstruent series (e.g. retained b/d/g) lost in nearly all other Sinitic branches except Wu, while New Xiang has merged them with voiceless aspirates as in Mandarin. Xiang was the native language of Mao Zedong (born in Shaoshan, Old Xiang region) — recordings of his speeches preserve the dialect for posterity. The Xiang River (湘江) gives both the language and the province their classical name.

Where it is spoken

31 core words in Xiang (Hunan)

Water

/ɕyei˦˩/

Fire

/xo˦˩/

Sun

太阳

/tʰai˥˩ian˩˧/

Moon

月亮

/ye˨˦liæn˨˩/

Star

/ɕin˧˧/

Mother

妈妈

/ma˧ma/

Father

爸爸

/pa˥˧pa/

I

/ŋo˦˩/

You

/ni˦˩/

Name

/min˩˧/

Eye

眼睛

/ŋan˦˩tɕin˧/

Hand

/ɕəu˦˩/

Heart

/sin˧/

Love

/ŋai˦˥/

Tree

/ɕy˩˧/

House

屋里

/u˨˦li/

Dog

/kəu˦˩/

Cat

/mau˩˧/

Eat

/tɕʰi˨˦/

Drink

/xo˨˦/

One

/i˨˦/

Two

/ə˨˩/

Hello

你好

/n̩˦˩xau˦˩/

Thank you

谢谢

/ɕie˩˧ɕie/

Good

/xau˦˩/

Cuckoo

阳雀子

/iæn˩˧tsʰio˨˦tsɹ̩/

Computer

电脑

/ti̯ẽ˨˩ lɒu̯˦˩/

Sushi

寿司

/ʂəu˨˩sz̩˧˧/

Sources

Words compared

Compared with related Sinitic (Xiang) languages

Meaning Xiang (Hunan)Xiang (Hengyang)Hui ChineseChengdu MandarinChongqing MandarinWuhan MandarinZhongyuan Mandarin
Water /ɕyei˦˩/ /ɕyei˥˩/ /ɕy˦˦/ /suei˥˧/ /suei˦˨/ /suei˦˨/ /suei˥˥/
Fire /xo˦˩/ /xo˥˩/ /xu˦˦/ /xo˥˧/ /xo˦˨/ /huo˦˨/ /xuo˥˧/
Sun 太阳 /tʰai˥˩ian˩˧/ 太陽 /tʰai˥˩ iaŋ˥˩/ 日头 /ʐɨ˨˦tʰəu/ 太阳 /tʰai˨˩˧iaŋ˨˩/ 太阳 /tʰai˨˩˧.iaŋ˨˩/ 太阳 /tʰai˥˧iaŋ˨˩˧/ 太阳 /tʰai˨˩iaŋ˨˩˧/
Moon 月亮 /ye˨˦liæn˨˩/ 月亮 /ye˨˩ liaŋ˥˩/ 月光 /yo˨˧kuaŋ˨˦/ 月亮 /ye˨˩lia̠ŋ˨˩˧/ 月亮 /yo˨˩liaŋ˨˩˦/ 月亮 /yɛ˨˩˧liaŋ/ 月亮 /yɛ˨˦liaŋ/
Star /ɕin˧˧/ /ɕin˧˧/ /sɛ̃˧/ /ɕin˦˥/ /ɕin˥/ /ɕin˥˥/ /ɕiŋ˨˦/
Mother 妈妈 /ma˧ma/ 媽媽 /ma˥˩ ma˥˩/ /ma˧˧/ 妈妈 /ma˥ma/ /ma˥/ 妈妈 /ma˨˩˧ma/ 妈妈 /ma˨˦ma/
Father 爸爸 /pa˥˧pa/ 爸爸 /pa˨˩ pa˥˩/ /pa˦˦/ 爸爸 /pa˨˩˧pa/ 老汉 /lau˦˨.xan˨˩˧/ 爸爸 /pa˨˩˧pa/ 爸爸 /pa˨˩˧pa/
I /ŋo˦˩/ /ŋo˨˩/ /ŋo˧˩/ /ŋo˥˧/ /ŋo˦˨/ /ŋo˦˨/ /uo˥˧/
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Han readings compared

Compared with related Sinitic (Xiang) languages

Character Xiang (Hunan)Xiang (Hengyang)Old Xiang (Shuangfeng)Chongqing MandarinWuhan MandarinSichuan MandarinChengdu Mandarin
i²⁴ /i˨˦/ i²⁴ /i˨˦/ i /i˨˦/ yi²¹ /i˨˩/ yi²¹³ /i˨˩˧/ yi²¹ /i˨˩/ yi²¹ /i˨˩/
er²¹ /ɚ˨˩/ er²¹ /ɚ˨˩/ er /ɚ˨˩/ er²¹⁴ /ɚ˨˩˦/ er³⁵ /ɚ˧˥/ er²¹³ /ɚ˨˩˧/ er²¹³ /ɚ˨˩˧/
san³³ /san˧˧/ san³³ /san˧˧/ san /san˧˧/ san⁵⁵ /san˥˥/ san⁵⁵ /san˥˥/ san⁵⁵ /san˥˥/ san⁵⁵ /san˥˥/
si⁴⁵ /sɿ˦˥/ si⁴⁵ /sɿ˦˥/ si /sɿ˦˥/ si²¹⁴ /sɿ˨˩˦/ si³⁵ /sɿ˧˥/ si²¹³ /sɿ˨˩˧/ si²¹³ /sɿ˨˩˧/
u⁴¹ /u˦˩/ u⁴¹ /u˦˩/ u /u˦˩/ wu⁴² /u˦˨/ wu⁴² /u˦˨/ wu⁵³ /u˥˧/ wu⁵³ /u˥˧/
leu²⁴ /ləu˨˦/ leu²⁴ /ləu˨˦/ leu /ləu˨˦/ liu²¹ /liəu˨˩/ nou²¹³ /nəu˨˩˧/ neu²¹ /nəu˨˩/ nu²¹ /nu˨˩/
qi²⁴ /tɕʰi˨˦/ qi²⁴ /tɕʰi˨˦/ qi /tɕʰi˨˦/ qi²¹ /tɕʰi˨˩/ qi²¹³ /tɕʰi˨˩˧/ qi²¹ /tɕʰi˨˩/ qi²¹ /tɕʰi˨˩/
pa²⁴ /pa˨˦/ pa²⁴ /pa˨˦/ pa /pa˨˦/ ba²¹ /pa˨˩/ ba²¹³ /pa˨˩˧/ ba²¹ /pa˨˩/ ba²¹ /pa˨˩/
jieu⁴¹ /tɕiəu˦˩/ jieu⁴¹ /tɕiəu˦˩/ jieu /tɕiəu˦˩/ jiu⁴² /tɕiəu˦˨/ jiu⁴² /tɕiəu˦˨/ jiu⁵³ /tɕiəu˥˧/ jiu⁵³ /tɕiəu˥˧/
si²⁴ /sɿ˨˦/ si²⁴ /sɿ˨˦/ zhi /ʑɿ˨˦/ si²¹ /sɿ˨˩/ si²¹³ /sɿ˨˩˧/ si²¹ /sɿ˨˩/ si²¹ /sɿ˨˩/
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