宁波话

Ningbo Wu

Sinitic (Wu, Taihu)

FamilySinitic (Wu, Taihu) Speakers~5M ScriptHan characters CountriesChina (Ningbo, Zhoushan, eastern Zhejiang) Official inNo (regional) Vitalitysafe ISO 639-3wuu

Ningbo Wu (宁波话) is a major Taihu Wu variety of northeastern Zhejiang spoken by ~5M people in the Ningbo and Zhoushan port-cities region. Like other Taihu Wu varieties (Shanghai, Suzhou), it preserves the medieval Chinese voiced obstruent series (b/d/g) lost in Mandarin and Cantonese, an archaic feature reaching back to Old Chinese stratification. Ningbo merchants were a foundational element of modern Shanghai's commercial rise from the 19th century — the Yong-clique (甬商) — and Ningbo Wu had strong influence on the formation of Shanghainese; the merchant network also extended to Hong Kong, Yokohama, and elsewhere across Asia. Has 7-8 contrastive tones with elaborate Wu-style sandhi.

Where it is spoken

31 core words in Ningbo Wu

Water

/sɿ˨˩˦/

Fire

/hu˨˩˦/

Sun

日头

/ɲiʔ˩˨dɤu/

Moon

月亮

/ɲyəʔ˩˨liaŋ/

Star

/ɕin˥˧/

Mother

阿妈

/aʔ˦˦ma/

Father

阿爸

/aʔ˦˦pa/

I

/ŋu˩˧/

You

/noŋ˩˧/

Name

名字

/miɲ˩˧ zz̩/

Eye

眼睛

/ŋɛ˨˧tɕiɴ˦˦/

Hand

/ɕiʏ˧˨˥/

Heart

/siɴ˦˦/

Love

/ai˥˧/

Tree

/zɿ˨˧/

House

屋里

/oʔ˥˥li/

Dog

/kəu˨˩˦/

Cat

/mɔ˦˦/

Eat

/tɕʰiʔ˥˥/

Drink

/hoʔ˥˥/

One

/iʔ˥˥/

Two

/ȵi˩˧/

Hello

侬好

/noŋ˦˦hɔ˨˩˦/

Thank you

谢谢

/ʑia˨˧ɕia/

Good

/hɔ˨˩˦/

Computer

电脑

/di˩˩˧nɔ˩˩˧/

Sushi

寿司

/ʑiʏ˩˩˧sz̩˥˨/

Sources

Words compared

Compared with related Sinitic (Wu, Taihu) languages

Meaning Ningbo WuShanghaineseJiaxing WuWuhan MandarinJianghuai MandarinHangzhou WuGan (Jiangxi)
Water /sɿ˨˩˦/ /sz̩˧˥/ /sz̩˧˩˧/ /suei˦˨/ /suei˨˩˦/ /ʂz̩˥˧/ /sui˨˩˧/
Fire /hu˨˩˦/ /hu˧˥/ /hu˧˩˧/ /huo˦˨/ /xuo˨˩˦/ /xo˥˧/ /fo˨˩˧/
Sun 日头 /ɲiʔ˩˨dɤu/ 太阳 /tʰa˧˧ɦiã˩˩/ 日头 /ɲiɪʔ˩˨dɤu˨˨˧/ 太阳 /tʰai˥˧iaŋ˨˩˧/ 日头 /ʐəʔ˦˦tʰəu˨˦/ 日头 /ʐəʔ˩˨dɤɯ˨˩˧/ 日头 /ɲit˥tʰɛu/
Moon 月亮 /ɲyəʔ˩˨liaŋ/ 月亮 /ɲyəʔ˩˨liã˩/ 月亮 /ɦyøʔ˩˨liaŋ˨˨˧/ 月亮 /yɛ˨˩˧liaŋ/ 月亮 /yeʔ˥˥liaŋ˦˦/ 月亮 /yøʔ˩˨liaŋ˨˩˧/ 月光 /ŋyot˥kuɔŋ˦˨/
Star /ɕin˥˧/ /ɕin˥˧/ /ɕiŋ˥˨/ /ɕin˥˥/ /ɕin˧˩/ /ɕiŋ˥˧/ /ɕiaŋ˦˨/
Mother 阿妈 /aʔ˦˦ma/ 姆妈 /m̩ma/ 姆妈 /m̩˧˧ma˧˧/ 妈妈 /ma˨˩˧ma/ /ma˧˧/ 妈妈 /ma˧˧ma˨˩˧/ 妈妈 /ma˦˨ma/
Father 阿爸 /aʔ˦˦pa/ 爸爸 /pa˧˩pa/ 爹爹 /tia˦˦tia˦˦/ 爸爸 /pa˨˩˧pa/ /pa˥˥/ 爸爸 /pa˧˧pa˨˩˧/ 爸爸 /pa˥pa/
I /ŋu˩˧/ /ŋu˩˧/ /ŋu˨˧/ /ŋo˦˨/ /o˨˩˨/ /ŋo˩˧/ /ŋo˨˩˧/
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Han readings compared

Character Ningbo WuJiaxing WuHangzhou WuShanghaineseJinhua WuSuzhou WuHui Chinese (Wuyuan)
iq7 /iəʔ˥˥/ iq7 /iɪʔ˥˥/ iq7 /iɪʔ˥˥/ iq7 /ɪʔ˥˥/ iq⁵⁵ /iəʔ˥˥/ iq7 /iəʔ˦˧/ ie⁵⁵ /iɛʔ˥˥/
gni6 /ɲi˨˩˧/ gni6 /ɲi˨˩˧/ gni6 /ɲi˨˩˧/ gni6 /ɲi˨˧/ nyi²¹³ /n̩˨˩˧/ gni6 /ɲi˨˧˩/ n²² /n̩˨˨/
se1 /sɛ˥˧/ se1 /sɛ˥˧/ se1 /sæ̃˧˧/ se1 /sɛ˥˧/ sa³³ /sã˧˧/ se1 /sᴇ˦˦/ se³³ /sɛ˧˧/
sy5 /sz̩˥˩/ sy5 /sɿ˥˧/ sy5 /sz̩˧/ sy5 /sɿ˧˥/ sy⁵³ /sz̩˥˧/ sy5 /sɿ˥˩˧/ si³⁵ /sɿ˧˥/
ng6 /ŋ̍˨˩˧/ ng6 /ŋ̍˨˩˧/ ng6 /ŋ̍˨˩˧/ ng6 /ŋ̍˨˧/ ng²¹³ /ŋ˨˩˧/ ng6 /ŋ̍˨˧˩/ ng²¹ /ŋ̩˨˩/
loq8 /loʔ˨˩˧/ loq8 /loʔ˨˧/ loq8 /loʔ˨˩˧/ loq8 /loʔ˩˨/ lieu²⁴ /liu˨˦/ loq8 /loʔ˨˧/ lu²¹ /lu˨˩/
tshiq7 /tsʰiʔ˥˥/ tshiq7 /tsʰiɪʔ˥˥/ tshiq7 /tsʰiʔ˥˥/ chiq7 /tɕʰɪʔ˥˥/ tshiq⁵⁵ /tsʰiəʔ˥˥/ tshiq7 /tsʰiəʔ˦˧/ tshi⁵⁵ /tsʰiɪʔ˥˥/
paq7 /pɐʔ˥˥/ poq7 /pɒʔ˥˥/ paq7 /pɐʔ˥˥/ paq7 /pɐʔ˥˥/ paq⁵⁵ /pɒʔ˥˥/ poq7 /poʔ˦˧/ pa⁵⁵ /paʔ˥˥/
cieu3 /tɕiɤɯ˧˥/ cieu3 /tɕiɤɯ˥˨˧/ cieu3 /tɕiɤɯ˥˧/ cieu5 /tɕiɤɯ˧˥/ jieu⁵³⁵ /tɕiɤɯ˥˧˥/ cieu3 /tɕiʏ˥˩/ tçiu³⁵ /tɕiu˧˥/
zeq8 /zəʔ˨˩˧/ zeq8 /zəʔ˨˧/ zeq8 /zəʔ˨˩˧/ zeq8 /zəʔ˩˨/ zeq²¹² /zəʔ˨˩˨/ zeq8 /zəʔ˨˧/ sii²¹ /siɪʔ˨˩/
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