西安话

Xi'an Mandarin

Sinitic (Mandarin, Zhongyuan)

FamilySinitic (Mandarin, Zhongyuan) Speakers~10M ScriptSimplified Chinese CountriesChina (Shaanxi: Guanzhong plain, centered on Xi'an) Official inNo (regional vernacular) ISO 639-3cmn Glottocodeguan1252

Xi'an Mandarin (西安话) is the Guanzhong sub-variety of Zhongyuan ("Central Plains") Mandarin spoken on the Wei River plain around the ancient Tang capital, with ~10M speakers. Its four-tone system is strikingly different from Beijing: the Yinping (T1) is a low falling ˨˩ (the reverse of Beijing's high level), and the Qusheng (T4) is a high level ˥˥ (the reverse of Beijing's falling). The dialect preserves a richer set of Middle Chinese sibilant distinctions in Guanzhong sub-varieties, and lexically retains many archaic Tang-era items (e.g. 嫽 liáo "good/great"), reflecting the millennia of imperial-capital status of Chang'an/Xi'an.

Where it is spoken

31 core words in Xi'an Mandarin

Water

/fei˥˧/

Fire

/xuo˥˧/

Sun

日头

/ʐɿ˥˥tʰou˨˦/

Moon

月亮

/ye˥˥liaŋ˨˩/

Star

/ɕiŋ˨˩/

Mother

/ma˨˩/

Father

/pa˥˥/

I

/ŋɤ˥˧/

You

/ni˥˧/

Name

名字

/miŋ˨˦ tsɿ/

Eye

眼睛

/ŋæ˥˧tɕiŋ˨˩/

Hand

/sou˥˧/

Heart

/ɕiŋ˨˩/

Love

/ŋæ˥˥/

Tree

/fu˥˥/

House

房子

/faŋ˨˦tsɿ/

Dog

/kou˥˧/

Cat

/mau˨˦/

Eat

/tʂʰɿ˨˩/

Drink

/xɤ˨˩/

One

/i˥˥/

Two

/ɚ˥/

Hello

你好

/ni˥˧xau˥˧/

Thank you

谢谢

/ɕie˥˥ɕie/

Good

/xau˥˧/

Cuckoo

布谷鸟

/pu˥˥ ku˨˩ niau˥˧/

Computer

电脑

/tiã˥˥nau˥˧/

Sushi

寿司

/ʂou˥˥sz̩˨˩/

Sources

Words compared

Compared with related Sinitic (Mandarin, Zhongyuan) languages

Meaning Xi'an MandarinLanyin MandarinKaifeng MandarinTianjin MandarinZhongyuan MandarinKunming MandarinChengdu Mandarin
Water /fei˥˧/ /sui˥˧/ /ʂuei˥˧/ /ʂwei˩˧/ /suei˥˥/ /suei˥˧/ /suei˥˧/
Fire /xuo˥˧/ /xo˥˧/ /xuo˥˧/ /xwo˨˩˧/ /xuo˥˧/ /xo˥˧/ /xo˥˧/
Sun 日头 /ʐɿ˥˥tʰou˨˦/ 日头 /ʐɨ˨˦tʰəu˨˦/ 日头 /ʐəɻ˧˩˨tʰou˦˨/ 日头 /ʐʅ˥˩tʰoʊ˨˦/ 太阳 /tʰai˨˩iaŋ˨˩˧/ 太阳 /tʰæ˨˩˨iaŋ˧˩/ 太阳 /tʰai˨˩˧iaŋ˨˩/
Moon 月亮 /ye˥˥liaŋ˨˩/ 月亮 /yɛ˦˦ljaŋ/ 月亮 /yɛ˦˨liaŋ˧˩˨/ 月亮 /ɥɛ˥˩ljaŋ/ 月亮 /yɛ˨˦liaŋ/ 月亮 /ye˧˩liaŋ˨˩˨/ 月亮 /ye˨˩lia̠ŋ˨˩˧/
Star /ɕiŋ˨˩/ /ɕiŋ˧˩/ /ɕiŋ˨˦/ /ɕiŋ˨˩/ /ɕiŋ˨˦/ /ɕĩ˦/ /ɕin˦˥/
Mother /ma˨˩/ /ma˧˧/ /ma˨˦/ /ma˩˩/ 妈妈 /ma˨˦ma/ /ma˦˦/ 妈妈 /ma˥ma/
Father /pa˥˥/ /pa˥˧/ /tiɛ˨˦/ /pa˥˩/ 爸爸 /pa˨˩˧pa/ /tie˦˦/ 爸爸 /pa˨˩˧pa/
I /ŋɤ˥˧/ /vɤ˥˧/ /uo˥/ /wo˩˧/ /uo˥˧/ /ŋo˥˧/ /ŋo˥˧/
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Han readings compared

Character Xi'an MandarinJinan MandarinGui-Liu MandarinZhongyuan MandarinKunming MandarinSichuan MandarinChengdu Mandarin
yiq²¹ /i˨˩/ yi²¹³ /i˨˩˧/ yi³¹ /i˧˩/ yi²⁴ /i˨˦/ yi³¹ /i˧˩/ yi²¹ /i˨˩/ yi²¹ /i˨˩/
er⁴⁴ /ɚ˦˦/ er²¹ /ɚ˨˩/ er²⁴ /ɚ˨˦/ er³¹² /ɚ˧˩˨/ er²¹² /ɚ˨˩˨/ er²¹³ /ɚ˨˩˧/ er²¹³ /ɚ˨˩˧/
san²¹ /sã˨˩/ san²¹³ /sã˨˩˧/ san⁴⁴ /san˦˦/ san²⁴ /san˨˦/ san⁴⁴ /sã˦˦/ san⁵⁵ /san˥˥/ san⁵⁵ /san˥˥/
si⁴⁴ /sɿ˦˦/ si²¹ /sɿ˨˩/ si²⁴ /sɿ˨˦/ si²⁴ /sɿ˨˦/ si²¹² /sɿ˨˩˨/ si²¹³ /sɿ˨˩˧/ si²¹³ /sɿ˨˩˧/
wu⁵³ /u˥˧/ wu⁵⁵ /u˥˥/ wu⁵³ /u˥˧/ wu⁵³ /u˥˧/ wu⁵³ /u˥˧/ wu⁵³ /u˥˧/ wu⁵³ /u˥˧/
liuq²¹ /liou˨˩/ lou²¹ /lou˨˩/ lou³¹ /lou˧˩/ liu²⁴ /liu˨˦/ liu³¹ /liu˧˩/ neu²¹ /nəu˨˩/ nu²¹ /nu˨˩/
qiq²¹ /tɕʰi˨˩/ qi²¹³ /tɕʰi˨˩˧/ ci³¹ /tsʰi˧˩/ qi²⁴ /tɕʰi˨˦/ qi³¹ /tɕʰi˧˩/ qi²¹ /tɕʰi˨˩/ qi²¹ /tɕʰi˨˩/
baq²¹ /pa˨˩/ ba²¹³ /pa˨˩˧/ ba³¹ /pa˧˩/ ba²⁴ /pa˨˦/ ba³¹ /pa˧˩/ ba²¹ /pa˨˩/ ba²¹ /pa˨˩/
jiu⁵³ /tɕiou˥˧/ jiu⁵⁵ /tɕiou˥˥/ jiu⁵³ /tɕiou˥˧/ jiu⁵³ /tɕiəu˥˧/ jiu⁵³ /tɕiou˥˧/ jiu⁵³ /tɕiəu˥˧/ jiu⁵³ /tɕiəu˥˧/
siq²⁴ /sɿ˨˦/ shi⁴² /ʂʐ̩˦˨/ si³¹ /sɿ˧˩/ shi⁴² /ʂʐ̩˦˨/ si³¹ /sɿ˧˩/ si²¹ /sɿ˨˩/ si²¹ /sɿ˨˩/
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