Hoisanva 台山話 occupies a unique position in Chinese dialects. According to Professor Horowitz, a visiting professor of Chinese Classics in Columbia University in 1958, it is probably the only dialect that is very close to the dialect that was spoken during the Spring and Autumn period in Chinese history, about 2,500 years ago. Other dialects, such as Mandarin (Beijing) have changed drastically or Cantonese (Guangzhou), which has not changed as much. The final consonants k, p, and t are entirely lost in Mandarin, although they still exist in Cantonese and Hoisanva.

The raison d’être for this site is primarily to preserve the sounds of this language before it is lost forever. It was the lingua franca of all overseas Chinese from the early 1800s to early 1970s.

Hoisanva is a spoken language. Some spoken words do not have corresponding written characters as it does in Mandarin. Hoisanva is the native language of about one million people who live in the Taishan District (now known as Taishan City). It is also spoken by about one million overseas Chinese who emigrated from Taishan or are descendents of these emigrants.

Variations in pronunciation do exist within the Taishan District. The Hoisanva used in this site is spoken by the natives of the capital of Taishan District (Taicheng in Pinyin) or Hoiseng (in Taishanese). The capital is located approximately 63 miles southwest of Guangzhou and 80 miles west of Hong Kong.

Gene Chin has made the audio files for these lessons available for download. By downloading the file(s) you have agreed to the terms and conditions as set out by the author.

All Hoisanva information is copyrighted by Gene M Chin. However, you may use and adapt the information as long as you contribute to the copyright holder and refer to the Romanization as “Gene M Chin Romanization”.

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Lesson 1 – Pronunciation Guide

The pronunciation of all words is as used by natives in the capital of Hoisan (Hoiseng; Táichéng in pinyin). I refrain from the use of “character” since not all spoken words have an equivalent written character. All Hoisanva words have two phonemes: an initial phoneme and a final phoneme. In addition to the two phonemes, all words have a tone, without which would render the word meaningless.

Initial Phonemes

All initial phonemes are essentially as indicated by the American English equivalents. The only exception is the initial “x” which sounds like “thl” with tip of tongue touching the inside of upper front teeth with air coming out of both corners of the mouth. The IPA equivalent is the belted l (ɬ). Many scholars may disagree with me on the initial “v” phoneme since transliterations usually use a “w” for this phoneme. However, if you listen carefully to native Hoiseng speakers, you will hear a “v” more than you hear a “w”.

Final Phonemes

The letters k, p, or t at the end of a word is not exploded as in American English. They are very soft, as spoken in a whisper. The iu sound is similar to the English word you or Spanish ciudad (city). Both haunt (hônt) and gone (gôn) are the preferred pronunciation in the American Heritage Dictionary, not the secondary pronunciation (hänt and gŏn). The ui sound is similar to the French huit (eight) or buoy (bōō’ē not boi). The English long vowel sounds a, e, i, and u are represented by ei, i, ai, and iu respectively. There is no long o sound

* This long o starts like the American English obut ends with the lips together, not open as in American English.

Table of Possible Combinations of Initial and Final Phonemes

Initial phonemes are arranged across the top and bottom rows. Final phonemes are arranged down the left and right columns. Combined initial and final phonemes are in the grid. Blanks indicate no such combination in Hoisanva. The final phonemes “eik” and “eit” are almost indistinguishable since the final k and final t are even softer than the normal final k and final t. I have arbitrarily chosen “eik” over “eit” to represent these sounds.

Tones

Hoisanva consists not only the initial and final phonemes that make up the word, but also a tone, which is an integral part of the word. There are five distinct tones in Hoisanva. Pitch or tone contour can be divided into a starting pitch and an ending pitch. By using the numbers 1 through 5 to represent the five tones (see table below) in a pentatonic scale (where 1 is low and 5 is high), we could approximate the pitch of words in Hoisanva.

Diacritic marks (see table below) are used to represent the five tones. A macron (ˉ) is used for the first tone. A diaeresis (¨) is used for the second tone. A tilde (˜) is used for the third tone. A grave accent (ˋ) is used for the fourth tone. A circumflex (ˆ) is used for the fifth tone. Diacritic marks are placed over a vowel if there is only one vowel in the word. In the case of diphthongs, diacritic marks are placed over the first vowel, except for “ui” and “iu”, in which case, it is placed over the second vowel.

The character/word “m” does not have a vowel. Thus the diacritical mark follows the M or m.

Sample Tones

+ uncle: a paternal uncle who is older than your father

Tonal Change

Tonal changes exist for all tones except the first (high even) tone. The second (middle even) and third (low even) tones start with the normal pitch and then half way through the sound rises and ends with a high pitch. The fourth (middle falling) and fifth (low falling) tones start with the normal pitch and half way through the sound dips and rises and ends with a high pitch. All four tonal changes will be marked by a slash (/) after the word. For example “òi/” (a bag, to pocket).

Tonal changes exist when a person’s name is called except if the person’s name is the first tone (high even), in which case, “ä” is added to the name at the end. However, “ä” can be added to any name in any tone. “Ä” can also be added before a person’s name.

Tonal Change Examples

• Xēik is changed to Xēik-ä. [First tone for name by adding "ä" at the end.]
• Mũn is changed to Mũn/. Can also be Mũn/-ä. [Other than first tone for name by changing the tone or adding "ä" at the end.]
• Ä-Mũn/-ä. [Using "Ä" in front of name.]
• Ä-Mā-ä. [Using "Ä" in front of name.]

Go to Lesson 2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9

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Go to Lesson 1

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Grandpa: Good morning.
Ä-Yẽh: Dāo sĩn.

Grandma: Good morning.
Ä-Ngĩn: Dāo sĩn.

Grandpa: Would you like to have breakfast at City Cafe?
Ä-Yẽh: Nï xēng huï Fùng Sẽin hëk dāo tän/ mä?

Grandma: Sure.
Ä-Ngĩn: Hāo äk.

Grandpa and Grandma take the B70 bus to go to City Cafe.
Ä-Yẽh hũng Ä-Ngĩn äp B70 bā-sî/ huï Fùng Sẽin.

Waiter: Can I help you?
Kï-hôi-dōi: Nêk xēng hëk mōt yä?

Grandma: Thousand year egg and pork congee.
Ä-Ngĩn: Pĩ-àn/ sëo ngùk jūk.

Grandpa: Beef congee.
Ä-Yẽh: Vàt ngẽo jūk.

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Grandpa: Good morning.
Ä-Yẽh: Dāo sĩn.

Grandma: Good morning.
Ä-Ngĩn: Dāo sĩn.

Grandpa: Would you like to have breakfast at Pegasus?
Ä-Yẽh: Nï xēng huï Fï-mâ hëk dāo tän/ mä?

Grandma: Sure. We haven’t been there for a while.
Ä-Ngĩn: Hāo lā. Ngôi hāo giū mêng huï nêin/ hëk gö lū.

Grandpa and Grandma enter Pegasus.
Ä-Yẽh hũng Ä-Ngĩn yìp huï Fï-mâ.

Waitress: Would you like some coffee?
Kï-hôi-nuī: Nêk hū gä-fēh mä?

Grandpa: Hot tea for me.
Ä-Yẽh: Ngöi hū chã.

Grandma: Coffee for me.
Ä-Ngĩn: Ngöi hū gä-fēh.

Waitress comes back with coffe and tea.
Kï-hôi-nuī göng gä-fēh hũng chã chūt lõi.

Waitress: Are you ready to order?
Kï-hôi-nuī: Nêk ï-tuĩ hū mōt mì ä?

Grandpa: I would like scrambled eggs with sausage, home fried, whole wheat bread.
Ä-Yẽh: Ngöi hū chāo àn/ hũng hëng chẽng/, dëin sĩ-dōi, tũn màk mèin-bäo.

Grandma: I would like French toast with two scrambled eggs.
Ä-Ngĩn: Ngöi hū Fāt sēik tū-sî/, lēng göi chāo àn/.

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1A: What is this? Kôi jëng hài mōt?
1B: This is a knife. Kôi jëng hài äo dōi.

2A: What is that? Kûng göi hài mōt?
2B: That is a fork. Kûng göi hài châ/.

3A: What is this? Kôi göi hài mōt?
3B: This is a spoon. Kôi göi hài sĩ-gäng/.

4A: What are those? Kûng nāi hài mōt?
4B: Those are chopsticks. Kûng nāi hài fäi-dū.

5A: What is this? Kôi göi hài mōt?
5B: This is a plate. Kôi göi hài põn/.

6A: What is that? Nêin göi hài mōt?
6B: That is a bowl. Nêin göi hài vōn.

7A: What is this? Kôi göi hài mōt?
7B: This is a teapot. Kôi göi hài chã-vũ.

8A: What is that? Nêin göi hài mōt?
8B: That is a teacup. Nêin göi hài chã-böi/.

9A: What is this? Kôi göi hài mōt?
9B: This is a glass. Kôi göi hài bū-lī-böi/.

10A: What are these? Kôi nāi hài mōt? 
10B: These are paper napkins. Kôi nāi hài jī-gïn/.

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Actors: Mom, Yëin Tẽng (son #1, Big Brother), Tëin Hã (daughter #1, Sister)

Yëin Tẽng: Good morning Mom and Tëin Hã.
Yëin Tẽng: Dāo sĩn Mã-mā, Tëin Hã.

Mom: Good morning.
Mã-mā: Dāo sĩn.

Tëin Hã: Good morning, Big Brother.
Tëin Hã: Dāo sĩn, Gũ-gū.

Yëin Tẽng: Mom, I will help you make breakfast.
Yëin Tẽng: Mã-mā, ngöi böng nï jī dāo tän/.

Mom: Good. I would like an egg, sunny-side up and a pancake.
Mã-mā: Hāo äk. Ngöi hū yīt göi dëin yīt mèin àn/ hũng yīt göi bôk bēng.

Yëin Tẽng: I will make a sunny-side up and a pancake.
Yëin Tẽng: Ngöi dëin yīt göi yīt mèin àn/ hũng mõi yīt göi bôk bēng.

Tëin Hã: Big Brother, I want the same thing.
Tëin Hã: Gũ-gū, Ngöi hū hũng yèng/.

Yëin Tẽng: I will make a sunny-side up and a pancake for you. For myself I will have a bowl of oatmeal with milk.
Yëin Tẽng: Ngöi dëin yīt göi yīt mèin àn/ hũng mõi yīt göi bôk bēng ī nï. Ngöi dû-gī dû hū yīt vōn màk pëin/ läo ngẽo nâi.

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Actors: Ä-Ngĩn (Grandma), Yëin Tẽng (grandson #1), waiter
Saturday at Yëin Tẽng’s house.

Grandma: Let’s have dim sum tomorrow.
Ä-Ngĩn: Hèin-dāo ngōi tēng nï ngīm chã, hāo mä?

Yëin Tẽng: OK. Thank you.
Yëin Tẽng: Hāo lā. Ü-dèh xëin..

Grandma: Which restaurant would you like to go to?
Ä-Ngĩn: Nï jüng-yï huï nâi gän tän-gōn ä?

Yëin Tẽng: Let’s go to Park Asia.
Yëin Tẽng: Huï Tuï -Yõn/ lā.

Grandma: OK. See you tomorrow.
Ä-Ngĩn: Hāo lā. Hèin-dāo gëin.

Sunday at Park Asia.

Waiter: What kind of tea would you like?
Waiter: Hū mōt chã ä?

Grandma to waiter: Puer.
Ä-Ngĩn: Pū-nì/.

Grandma to Yëin Tẽng: What kind of dim sum do you like? They have: shrimp dumpling, siu maai, beef rice noodle roll, shrimp rice noodle roll, black bean spare ribs, phoenix claws (chicken feet), cha siu baau, glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaves, egg tart, water chestnut cake, and a lot more.
Ä-Ngĩn: Nï jüng-yï hëk mōt ä? Yiü: hā gāo, sël mài/, ngẽo chẽng/, hâ chẽng/, sì jīb pãi gūt, fùng jāo, chä sël bäo, nù māi gäi/, àn tāt dōi, mä tî gäo. Vân yiü hāo ü.

Yëin Tẽng: Let’s try the ones you mentioned.
Yëin Tẽng: Sï hâ nï gōng kôi nāi lā.

Grandma to waiter: Waiter (literally: uncle), check please.
Ä-Ngĩn: Ä sūk à, mõi än/.

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New Year’s Eve is called Nẽin xäm sìp nâm. It doesn’t matter whether the 12th month has 29 days or 30 days, New Year’s Eve is still called Nẽin xäm sìp nâm.

Before the end of the year, usually before or on the 28th day of the 12th month, it is customary to clean the house. This event is called Ài xäo chuĩ.

Why do we do this? Gī gāi ä?

We do this to clear bad things away and welcome good things to come. Xäo xäi nāi m˜ hāo göi huï. Āng nāi hāo göi lõi.

On New Year’s Eve the whole family gathers together to have a big feast. Nẽin xäm sìp nâm tũn gä fän lõi hëk yīt tän ài tän.

We have eight courses of food. Ngôi yiü bät yêng ngão.

They are: Bät yêng ngão hãi:

1. Salted pork, Chinese celery, cooked with arrowhead root. Hãm jï ngùk, hëng kĩn/ jī sĩ gû/.

2. Squid, dried shrimp, and oyster sauce sauteed with green bean noodles. Yiũ nguĩ/, hâ māi, hõ yiũ chāo xäi fūn.

3. Dried oysters, nostoc flagelliforme (also called dried seamoss), dried beancurd strips, pork bone, dried winter mushrooms, dried red dates, unshelled gingko nuts soup. Hõ sì/, fät töi, fù jūk, jï gūt, üng gü, hũng dāo, bàk gō höng.

4. Poached chicken. Bàk tëik gäi.

5. Steamed fish. Jëin nguî/.

6. Lightly sautéed plain shrimp. Bàk chēk hâ/.

7. Slow cooked dried beancurd strips, dried red dates, dried winter mushrooms, red fermented bean curd with pig’s feet. Mūn fù jūk, hũng dāo, üng gü, nãm nguî, jï gêk ä.

8. Roast pork. Chä sël/.

Besides the 8 main dishes, we have: Lèin ngòi bät yêng ngão vân yiü:

• Rice cup cake. Fät tĩ/. The higher the buns of the fät tĩ/ rise, the richer one will become. Fät tĩ/ fät nāi ü nāi fät tõi.
• Fried sweet rice balls. Tĩ dōi. The significance of this dish is that one will have many sons. Säng ü nāi dōi.

Three more dishes are cooked and left overnight as surplus for the New Year. They are chicken, fish, and pork belly. Jàk nẽin yiü xäm säng: gäi, nguî/, hà làt.

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Chinese New Year is the most important holiday in China. Traditionally there are certain things we say or do and certain things we do not say or do. For example, we say good things to everyone we meet and never say anything bad on this day. We do not use items, such as knives, because they signify violence. We do not use brooms because they bring bad luck. On this day, we eat vegetable dishes only. This is called jäi.

Actors: Ä-Yẽh, Ä-Ngĩn, Yëin Tẽng (grandson #1), Tëin Hã (granddaughter #3), Än Hã (granddaughter #5)

Yëin Tẽng, Tëin Hã, Än Hã: Grandpa, Grandma, good morning. Happy New Year. Good health to you.
Yẽh-Yẽh, Ngĩn-Ngĩn dāo sĩn. Güng hī fät tõi. Sïn hāi gèin höng.

Ä-Yẽh: Good morning. I give each of you a red envelope. May you become wiser in your studies. May you grow up faster and healthier.
Dāo sĩn. Ī bâo hũng-bäo nêk lö. Gïm nẽin ùk sï tüng mẽin nāi lö. Fäi gäo jēng ài lö.

Ä-Ngĩn: Good morning. I also give each of you a red envelope. May you behave better this year. May you become more intelligent in your studies.
Dāo sĩn. Ngöi yèk ī bâo hũng-bäo nêk lö. Hëng-gäo hëng-và. Ùk sï lēk nāi lö.

Ä-Ngĩn goes to make the vegetable dishes, make rice cup cakes, and sweet rice balls.
Ä-Ngĩn huï jī jäi, jēin fät tĩ/, äng tĩ dōi.

We have eight kinds of vegetable dishes.
Ngôi yiü bät yèng jäi.

1. Green bean noodles
   xäi fūn
2. Dried bean curd strips
   fù jūk
3. Winter mushrooms
   üng gü
4. Snow peas
   xūt èo
5. Two arrowhead roots
   lēng göi sĩ gû/
6. Unshelled gingko nuts
   bàk gō
7. Dried seamoss
   fät töi
8. Cloud ears
   vũn ngī

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