taiwanchurch.org -- Romanization for Hakka Language

See map of Hakka-speaking areas in Taiwan

Romanization Tables... for HAKKA

Rules:

Romanization: "h" added to the consonant means aspiration.

Sound: When two consonants together, the capitalized one is stronger sound.

This TABLE is UNDER CONSTRUCTION and is not yet complete.

Hakka RomanizationSound
Consonants
t"d"
th"t"
p"soft b/p"
ph"p"
f"f"
v"v"
ch(i)"j"(i)
chh(i)"ch"(i)
k"soft g/k"
kh"k"
s(i)"sh(i)"
s"s"
ch + (a/e/o/u/u:)"dz"
chh + (a/e/o/u/u:)"ts"
h"h"
l"l"
n"n"
m"m"
ng"Ng"
y"y"
Vowels
a"ah"
e"eh"
ilong e = "ee"
o"guttural o"
u"u" = "oo"
u:"u umlaut" = "iui"
Some Dipthongs
au"ow"
ai"long i"
ang"ahng"
eu"e-u"
ia"yah"
iau"yow"
ian"yen"
iam"yahm"
io"yo"
iu"you"
eng"ing"
oa"wah"
oi"oi"
on"on"
ong"ong"
ui"we"
u:m"iuim"
u:n"iuin"
and so on

TONES The Hakka language also has tones and tone sandhi.
Tone NumberDescriptionHakka Romanization SymbolTone Contour
1mid level pitchno symbol (default)33
2low level pitch ^11
3mid to low falling\32
4high to middle falling/53
5glottal stop - descendingno symbol, words ending in (h/k/p/t)3
6glottal stop - ascending' + h/k/p/t ending5
See Wikipedia and Omniglot.com

Typing Rules

For typing emails without a speciallized font, use the Hakka Romanization. Type the vowels and consonants first.
Then you finally indicate tone markings listed after their tone number below. I think putting the actual tone markings instead of the tone number makes it easier to read on emails. Connect words with a hyphen "-"
1 (no marking)
2 ^
3 \
4 /
5 ending in k,t,p
6 ending in k', t', p'
Now you can email your friends using Hakka.

Here is an example from the Hakka Bible. Can you read it?

Kong^ loi\-to su:-kie, su:-kien^-ngin yin^-vi chhu:-ka^ ke fai/
hang\-vi\, m\ oi kong^, fan/-chon/ oi vu^-am ; ki\-teu^ su thin-chhui
ke ngien\-yin^ chhiu chhai lia/-vi. Cho fai/-su: ke, chhion\-phu
hen kong^, m\ oi chiap-khiun kong^, yin^-vi kiang^ ki\ ke fai/
hang\-vi\ hien/-min\ chhut-loi\. Chung/-he cheu chu:n^-li^ cho-su:
ke, chhiu chiap-khiun kong^, oi pun^ kong^ hien/-min\ ki\ so/ cho
ke yit-chhiet he cheu Song-ti ke chu:/-yi cho ke.

Yok-hon Fuk-yim^ 3:19-21

More information on Hakka: back to resources

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last updated 10/17/2006