Romanisation Systems for Different Languages

Introduction

Lyrics Decode features songs from various Asian pop genres, including Mandopop, Cantopop, Hokkienpop, K-pop, and J-pop. To help you enjoy and understand these songs, we provide lyrics in their original language, romanisation, and English meanings.

Romanisation is the process of transcribing a language into the Latin alphabet. Each language has its own romanisation system to represent its unique scripts and sounds. This article explains the romanisation systems we use and provides a quick guide to learning them.

Mandopop Romanisation: Hanyu Pinyin (汉语拼音)

For Mandarin Chinese, the most widely used Romanisation system is Hanyu Pinyin (汉语拼音). It represents the sounds of Mandarin using the Latin alphabet and tone marks.

Example:
周兴哲 - 你好不好 (Eric Chou - How Have You Been?)
你好不好 好想知道
nǐ hǎo bù hǎo hǎo xiǎng zhī dào
How have you been? I really want to know

Tones:

  • First Tone ¯ (high level): mā (妈) - meaning "mother"
  • Second Tone ´ (rising): má (麻) - meaning "hemp/numb"
  • Third Tone ˇ (dipping): mǎ (马) - meaning "horse"
  • Fourth Tone ` (falling): mà (骂) - meaning "scold"
  • Neutral Tone: ma (吗) - used for forming yes/no questions

Cantopop Romanisation: Jyutping (粵拼)

For Cantonese, we use the Jyutping Romanisation system, which uses numbers to represent the six tones in Cantonese.

Example:
Beyond - 海阔天空 (Beyond - Boundless Ocean, Vast Sky)
今天我 寒夜里看雪飘过
gam1 tin1 ngo5 hon4 je6 leoi5 hon3 syut3 piu1 gwo3
Today, in the cold night, I watch the snow drifting by

Tones:

  • High level: si1 (詩) - meaning "poem"
  • High rising: si2 (史) - meaning "history"
  • Mid level: si3 (試) - meaning "to try"
  • Low falling: si4 (時) - meaning "time"
  • Low rising: si5 (市) - meaning "market/city"
  • Low level: si6 (事) - meaning "matter/thing"

J-pop Romanisation: Modified Hepburn

For Japanese, we use the Modified Hepburn system, the most widely used Romanisation system for Japanese. It aims to represent Japanese pronunciation accurately for English speakers.

Example:
久保田利伸 (Toshinobu Kubota) - La La La Love Song
息がとまるくらいの 甘いくちづけをしようよ
iki ga tomaru kurai no amai kuchizuke o shiyou yo
Let's share a sweet kiss that takes our breath away

Pronunciation:

  • i as in "machine"
  • ki sounds like "key"
  • ku as in "cool"
  • chi as in "cheese"
  • yo as in "yo-yo"

Spelling rules: Follow English phonetics closely.

K-pop Romanisation: Revised Romanisation

For Korean, the most widely used Romanisation system is the Revised Romanisation of Korean. It aims to represent the sounds of the Korean alphabet (Hangul) using the Latin alphabet.

Example:
블랙핑크 (Blackpink) - 뚜두뚜두 (Ddu-du Ddu-du)
착한 얼굴에 그렇지 못한 태도
chakhan eolgul-e geuleohji moshan taedo
A sweet face with an attitude not so sweet

Pronunciation:

  • ch as in "chop"
  • kh like a hard "k" sound
  • eo as in "run"
  • g as in "go"
  • ui sounds like "we"

Syllable structure: Each syllable block consists of a consonant and a vowel.

Hokkienpop Romanisation: Pe̍h-ōe-jī (POJ)

For Hokkien, we use the Pe̍h-ōe-jī (POJ) Romanisation system, which is specifically designed for Hokkien. POJ is widely used in Taiwan and is the standard Romanisation system for Hokkien.

Example:
叶启田 (Ye Qi Tian) - 爱拼才会赢 (Only by Striving Can One Win)
人生可比是海上的波浪
Jîn-seng khó bī sī hái-siōng ê pho-lōng
Life can be compared to the waves of the sea.

Tones: Hokkien has seven tones.

Pronunciation:

  • J as in "yes"
  • kh like "k" in "kite"
  • ê as in "bed"
  • ph as in "uphill"
  • o as in "or"

Special characters: Diacritical marks indicate tones and nasalisation.

Learning these different romanisation systems can help you sing along to your favorite Asian pop songs and understand their meanings better. You can use language learning websites and apps for tutorials on reading and pronouncing lyrics in these systems.

With regular practice and the right resources, you will soon become proficient in the romanisation systems we use. Happy learning!