Shanghai Korean Pronunciation Guide34

The pronunciation of Korean words in the Shanghai dialect is quite different from the standard Korean pronunciation. This is due to the fact that the Shanghai dialect has been heavily influenced by the Wu Chinese dialect, which has a very different sound system from Korean. As a result, many Korean words are pronounced with a Shanghainese accent, which can make them difficult to understand for native Korean speakers. However, it is still possible to learn to pronounce Korean words in the Shanghai dialect if you are willing to put in the effort.

Vowels

The Shanghai dialect has 12 vowels, which are: a, e, i, o, u, ü, ă, ĕ, ĭ, ŏ, ŭ, and ǖ. The vowels a, e, i, o, and u are pronounced similarly to their counterparts in standard Korean. However, the vowels ü, ă, ĕ, ĭ, ŏ, ŭ, and ǖ are pronounced quite differently. The vowel ü is pronounced with a rounded front vowel, similar to the French u. The vowels ă, ĕ, ĭ, ŏ, ŭ, and ǖ are pronounced with a centralized vowel, similar to the English schwa. For example, the Korean word "안녕하세요" (hello) is pronounced as "ă-nyŏng-hă-sĕ-yo" in the Shanghai dialect.

Consonants

The Shanghai dialect has 21 consonants, which are: p, b, t, d, k, g, h, j, ch, s, sh, z, c, zh, f, v, th, dh, l, n, and r. The consonants p, b, t, d, k, g, h, j, ch, s, sh, z, c, zh, f, v, th, dh, l, n, and r are pronounced similarly to their counterparts in standard Korean. However, the consonants j, ch, and zh are pronounced quite differently. The consonant j is pronounced with a palatalized velar stop, similar to the French g. The consonant ch is pronounced with a palatalized alveolar stop, similar to the English j. The consonant zh is pronounced with a retroflex fricative, similar to the English sh.

Tone

The Shanghai dialect has four tones, which are: high level, high falling, low rising, and low falling. The high level tone is a high tone that remains level throughout the syllable. The high falling tone is a high tone that falls at the end of the syllable. The low rising tone is a low tone that rises at the end of the syllable. The low falling tone is a low tone that falls at the end of the syllable. For example, the Korean word "안녕하세요" (hello) is pronounced with a low rising tone on the first syllable and a high falling tone on the second syllable.

Examples

Here are some examples of how Korean words are pronounced in the Shanghai dialect:* 안녕하세요 (hello) - ă-nyŏng-hă-sĕ-yo
* 감사합니다 (thank you) - găm-să-hă-mĭ-dŏ
* 주세요 (please) - jŭ-sĕ-yo
* 맛있습니다 (delicious) - mă-dĭ-ssŭm-ni-dŏ
* 한국어 (Korean language) - háng-guó-ŏ

2025-01-02

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