Bopomofo 🤔 What Is It & How Do I Use It (2024)

Living in Taiwan • By Zoe Stephens •

Using Zhuyin Input on a Taiwanese Keyboard // Just HOW on Earth Does it Work?!

DID YOU KNOW || Pinyin is used throughout mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau.

But have you ever heard of Zhuyin input or BOPOMOFO?

Bopomofo 🤔 What Is It & How Do I Use It (1)

Pinyin is the only form of romanisation for Chinese characters.

That is, it’s the only way Chinese characters are transcribed into the roman alphabet.

However, that doesn’t mean it’s the only way to write Chinese characters…

Apart from the classic ‘drawing characters’ method, there is also another way to write in Chinese…

Let’s take you through a guide to Zhuyin (Bopomofo).

Bopomofo || Good Ol’ Pinyin

Bopomofo || What’s in the Name?

Bopomofo || Bopomofo vs Pinyin

Bopomofo || How do you Read Zhuyin?

Bopomofo || Who Uses Bopomofo?

Bopomofo || The History Behind it

Bopomofo || Should I Learn to Use a Taiwanese Keyboard?

BONUS || Taiwanese Romanisation Spellings

Bopomofo || FAQs

Good ol’ Pinyin

拼音 pinyin

Chinese characters are difficult not only for those trying to learn Mandarin Chinese but also for Chinese people themselves.

FUN FACT || Pinyin was introduced as a romanisation of Chinese characters as a government initiative in the 1950s.

This drastically improved the literacy rate in adults.

And drastically improves the ease of the Chinese language learner experience!

Bopomofo || What’s in the Name?

注音 (zhuyin)

Bopomofo? Why do we refer to Taiwanese Zhuyininput as ‘Bopomofo’?

Does the word ‘qwerty‘ mean anything to you?

Yes, that’s right.

Just like how we refer to a ‘qwerty’ keyboard (or qwertz if you’re German), the name bopomofo comes from the first 4 characters on the Taiwanese keyboard of Zhuyin input; bo po mo fo (ㄅㄆㄇㄈ).

Just like on a standard English keyboard the first 6 letters spell out qwerty.

So. Bopomofo!

This means that all those times we transcribe Chinese characters into the roman alphabet, instead it is transcribed into ‘bopomofo’ characters.

e.g.

注音 | = Zhuyin (pinyin) | = ㄓㄨˋㄧㄣ (zhuyin, bopomofo)

Bopomofo || Bopomofo vs. Pinyin

Pinyin

This is the most common system that transcribes Chinese symbols into a phonetic system.

Bopomofo 🤔 What Is It & How Do I Use It (2)

It is used in mainland China and is the preferred phonetic system for foreigners learning Chinese.

Instead of transcribing characters into… other characters you can’t read straight away (which is seemingly what transcribing Chinese characters into Zhuyin input does), pinyin transcribes Chinese characters into phonetic symbols from the Roman alphabet.

So, for many foreigners whose first language uses the Roman alphabet (e.g. English!), using pinyin is a clear first choice.

However!

Many Chinese learners will also have found out that not is all quite what it seems.

Yes, Chinese characters are transcribed into the Roman alphabet.

Bopomofo 🤔 What Is It & How Do I Use It (3)

But, you just need to study Chinese for a few minutes before you realise that you don’t pronounce a ‘c’ in pinyin in the same way as a ‘c’, but instead more like a ‘ts’.

So, although pinyin is very useful, it’s not perfect…

And it certainly doesn’t match up directly with roman alphabet pronunciations.

You should first learn the sounds of the Chinese language and how they transcribe to their romanization counterparts.

BONUS RESOURCE || Check out our Pinyin keyboard here to get a feel for pinyin, the only difference to typing Pinyin to English is the tone needs to be selected:

Bopomofo

Whilst pinyin may be the main romanisation system used to transcribe mandarin, there are other phonetic systems.

Zhuyin, or Zhuyin Fuhao, concentrates on sounds – phonetics – unlike pinyin which concentrates on the romanisation spelling.

This means that the sounds that Zhuyin input transcribes are more similar to the actual sound that you should produce.

In turn, meaning that your pronunciation is potentially a lot better!

No more getting confused between the ‘j’ and the ‘zh’, the ‘q’ and the ‘ch’!

It’s super similar to how the Japanese “alphabet” of Hiragana and Katakana function. In fact, some of the symbols look almost identical!

Chinese Vs Japanese // Counting and Numbers (What’s The Story?) Are Chinese and Japanese Numbers the same? This article might surprise you. We focus on Chinese Numbers vs Japanese Numbers and debunk some myths.

Bopomofo || How do you Read Zhuyin?

The Zhuyin bopomofo symbols with their corresponding pinyin:

ZhuyinPinyin
b
p
m
f
d
t
n
l
g
k
h
j
q
x
zh
ch
sh
r
z
c
s
a
o
e
ê
ai
ei
ao
ou
an
en
ang
eng
er
i
u
u

These Zhuyin symbols are then combined together, as well as the tone marker, to form Chinese characters.

Another important thing to note when using Zhuyin input is that you also need to add the correct tone mark.

Yup – that means you have to know the tone of the character when writing it!

BUT WAIT, we are here for you! Check out this super quick, 2 minute guide to tones!

These Zhuyin symbols may look similar to the Japanese Hiragana or Katakana writing system.

There’s some debate on how similar these are and whether the Japanese influence on Taiwanese history had an input in this.

In reality, they’re entirely not similar. They kind of look the same. Sometimes.

For example,

e
ê

These two Zhuyin input symbols look very similar to the Japanese せ (read as ‘se’) and さ (read as ‘sa’).

But really, they’re only similar in that they’re both phonetic writing systems.

Bopomofo || Who Uses Bopomofo?

Bopomofo 🤔 What Is It & How Do I Use It (5)

Taiwan uses bopomofo to teach young children Mandarin Chinese.

Many people in Taiwan also use Zhuyin input on their computers or laptop instead of the pinyin input system.

In fact – most Taiwanese have a hard time trying to use Pinyin.

This is largely for another reason too, which is that Taiwan and mainland China’s romanisation system are also different.

So when Taiwanese people see a Chinese character romanised into Pinyin spelling, they might be a tad confused.

See more on this below…

DID YOU KNOW || Zhuyin is also used for some Taiwanese aboriginal languages.

Zhuyin input is also used in some children’s books or materials together with Chinese characters to help with comprehension.

You might also find some shops, restaurants, or other signs using the Zhuyin / Bopomofo alphabet alongside the characters.

This is a great help if you’re trying to learn it yourself!

Bopomofo || The History Behind it

Bopomofo, or Zhuyin, was first developed in the early 20th century.

Pinyin was introduced to Mainland China in the 1950s and has since stuck as the official phonetic system.

The first name of Zhuyin was “Phonetic Alphabet of theNational Language” (國音字母). This was first proposed in 1928.

In 1930 Zhuyin was then later referred to as the official name ofZhùyīn Fúhào (注音符號). This literally means “Phonetic symbols”.

An Introduction to Mahjong || The Experts Guide on How To Play Mahjong Mahjong is a fun way to learn Chinese characters and numbers, and what they signify for language, history and culture. But how to play Mahjong?

Bopomofo || Should I Learn to Use a Taiwanese Keyboard?

Bopomofo 🤔 What Is It & How Do I Use It (7)

There are some advantages to learning to use Zhuyin input.

Many students rely on pinyin too much when they first begin learning Chinese.

Relying on pinyin is easy to do since it uses the same script as your native language, so it’s easy to learn from.

However, this sometimes stunts learners as they learn Chinese characters slower.

What’s more, bopomofo is an entire phonetic system. The sounds that are transcribed into Zhuyin are much more similar to the sounds to be produced.

Pinyin relies on using romanisations, which don’t necessarily have the sounds available to transcribe the exact sounds of the Chinese language.

Feeling more and more inspired to come to Taiwan? If so, see what Tobias and Mikkel think of Taipei…

BONUS || Taiwanese Romanisations – DIFFERENT

OK. One important thing to note about all of this is that… Taiwan uses a different romanisation system, too.

Remember earlier we mentioned that Taiwanese have a hard time inputting or understanding Pinyin?

This may seem odd since most people can use the roman alphabet, right?

Well, that’s because the Pinyin romanisation is actually different to how Taiwan romanises things.

So, ask a Taiwanese person to type “高雄” (city in the south of Taiwan) on your Pinyin keyboard and they’ll get lost attempting to type ‘Kaohsiung’ and getting nowhere with finding the right characters.

(I chose this example of Kaohsiung because it is so different from “Gaoxiong”, the Pinyin spelling, and it took me ages to remember this Taiwanese spelling!)

This is basically because in 1979, mainland China decided to standardise everything into Pinyin – but Taiwan decided to stick to the traditional “Wade-Giles” spelling of Chinese.

This was also used in mainland China previously too, which is where we get variations in Beijing and Peking from (both = 北京).

PINYINWADE-GILES漢字
xian zaihsien tsai現在
yii
Ch’ung-ch’ingchongqing重慶
xue xiaohsüeh hsiao學校
gao xiongkaohsiung高雄

Have you ever heard of Bopomofo before? Do you have any questions?

Let us know in the comments below and we’ll do our best to reply as soon as possible.

Bopomofo || FAQs

What does bopomofo mean?

Bopomofo is the equivalent of the term QWERTY.

The first 4 characters on the Taiwanese keyboard of Zhuyin input are bo po mo fo (ㄅㄆㄇㄈ).

Just like on a standard English keyboard the first 6 letters spell out qwerty.

Is there a Chinese Alphabet?

Oddly not.

There is no Chinese Alphabet, just thousands upon thousands of characters. Some of the characters look remarkably similar also!

Can I practice typing Chinese on my phone?

Yes you can, follow these steps:

1 – Go to System Preferences

2 – Choose Keyboard

3 – Choose Input Sources

4 – Click the + symbol

5 – Select Chinese (Simplified) – Pinyin – Simplified then click Add.

6 – Make sure ‘Show Input menu in menu bar‘ is ticked.

When was bopomofo first used?

Bopomofo, or Zhuyin, was first developed in the early 20th century.

Pinyin was introduced to Mainland China in the 1950s and has since stuck as the official phonetic system.

Do Taiwanese use pinyin or bopomofo the most?

Many people in Taiwan also use Zhuyin input on their computers or laptop instead of the pinyin input system.

Zhuyin input is also used in some children’s books or materials together with the Chinese characters to help with comprehension.

Want more from LTL?

If you wish to hear more fromLTL Language Schoolwhy not join our mailing list.

We give plenty ofhandy information onlearning Chinese,useful appstolearn the languageand everything going on at ourLTL schools!

Sign up below andbecome part of our ever growing community!

BONUS | Want to study the local Taiwanese dialect known as Hokkien? We provide Hokkien classes in person and online.

Bopomofo 🤔 What Is It & How Do I Use It (8)

Read More

  • Food in Taiwan || Top Taiwanese Food You Simply Cannot Miss
  • Witnessing a 6.8 Magnitude Earthquake in Taipei
  • Vegan Food in Taiwan || Discover The Best Vegan Eats

8 comments

  1. Interesting read, didn’t realise about bopomofo!

    1. Thanks for your comment Tomasz

  2. This is so informative. Very interesting history reading about the wade-giles system also

    1. Thanks for the kind words Shane 😎

  3. Never knew QWERTY and BOPOMOFO were the same!

    1. Learn something new everyday Bethany!

  4. […] letters, but they are a different set and sound totally different. Taiwanese uses zhuyin fuhao (aka bopomofo). Zhuyin fuhao uses a totally different set of […]

  5. […] While Zhuyin is still widely used in Taiwan, the switch to pinyin in China was significant. […]

Bopomofo 🤔 What Is It & How Do I Use It (2024)

FAQs

What is bopomofo used for? ›

Bopomofo is the predominant phonetic system in teaching, reading and writing in elementary school in Taiwan. In elementary school, particularly in the lower years, Chinese characters in textbooks are often annotated with Bopomofo as ruby characters as an aid to learning.

Is bopomofo easy to learn? ›

Depending on your Chinese level, it could take anywhere from several days up to a few weeks of intensive practice to memorize all 37 zhuyin symbols and sounds. It might be worth it if you are an early learner and want to get your Mandarin pronunciation off to a good start.

Who invented bopomofo? ›

Bopomofo is the brainchild of a Chinese scholar, Zhang Binglin (章炳麟 December 25, 1868 – June 14, 1936) who created it at the beginning of the 20th century. The symbols are based on ancient Chinese script.

How useful is Bopomofo? ›

Bopomofo, also known as Zhuyin Fuhao, is a phonetic alphabet used for transcribing the sounds of Mandarin Chinese. Bopomofo consists of 37 symbols representing the basic sounds of the language. It is primarily used in Taiwan as a learning tool for children and in dictionaries to indicate pronunciation.

What does Zhu Yin Fu Hao mean? ›

Zhuyin Fuhao, often shortened as zhuyin and commonly called bopomofo, is a type of sound-based writing for the Chinese language. In Chinese, "bo", "po", "mo" and "fo" are the first four of the conventional ordering of available syllables.

What is the easiest Chinese dialect to learn? ›

As we covered above, Mandarin is easier to learn in regards to both writing and speaking. Cantonese is seen to be more difficult because it has from 6 to 9 tones, each of which signify different things (while Mandarin only has 4 tones).

What is the most difficult Chinese language to learn? ›

We've ranked Chinese as the second-hardest language to learn for English speakers, only behind Arabic. Within Chinese, Cantonese is generally harder to learn than Mandarin because of the extra tones.

What is the best form of Chinese to learn? ›

We would recommend you to start learning Mandarin first since it's said to be easier to learn and then build up to Cantonese.

What is the Quick Assist app? ›

Quick Assist is an application that enables a person to share their Windows or macOS device with another person over a remote connection.

What does Taiwan use instead of Pinyin? ›

So although Tongyong Pinyin was effectively scrapped as the romanization standard of Taiwan's central government, many today choose a romanized form of their Chinese character name that is created based on the Tongyong Pinyin, Wade–Giles, or Yale romanization systems.

Who are the founders of bopomofo? ›

Co-founders Eric Wang and Philip Wang, a UCSD alum, will be on hand for the grand opening of the new San Diego store, which is part of the off-Convoy complex that houses Sunmerry Bakery and Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai.

What is the bopomofo keyboard? ›

Bopomofo, Zhuyin, or Mandarin Phonetic Symbols, is an online Chinese transliteration keyboard for Taiwanese Mandarin.

What does Taiwan use instead of pinyin? ›

So although Tongyong Pinyin was effectively scrapped as the romanization standard of Taiwan's central government, many today choose a romanized form of their Chinese character name that is created based on the Tongyong Pinyin, Wade–Giles, or Yale romanization systems.

What is the Chinese input method in Taiwan? ›

In Taiwan, use of Cangjie, Dayi, Boshiamy, and bopomofo predominate; and in Hong Kong and Macau, the Cangjie is most often taught in schools, while a few schools teach CKC Chinese Input System. Other methods include handwriting recognition, OCR and speech recognition.

Is zhuyin or pinyin faster? ›

Furthermore, typing is faster in zhuyin—the longest syllable takes 3 keystrokes instead of 5.

What keyboard do Taiwanese use? ›

Languages of Taiwan
ImmigrantIndonesian, Tagalog (Filipino), Thai, Vietnamese, Malay
ForeignEnglish, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog (Filipino), Thai, Vietnamese
SignedTaiwanese Sign Language
Keyboard layoutQWERTY with Bopomofo, Cangjie and Dayi
5 more rows

References

Top Articles
Why Are People Still Having Weddings at Plantations Slaves Built?
Who Are The People Still Getting Married On Plantations? You Might Be Surprised
What Did Bimbo Airhead Reply When Asked
WALB Locker Room Report Week 5 2024
No Hard Feelings Showtimes Near Metropolitan Fiesta 5 Theatre
THE 10 BEST Women's Retreats in Germany for September 2024
What's Wrong with the Chevrolet Tahoe?
Soap2Day Autoplay
Osrs But Damage
Pollen Count Los Altos
Red Heeler Dog Breed Info, Pictures, Facts, Puppy Price & FAQs
Sitcoms Online Message Board
fltimes.com | Finger Lakes Times
Wunderground Huntington Beach
Wnem Radar
Hartford Healthcare Employee Tools
Chicken Coop Havelock Nc
Craigslist Malone New York
[Birthday Column] Celebrating Sarada's Birthday on 3/31! Looking Back on the Successor to the Uchiha Legacy Who Dreams of Becoming Hokage! | NARUTO OFFICIAL SITE (NARUTO & BORUTO)
Navy Female Prt Standards 30 34
ARK: Survival Evolved Valguero Map Guide: Resource Locations, Bosses, & Dinos
Jenna Ortega’s Height, Age, Net Worth & Biography
Military life insurance and survivor benefits | USAGov
Target Minute Clinic Hours
Walmart Pharmacy Near Me Open
Albert Einstein Sdn 2023
Speechwire Login
Obituaries, 2001 | El Paso County, TXGenWeb
Does Royal Honey Work For Erectile Dysfunction - SCOBES-AR
Basil Martusevich
Lehpiht Shop
RFK Jr., in Glendale, says he's under investigation for 'collecting a whale specimen'
Σινεμά - Τι Ταινίες Παίζουν οι Κινηματογράφοι Σήμερα - Πρόγραμμα 2024 | iathens.gr
2012 Street Glide Blue Book Value
Consume Oakbrook Terrace Menu
Pensacola 311 Citizen Support | City of Pensacola, Florida Official Website
PA lawmakers push to restore Medicaid dental benefits for adults
Soulstone Survivors Igg
Frank 26 Forum
SF bay area cars & trucks "chevrolet 50" - craigslist
Ticket To Paradise Showtimes Near Marshall 6 Theatre
Davis Fire Friday live updates: Community meeting set for 7 p.m. with Lombardo
Seven Rotten Tomatoes
Chase Bank Zip Code
4k Movie, Streaming, Blu-Ray Disc, and Home Theater Product Reviews & News
What Is The Optavia Diet—And How Does It Work?
705 Us 74 Bus Rockingham Nc
Go Nutrients Intestinal Edge Reviews
From Grindr to Scruff: The best dating apps for gay, bi, and queer men in 2024
Greatpeople.me Login Schedule
Santa Ana Immigration Court Webex
Best brow shaping and sculpting specialists near me in Toronto | Fresha
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Mrs. Angelic Larkin

Last Updated:

Views: 5653

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (47 voted)

Reviews: 86% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Mrs. Angelic Larkin

Birthday: 1992-06-28

Address: Apt. 413 8275 Mueller Overpass, South Magnolia, IA 99527-6023

Phone: +6824704719725

Job: District Real-Estate Facilitator

Hobby: Letterboxing, Vacation, Poi, Homebrewing, Mountain biking, Slacklining, Cabaret

Introduction: My name is Mrs. Angelic Larkin, I am a cute, charming, funny, determined, inexpensive, joyous, cheerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.