Bopomofo

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/bopomofo

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the number of phonetic symbols?37 core symbols
2. What is the number of tone marks?5 distinct marks indicating pitch contours
3. Why does Bopomofo have 37 symbols?The 37 symbols were chosen to represent every initial consonant, final vowel, and standalone vowel in Mandarin syllables. This makes it easy to write any sound in the language.
4. How do tone marks work in Bopomofo?Bopomofo uses five tone marks to show the pitch of each word. The tone marks change the meaning of words, so they are very important for learning Mandarin.

Phonetic Transcription System: A system of symbols used to represent the sounds of spoken language accurately.
Romanization: The process of transcribing a language into the Latin alphabet.
Tonal Language: A language where the pitch of a word affects its meaning.