Zhuyin
/ˈdʒuː.jɪn/noun
A phonetic notation system used chiefly in Taiwan to represent the sounds of Mandarin Chinese.
Did you know?Zhuyin’s symbols were adapted largely from fragments of traditional Chinese characters, turning parts of older writing into a modern phonetic alphabet.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Chinese
Chinese
注音
“To annotate or indicate sounds”
Early 20th Century
Chinese
注音字母
“Phonetic alphabet; literally, “sound-annotation letters””
1913
Republican-era Chinese
注音字母
“A national commission established the system for representing Mandarin pronunciation”
1918
Chinese
注音字母
“The system was officially promulgated for language education”
1928
Chinese
國音字母
“Renamed “National Language Alphabet” in an official romanization reform”
1930s
Chinese
注音符號
“Renamed “phonetic symbols,” the designation still commonly used”
Modern English
English
Zhuyin
“The established English name for the Mandarin phonetic notation system, also called Bopomofo”