Standard Chinese Phonology - Word Stress

Word Stress

The stress pattern of Chinese language is made up of three degrees of stress. There are three stress patterns, which commonly occur in the two-syllable compound words:

  1. Normal Stress + Primary Stress (\ + /)
    • 字画儿 zìhuàr
    • 音乐 yīnyuè
    • 学校 xuéxiào
    • 汽车 qìchē
  2. Primary Stress + Unstressed (/ + o)
    • 父亲 fùqin
    • 喜欢 xǐhuan
    • 东西 dōngxi
  3. Primary Stress + Normal Stress (/ + \)
    • 农村 nóngcūn
    • 社会 shèhuì
    • 热情 rèqíng

Read more about this topic:  Standard Chinese Phonology

Famous quotes containing the words word and/or stress:

    “I curse all negative purism that tells me not to use a word from another language that either expresses something that my own language cannot or does that in a more delicate manner.”
    —Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749–1832)

    “While ... we cannot and must not hide our concern for grave world dangers, and while, at the same time, we cannot build walls around ourselves and hide our heads in the sand, we must go forward with all our strength to stress and to strive for international peace. In this effort America must and will protect herself.”
    —Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)