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:
- Normal Stress + Primary Stress (\ + /)
- 字画儿 zìhuàr
- 音乐 yīnyuè
- 学校 xuéxiào
- 汽车 qìchē
- Primary Stress + Unstressed (/ + o)
- 父亲 fùqin
- 喜欢 xǐhuan
- 东西 dōngxi
- 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:
“Oh! Caesonia, I knew men could despair, but I did not know what that word meant. I thought like, everyone else, that it was an ailment of the soul. But no, it is the body that suffers. My skin hurts, my chest, my limbs. I am feeling lightheaded and nauseated. And the most horrible is this taste in my mouth. Neither blood, nor death, nor fever, but all of them at once.”
—Albert Camus (1913–1960)
“Anyone who wishes to combine domestic responsibilities and paid employment with the least stress and most enjoyment might start by pondering this paradox: the first step to better functioning is to stop blaming herself for not functioning well enough.”
—Faye J. Crosby (20th century)