Chinese braille

The most commonly used Chinese Braille in the People's Republic of China ( Chinese 汉语 现行 盲文  /  漢語 現行 盲文 , Pinyin Hànyǔ Xiànxíng Mángwén , English Currently-used Chinese Braille ) is a Braille system used for the standard Chinese language .  

Spelling of the syllables

The transcription follows the traditional division of a syllable into initial (e.g. f ) and final (e.g. ang ), each of which is represented by a Braille symbol. A third character indicates the syllable tone .

Each Chinese initial sound corresponds to a Braille character. Three of these characters have a double assignment, but this does not lead to ambiguities, because in the standard Chinese language j, q, x are always followed by endings with i or ü ; behind g, k, h, however, never.

Finals are sometimes spelled differently in Pinyin transcription if the initial sound is missing (e.g. iang becomes yang and ü becomes yu ), and after j, q, x, y the dots above the ü are omitted. There are no such changes in Braille (the final of the syllable xu and the final of the syllable nü and the syllable yu are written with the same Braille symbol). The “pressed” vowel, which is reproduced with i in the pinyin syllables chi, zhi, shi, ri, si, ci and zi , is not written at all in the Braille system (as in Zhuyin ).

As in pinyin , the "neutral" tone is not written.

Initial sounds
Braille	Pinyin
	b
	c
	ch
	d
	f
	g, j
	h, x
	k, q
	l
	m
	n
	p
	r
	s
	sh
	t
	z
	zh

Finals
Braille	Pinyin
	a
	ao
	ai
	on
	nec
	e, o
	en
	egg
	closely
	ou
	he
	i, yi
	ia, ya
	ian, yan
	iang, yang
	iao, yao
	ie, ye
	in, yin
	ing, ying
	iong, yong
	iu, you
	u, wu
	ua, wa
	uai, wai
	uan, wan
	uang, wang
	ui, white
	un who
	ong, weng
	uo where
	ü, yu
	uan, yuan
	üe, yue
	ün, yun

Sounds
Braille	Pinyin
	1st tone
	2nd tone
	3rd tone
	4th tone

Numerals and punctuation

Digits are introduced by the character .

Digits
Braille	Pinyin
	one
	two
	three
	four
	five
	six
	seven
	eight
	nine
	zero

Punctuation marks
Braille	Pinyin
	Sentence point
	comma
	Question mark
	Exclamation mark
	Colon
	Break
	Semicolon
	Dash
	Ellipsis
	Focus
	Bracket open
	Clip closed
	Square brackets

Appendix: Overview table sorted by points

Points	Chinese value
	1st tone; 1 one)
	b; 2 (two)
	l
	p
	ch; chi
	wa; among others
	yuan; üan
	he
	ou
	on
	f; 6 (six)
	G; j; 7 (seven)
	wan; uan
	ya; ia
	H; x; 8 (eight)
	iu; you
	in; yin
	k; q
	m
	n
	uai; wai
	iang; yang
	Where; uo
	z
	wu; u
	c; ci; 3 three)
	d; 4 (four); de (toneless particles)
	yong; iong
	ian; yan
	ie; ye; 5 (five)
	sh; shi
	ing; ying
	2nd tone
	4th tone
	s; si
	t
	üe; yue
	egg
	ao
	uang; wang
	nec
	i; yi; 9 (nine)
	r; ri; 0 (zero)
	ui; know
	ai
	U.N; whom; Colon
	ong; weng
	e; O
	3rd tone
	zh; zhi
	iao; yao
	closely; Number sign
	ü; yu
	a
	en
	Hyphen (at the beginning of the next line)
	Bullet point (dùnhào)
	ün; yun
	comma
	Sentence point
	Question mark
+	Title character (<< >>)
	Ellipsis
	Semicolon
	Exclamation mark
	Square brackets
	Bracket open
	Clip closed
	Focus
	Dash

See also

• japanese braille
• List of transcription systems for the Chinese languages

Web links

• GB / T 15720-2008 replaces GB / T 15720-1995
• Zhongguo manwen
• Agencies Serving Blind & Partially Sighted People - China
• Books from the Chinese Library for the Blind (Zhongguo mangwen tushuguan) in Beijing by subject area (selection)
• IFLA General conference in Beijing, August 25-31, 1996
• Present situation and strategy for future development of the China library for the blind
• Hanyu mangwen de chansheng yu fazhan (Chinese)
• Miles, M. 2007-08. “Disability and Deafness in East Asia: Social and Educational Responses, from Antiquity to Recent Times. A bibliography of European-language materials with introduction and some annotation. "
• Revelation for the Blind-William Hill Murray: Inventor of the First Braille System for Chinese and Founder of the First Blind School in China
• Beijing School for the Blind, founded in 1874 in downtown Beijing by Scottish missionary William Hill Murray

Footnotes