View source for Sidney Lau romanisation

{{Use Hong Kong English|date=January 2019}}{{RCL|s=s}}{{Short description|Romanisation system for Cantonese}}{{IPA notice}}

'''Sidney Lau romanisation''' is a system of romanisation for [[Standard Cantonese|Cantonese]] that was developed in the 1970s by [[Sidney Lau]] for teaching Cantonese to Hong Kong Government expatriates.  It is based on the Hong Kong Government's [[Standard Romanization (Cantonese)|Standard Romanisation]] which was the result of the work of [[James Dyer Ball|James D. Ball]] and [[Ernst Johann Eitel|Ernst J. Eitel]] about a century earlier.

==Innovation==
Lau's romanisation indicates tonality with superscript numbers, so no [[diacritics]] are required.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sidneylau.com/en/sidney-lau-cantonese-romanization-system-pronunciation-guide-initials.htm|publisher=Sidney Lau|title=Pronunciation Guide – Initials|access-date=3 April 2017}}</ref> His system was a plain attempt at simplification which proved popular with western learners of Cantonese as a second language and was initially the system of romanisation adopted by the [[University of Hong Kong]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Kataoka|first=Shin|last2=Lee|first2=Cream|title=A System without a System: Cantonese Romanization Used in Hong Kong Place and Personal Names|journal=Hong Kong Journal of Applied Linguistics |volume=11|year=2008|publisher=Chinese University of Hong Kong}}</ref> However, the university now employs the [[Jyutping]] system for its Cantonese courses.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://web.chinese.hku.hk/main/chinese-language-centre/certificate-in-chinese-language-courses-for-foreign-students/|title=Certificate in Chinese Language courses for foreign students|website=School of Chinese|publisher=University of Hong Kong|language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-21}}</ref>

==Initials ==
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|-
|b<br>{{IPA|/p/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|巴}}
|p<br>{{IPA|/pʰ/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|怕}}
|m<br>{{IPA|/m/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|媽}}
|f<br>{{IPA|/f/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|花}}
|
|-
|d<br>{{IPA|/t/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|打}}
|t<br>{{IPA|/tʰ/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|他}}
|n<br>{{IPA|/n/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|那}}
|
|l<br>{{IPA|/l/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|啦}}
|-
|g<br>{{IPA|/k/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|家}}
|k<br>{{IPA|/kʰ/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|卡}}
|ng<br>{{IPA|/ŋ/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|牙}}
|h<br>{{IPA|/h/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|蝦}}
|
|-
|gw<br>{{IPA|/kʷ/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|瓜}}
|kw<br>{{IPA|/kʷʰ/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|誇}}
|
|
|w<br>{{IPA|/w/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|蛙}}
|-
|j<br>{{IPA|/ts/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|渣}}
|ch<br>{{IPA|/tsʰ/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|叉}}
|
|s<br>{{IPA|/s/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|沙}}
|y<br>{{IPA|/j/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|也}}
|}

== Finals ==
In his system, Lau treats /ɵ/ and /o/ as allophones of one phoneme represented with "u", while they are often respectively regarded as allophones of /œ:/ and /u:/ in other systems.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sidneylau.com/en/sidney-lau-cantonese-romanization-system-pronunciation-guide-finals.htm|publisher=Sidney Lau|title=Pronunciation Guide – Finals|access-date=3 April 2017}}</ref>
{|class="wikitable"  style="text-align: center"
|-
!colspan=2 rowspan=2|
!colspan=9|Coda
|-
!∅!!{{IPA|/i/}}!!{{IPA|/u/}}!!{{IPA|/m/}}!!{{IPA|/n/}}!!{{IPA|/ŋ/}}!!{{IPA|/p̚/}}!!{{IPA|/t̚/}}!!{{IPA|/k̚/}}
|-
!rowspan=10|Vowel
!{{IPA|/aː/}}
|a<br>{{IPA|/aː/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|沙}}
|aai<br>{{IPA|/aːi̯/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|徙}}
|aau<br>{{IPA|/aːu̯/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|梢}}
|aam<br>{{IPA|/aːm/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|三}}
|aan<br>{{IPA|/aːn/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|山}}
|aang<br>{{IPA|/aːŋ/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|坑}}
|aap<br>{{IPA|/aːp̚/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|圾}}
|aat<br>{{IPA|/aːt̚/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|剎}}
|aak<br>{{IPA|/aːk̚/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|客}}
|-
!{{IPA|/ɐ/}}
|&nbsp;
|ai<br>{{IPA|/ɐi̯/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|西}}
|au<br>{{IPA|/ɐu̯/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|收}}
|am<br>{{IPA|/ɐm/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|心}}
|an<br>{{IPA|/ɐn/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|新}}
|ang<br>{{IPA|/ɐŋ/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|笙}}
|ap<br>{{IPA|/ɐp̚/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|濕}}
|at<br>{{IPA|/ɐt̚/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|失}}
|ak<br>{{IPA|/ɐk̚/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|塞}}
|-
!{{IPA|/ɛː/}}<br>{{IPA|/e/}}
|e<br>{{IPA|/ɛː/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|些}}
|ei<br>{{IPA|/ei̯/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|四}}
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|eng<br>{{IPA|/ɛːŋ/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|鄭}}
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|ek<br>{{IPA|/ɛːk̚/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|石}}
|-
!{{IPA|/iː/}}
|i<br>{{IPA|/iː/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|詩}}
|&nbsp;
|iu<br>{{IPA|/iːu̯/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|消}}
|im<br>{{IPA|/iːm/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|閃}}
|in<br>{{IPA|/iːn/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|先}}
|ing<br>{{IPA|/eŋ/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|星}}
|ip<br>{{IPA|/iːp̚/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|攝}}
|it<br>{{IPA|/iːt̚/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|洩}}
|ik<br>{{IPA|/ek̚/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|識}}
|-
!{{IPA|/ɔː/}}
|oh<br>{{IPA|/ɔː/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|疏}}
|oi<br>{{IPA|/ɔːy̯/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|開}}
|o<br>{{IPA|/ou̯/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|蘇}}
|&nbsp;
|on<br>{{IPA|/ɔːn/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|看}}
|ong<br>{{IPA|/ɔːŋ/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|康}}
|&nbsp;
|ot<br>{{IPA|/ɔːt̚/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|喝}}
|ok<br>{{IPA|/ɔːk̚/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|索}}
|-
!{{IPA|/uː/}}
|oo<br>{{IPA|/uː/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|夫}}
|ooi<br>{{IPA|/uːy̯/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|灰}}
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|oon<br>{{IPA|/uːn/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|寬}}
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|oot<br>{{IPA|/uːt̚/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|闊}}
|&nbsp;
|-
!{{IPA|/ɵ/}}<br>{{IPA|/ʊ/}}
|&nbsp;
|ui<br>{{IPA|/ɵy̯/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|需}}
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|un<br>{{IPA|/ɵn/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|詢}}
|ung<br>{{IPA|/ʊŋ/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|鬆}}
|&nbsp;
|ut<br>{{IPA|/ɵt̚/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|摔}}
|uk<br>{{IPA|/ʊk̚/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|叔}}
|-
!{{IPA|/œː/}}
|euh<br>{{IPA|/œː/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|靴}}
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|eung<br>{{IPA|/œːŋ/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|商}}
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|euk<br>{{IPA|/œːk̚/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|削}}
|-
!{{IPA|/yː/}}
|ue<br>{{IPA|/yː/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|書}}
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|uen<br>{{IPA|/yːn/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|孫}}
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|uet<br>{{IPA|/yːt̚/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|雪}}
|&nbsp;
|-
!∅
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|m<br>{{IPA|/m̩/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|唔}}
|&nbsp;
|ng<br>{{IPA|/ŋ̩/}}<br>{{lang|yue-HK|五}}
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|}

==Tones==
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|-
!rowspan=2| Tone symbol
!rowspan=2| Tone description
!colspan=3| Example
|-
!Romanization
!Word
!Meaning
|-
|rowspan=2| 1° or N°
|rowspan=2| high flat
|si<sup>1°</sup>
|{{lang|yue-HK|詩}}
|poem
|-
|ga<sup>1</sup> je<sup>2°</sup>
|{{lang|yue-HK|家姐}}
|elder sister
|-
|1
|high falling
|tim<sup>1</sup>
|{{lang|yue-HK|添}}
|final [[Particle (grammar)|particle]] expressing
the idea of addition or regret.
|-
|rowspan=2| 2 or N*
|rowspan=2| mid rising
|si<sup>2</sup>
|{{lang|yue-HK|史}}
|history
|-
|dik<sup>1</sup> si<sup>6*</sup>
|{{lang|yue-HK|的士}}
|taxi
|-
|3
|mid flat
|si<sup>3</sup>
|{{lang|yue-HK|試}}
|try
|-
|4
|low falling
|si<sup>4</sup>
|{{lang|yue-HK|時}}
|time
|-
|5
|low rising
|si<sup>5</sup>
|{{lang|yue-HK|市}}
|city
|-
|6
|low flat
|si<sup>6</sup>
|{{lang|yue-HK|是}}
|is
|}
1° indicates the high flat tone. If ° appears after any other tones, it signifies a changed tone and that the word is to be pronounced as 1°, but 1° is not the original/normal tone of the word. Similar to °, if * appears after any tones apart from tone 2, it indicates that the word is to be pronounced as tone 2, but tone 2 is not the original/normal tone of the word.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sidneylau.com/en/sidney-lau-cantonese-romanization-system-pronunciation-guide-tones.htm|publisher=Sidney Lau|title=Pronunciation Guide – Tones|access-date=3 April 2017}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Comparison of Cantonese transcription systems]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://sidneylau.com Explanation of Sidney Lau's Cantonese Romanization System]
*[https://www.omniglot.com/writing/cantonese.htm Cantonese writing, with information on Sidney Lau romanisation]

[[Category:Cantonese romanisation]]
[[Category:Writing systems introduced in the 1970s]]
[[Category:1970s establishments in Hong Kong]]

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