01 / STUDY GUIDEStart with the whole word
Pinyin writes Mandarin pronunciation with Latin letters and tone marks. It helps you search when you have heard a word but cannot type its characters. Start with the whole word or phrase you know: péngyou for 朋友, rather than searching for each syllable separately.
- Open Laowai’s dictionary and enter the pronunciation. Try
peng youfor friend. - Check that the search is using Pinyin. A short input can also be an English word; switch the language interpretation when needed.
- Compare the characters, pronunciation and definitions. Open the entry that fits what you heard.
- Read an example sentence before saving the word.
If you have the characters, search them directly. Several words can share a pronunciation, so check the entry’s meaning.
02 / STUDY GUIDETone marks, tone numbers and unmarked input
| Form | Example | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Marks | nǐ hǎo | The mark over the vowel indicates the tone. |
| Numbers | ni3 hao3 | A number after each syllable represents its tone. |
| Unmarked | ni hao | The tones are not specified. |
Laowai accepts pinyin search with and without tone marks, and recognises numbered input such as ni3 hao3. Numbers 1–4 represent the four tones; 5 is commonly used for a neutral tone. If you are unsure of a tone, start without a number and compare the results.
In ordinary pinyin writing, the neutral tone has no tone mark: māma, “mum”. Keep ü distinct from u: lǜ and lù are different syllables. For typed numbered input, lv4 or lu:4 is a common way to enter lǜ.
Convert numbered pinyin to tone marks when preparing your own notes. The converter formats pronunciation you supply; it does not translate Chinese or decide which word you meant.
03 / STUDY GUIDEUse the sentence to choose a meaning
Compare these three words. The consonant and vowel spelling is the same, but the tones and meanings differ.
妈
mum; mother
马
horse
吗
a particle used in yes-or-no questions
Now put the last word into a sentence:
你喝茶吗？
Do you drink tea?
Here 吗 turns the statement into a question. It does not mean “horse” or “mother”.
Use the topic, surrounding words and example sentences to choose among words with the same pronunciation.
04 / STUDY GUIDEWhen the result does not fit
- English results appear: choose Pinyin for the current input. For an English meaning such as “friend”, use the English interpretation.
- Too many similar results: search a longer word, include a tone number you know, or use any characters you already have.
- No useful result: check the syllable spelling and try again without uncertain tone numbers.
- A word has several meanings: read the definition that fits your sentence. A short English gloss is not a replacement in every context.
Search peng you, find 朋友, then look for it in the morning reading. Read the complete sentence and say whose friend it describes.
Examples written for this guide.
