<p>This phenomenon is a non-standard regional accent, known as <a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%85%92%E5%8C%96%E9%9F%B3" rel="nofollow noreferrer">儿化音</a>. It is a phenomenon in some part of North China, especially in Beijing.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>不知道 (bù zhī dào) → 不<sub>儿</sub>道 (bùr rào)</p>
  
  <p>不是 (bù shì) → bú shì → 不<sub>儿</sub> (búr)</p>
  
  <p>告诉你 (gào sù nǐ) → 告<sub>儿</sub>你 (gàor nǐ)</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-12T14:49:23.623Z
2019-03-13T02:35:15.163Z
2019-03-13T02:35:15.163Z
Victor
<p>I've been looking for documentation showing 不+"x" contractions resulting in "r" sounding initial consonants, but to no avail.</p>

<p>This is an interesting phenomenon and I'm sure the regular person would say: "<em>it's just people talking fast, don't over think it,</em>" but in technical terms these would be some form of contractions. Think:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>不 + 知道 = bu rao</p></li>
<li><p>不 + 是 = bu ri</p></li>
</ul>

<p>I'm interested to know what kind of research has been done on these contractions, if any.</p>

<p>Any ideas?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-05T09:32:44.257Z
It’s worth noting that 是, 知, and Pinyin [r] are all [retroflex consonants](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retroflex_consonant). I don’t think quite the same effect can be achieved with, say, 不好.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-05T09:33:39.590Z
Something to do with [ɿ] perhaps?
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-05T09:38:47.310Z
If I understood you correctly, no, I don’t think it has something to do with [ɿ]. Consider 不少, I can imagine it being pronounced as **burao**, but [ɿ] doesn’t appear in the words.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-06T04:54:57.373Z
This just exits in accent of Beijing (or places around Beijing), not in Madarin.
xenophōn
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-06T04:57:45.323Z
不知道 sometimes reads **bu ri dao**, even **bu rao**, as well as that 告诉你 reads as **gaor ni**, and 就这样 reads as **jiu zhang**.
xenophōn
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-03-06T06:21:04.233Z
@賈可Jacky The contraction of 这样 should be written: "掌," if I'm not mistaken, i.e.: 就掌. While **gaor ni** is written 告儿你. These have some sort of documentation, I believe. But, I've struggled to find much about 不知道 contractions.
Mou某
<pronunciation>
Documentation of 不+"x" contractions resulting in "r" sounding initial consonant?
# Documentation of 不+"x" contractions resulting in "r" sounding initial consonant?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-03-05)

I've been looking for documentation showing 不+"x" contractions resulting in "r" sounding initial consonants, but to no avail.

This is an interesting phenomenon and I'm sure the regular person would say: "*it's just people talking fast, don't over think it,*" but in technical terms these would be some form of contractions. Think:

* 不 + 知道 = bu rao
* 不 + 是 = bu ri

I'm interested to know what kind of research has been done on these contractions, if any.

Any ideas?

**Tags:** pronunciation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It’s worth noting that 是, 知, and Pinyin [r] are all [retroflex consonants](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retroflex_consonant). I don’t think quite the same effect can be achieved with, say, 不好.  
> **username_0**: Something to do with [ɿ] perhaps?  
> **username_1**: If I understood you correctly, no, I don’t think it has something to do with [ɿ]. Consider 不少, I can imagine it being pronounced as **burao**, but [ɿ] doesn’t appear in the words.  
> **username_2**: This just exits in accent of Beijing (or places around Beijing), not in Madarin.  
> **username_2**: 不知道 sometimes reads **bu ri dao**, even **bu rao**, as well as that 告诉你 reads as **gaor ni**, and 就这样 reads as **jiu zhang**.  
> **username_0**: @賈可Jacky The contraction of 这样 should be written: "掌," if I'm not mistaken, i.e.: 就掌. While **gaor ni** is written 告儿你. These have some sort of documentation, I believe. But, I've struggled to find much about 不知道 contractions.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2019-03-12. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

This phenomenon is a non-standard regional accent, known as [儿化音](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%85%92%E5%8C%96%E9%9F%B3). It is a phenomenon in some part of North China, especially in Beijing.

> 不知道 (bù zhī dào) → 不儿道 (bùr rào)
>
> 不是 (bù shì) → bú shì → 不儿 (búr)
>
> 告诉你 (gào sù nǐ) → 告儿你 (gàor nǐ)


---

