<p>I live near Xi'an and I can confirm /pf/ &amp; /pfʰ/ are accurate. It's literally p + f. It's like pronouncing /p/ while having your teeth on the lips for /f/, so when your mouth opens, it's a natural /f/.</p>
<p>edit: I think it should be mentioned this is Xi'an-only. Xi'an dialect belongs to 中原官话关中片 (Central Plains Mandarin in the region of Guanzhong), but other dialects in the same subcategory doesn't have /pf/, let alone the broader category Central Plains Mandarin.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-21T17:47:55.793Z
2020-07-21T17:54:30.997Z
2020-07-21T17:54:30.997Z
ekd123
<p>I was flipping through the Xi'an dialect volume of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Dictionary_of_Modern_Chinese_Dialects" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Great Dictionary of Modern Chinese Dialects</a>.</p>
<p>On p. 206 I came across:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/cwlXz.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/cwlXz.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>and on p. 207 there is:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/3IUHN.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/3IUHN.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>There is the /pf/ initial and the aspirated consonant /pf‘/.</p>
<p>I'm quite curious to see what these sound like, especially since /pf/ seems like a topolectical equivalent of zh in MSM and /pf‘/ one of ch.</p>
<p>What do the /pf/ &amp; /pfʰ/ initials sound like in Central Plains Mandarin?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-19T11:29:24.143Z
Not sure if this is copyrighted; I googled `"pfæ" 西安` and one result came up with 汉语方言大辞典（？）.pdf. Interesting information in there; one point is that in the traditional speech in that area, 合口呼 syllables (rimes beginning with ㄨ) are not compatible with initials like 磚 and 穿. [b, v, pf, ...] are some adaptations in those topolects. Their 水 is apparently romanised as "fei".
dROOOze
<phonology>
What do the /pf/ & /pfʰ/ initials sound like in Central Plains Mandarin?
# What do the /pf/ & /pfʰ/ initials sound like in Central Plains Mandarin?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-07-19)

I was flipping through the Xi'an dialect volume of the [Great Dictionary of Modern Chinese Dialects](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Dictionary_of_Modern_Chinese_Dialects).

On p. 206 I came across:

> [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/cwlXz.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/cwlXz.png)

and on p. 207 there is:

> [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/3IUHN.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/3IUHN.png)

There is the /pf/ initial and the aspirated consonant /pf‘/.

I'm quite curious to see what these sound like, especially since /pf/ seems like a topolectical equivalent of zh in MSM and /pf‘/ one of ch.

What do the /pf/ & /pfʰ/ initials sound like in Central Plains Mandarin?

**Tags:** phonology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Not sure if this is copyrighted; I googled `"pfæ" 西安` and one result came up with 汉语方言大辞典（？）.pdf. Interesting information in there; one point is that in the traditional speech in that area, 合口呼 syllables (rimes beginning with ㄨ) are not compatible with initials like 磚 and 穿. [b, v, pf, ...] are some adaptations in those topolects. Their 水 is apparently romanised as "fei".  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-07-21. Score: 2

I live near Xi'an and I can confirm /pf/ & /pfʰ/ are accurate. It's literally p + f. It's like pronouncing /p/ while having your teeth on the lips for /f/, so when your mouth opens, it's a natural /f/.

edit: I think it should be mentioned this is Xi'an-only. Xi'an dialect belongs to 中原官话关中片 (Central Plains Mandarin in the region of Guanzhong), but other dialects in the same subcategory doesn't have /pf/, let alone the broader category Central Plains Mandarin.


---

