<p>When 监 is in the forth tone, it usually refers to a specific government department. For example 国子监 was the education department, 钦天监 was the calender department, 太监 was the department of 内务, i.e., affairs of the royal family. Then gradually people start to use 太监 to refer to the specific occupation, or people who belong to the department. </p>

<p>Then <code>监</code>'s meaning as a government department is died out in modern Chinese, so people begin to map it to the ubiquitous <code>jian1</code>, which is technically wrong.</p>

<p>Also at least in Mandarin, there is a tendency that when a noun consists of two characters, the second character would be read as 轻声 or the "light tone", so what you normally hear is <code>tai4jian0</code>. There is also a tenancy that when a character is read as the light tone, people automatically thinks that it should be the first tone. This might also contributed to the shift from <code>jian4</code> to <code>jian1</code>. But as NS said in the comments, it could probably be just my imagination...</p>

<p><code>jian1</code> might be technically wrong, but there are already enough people using it to make it an acceptable pronunciation, only that the dictionaries hasn't been updated yet.</p>

<p>As for you, if you are taking exams, use <code>jian4</code> for now, otherwise use whatever you like.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-02T04:39:22.407Z
Good answer but I think this is an over-statement: "when a character is read as the light tone, people automatically thinks that it should be the first tone". Think ~儿, ~子, etc. Actually most commonly used neutral tone suffixes are not originally 1st tone.
NS.X.
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2015-01-02T06:06:56.673Z
@NS.X. I think I was referring to the fact that many 入声字 are morphed into 1st tone in Mandarin, also I tend to think 入声 sounds most similar to 轻声, so there is a bit mess-up. Anyway, answer updated.
Wang Dingwei
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-15T03:37:48.373Z
"Also at least in Mandarin, there is a tendency that when a noun consists of two characters, the second character would be read as 轻声 or the 'light tone' ": I don't agree with the tendency. There are much much more words that don't use the netural tone than word that use neutral tone. And neutral tone is not an option for some words, they can have totally different meanings with or withour neutral tone, e.g. 东西(dong1xi1 east and west) vs 东西(dong1xi0 something).
fefe
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-02T02:44:34.430Z
2015-01-02T06:02:49.893Z
2015-01-02T06:02:49.893Z
Wang Dingwei
<p>Could someone explain how to pronounce 太监 in China and Taiwan? I've heard it be <code>tai4 jian1</code> as well as seen it (in Pleco) as <code>tai4 jian4</code>！ </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-19T19:13:30.197Z
tai4 jian0 or tai4 jian1(little odd), no tai4 jian4, wrong.
sfy
<pronunciation>
How do you pronounce “太监” in Mainland China?
# How do you pronounce “太监” in Mainland China?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-01-02)

Could someone explain how to pronounce 太监 in China and Taiwan? I've heard it be `tai4 jian1` as well as seen it (in Pleco) as `tai4 jian4`！

**Tags:** pronunciation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: tai4 jian0 or tai4 jian1(little odd), no tai4 jian4, wrong.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-01-02. Score: 5

When 监 is in the forth tone, it usually refers to a specific government department. For example 国子监 was the education department, 钦天监 was the calender department, 太监 was the department of 内务, i.e., affairs of the royal family. Then gradually people start to use 太监 to refer to the specific occupation, or people who belong to the department.

Then `监`'s meaning as a government department is died out in modern Chinese, so people begin to map it to the ubiquitous `jian1`, which is technically wrong.

Also at least in Mandarin, there is a tendency that when a noun consists of two characters, the second character would be read as 轻声 or the "light tone", so what you normally hear is `tai4jian0`. There is also a tenancy that when a character is read as the light tone, people automatically thinks that it should be the first tone. This might also contributed to the shift from `jian4` to `jian1`. But as NS said in the comments, it could probably be just my imagination...

`jian1` might be technically wrong, but there are already enough people using it to make it an acceptable pronunciation, only that the dictionaries hasn't been updated yet.

As for you, if you are taking exams, use `jian4` for now, otherwise use whatever you like.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Good answer but I think this is an over-statement: "when a character is read as the light tone, people automatically thinks that it should be the first tone". Think ~儿, ~子, etc. Actually most commonly used neutral tone suffixes are not originally 1st tone.  
> **username_2**: @NS.X. I think I was referring to the fact that many 入声字 are morphed into 1st tone in Mandarin, also I tend to think 入声 sounds most similar to 轻声, so there is a bit mess-up. Anyway, answer updated.  
> **username_4**: "Also at least in Mandarin, there is a tendency that when a noun consists of two characters, the second character would be read as 轻声 or the 'light tone' ": I don't agree with the tendency. There are much much more words that don't use the netural tone than word that use neutral tone. And neutral tone is not an option for some words, they can have totally different meanings with or withour neutral tone, e.g. 东西(dong1xi1 east and west) vs 东西(dong1xi0 something).  

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