<p>I know that plosive consonants can change in natural Mandarin speech, like intervocalic g is almost always elided, and sometimes k,  but b and p are almost never elided, but when should d be elided?</p>

<p>I found this example of 知道 as zhao/zao, (<a href="https://chinesehacks.com/vocabulary/syllable-contractions/),but" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://chinesehacks.com/vocabulary/syllable-contractions/),but</a> I'm trying to focus on Beijing Mandarin instead of Taiwanese so I didn't think much of it. However, I then found this page on the Beijing dialect which had the same change (<a href="https://pinyin.sogou.com/zimeiti/article/1255" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://pinyin.sogou.com/zimeiti/article/1255</a>).</p>

<p>The often cited example is that 知道 changes to rdao in 不知道 for Beijing speakers, but when should d disappear and remain then? Is it something about dao being unstressed in 知道 but stressed in 不知道? Is it about the combination of zh+d? or i+d? </p>

<p>Any insight would be appreciated. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-11T14:43:25.163Z
(Disclaimer: beginner here). Isn't the first example (zhi dao > zhao) specific to Taiwanese Mandarin and the second example (buzhidao > buRdao) specific to Beijing Mandarin; and those are two different dialects so we can't derive a rule from these examples?
范阮煌
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-11T20:15:24.947Z
@范阮煌  The "zhao/zao" example is found in both articles for Taiwan and Beijing dialects
dinolingo
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-05-07T08:27:50.607Z
I don't think it is regular. It just depends on how fast you say, for 'bu zhi dao' is als pronounced as 'burao' in Beijing dialect sometimes.
Alsein
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-20T02:17:33.920Z
I'm afraid 知道 as zhao/zao may not be a suitable example for Beijing Mandarin, (just in my experience), the pronunciation of 知道 as zhao/zao (for Beijing Mandarin) just occurs in the recent ten years beginning as a network slang. It has accepted by young people widely, but may have no relevance about the pronounciation rules. (just in my experience :-)
XQY
<pronunciation><topolect>
When is d elided?
# When is d elided?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-04-06)

I know that plosive consonants can change in natural Mandarin speech, like intervocalic g is almost always elided, and sometimes k, but b and p are almost never elided, but when should d be elided?

I found this example of 知道 as zhao/zao, (<https://chinesehacks.com/vocabulary/syllable-contractions/),but> I'm trying to focus on Beijing Mandarin instead of Taiwanese so I didn't think much of it. However, I then found this page on the Beijing dialect which had the same change (<https://pinyin.sogou.com/zimeiti/article/1255>).

The often cited example is that 知道 changes to rdao in 不知道 for Beijing speakers, but when should d disappear and remain then? Is it something about dao being unstressed in 知道 but stressed in 不知道? Is it about the combination of zh+d? or i+d?

Any insight would be appreciated.

**Tags:** pronunciation, topolect

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: (Disclaimer: beginner here). Isn't the first example (zhi dao > zhao) specific to Taiwanese Mandarin and the second example (buzhidao > buRdao) specific to Beijing Mandarin; and those are two different dialects so we can't derive a rule from these examples?  
> **username_0**: @username_1  The "zhao/zao" example is found in both articles for Taiwan and Beijing dialects  
> **username_2**: I don't think it is regular. It just depends on how fast you say, for 'bu zhi dao' is als pronounced as 'burao' in Beijing dialect sometimes.  
> **username_3**: I'm afraid 知道 as zhao/zao may not be a suitable example for Beijing Mandarin, (just in my experience), the pronunciation of 知道 as zhao/zao (for Beijing Mandarin) just occurs in the recent ten years beginning as a network slang. It has accepted by young people widely, but may have no relevance about the pronounciation rules. (just in my experience :-)  

---

## 0 answers

