Introduction:
The song "海阔天空" (Hǎi kuò tiān kōng) is a classic rock anthem by the Hong Kong band Beyond. It is beloved not only in China but also in many other countries as well, and has been covered by numerous artists over the years. In this article, we will explore how to pronounce the song title and some of the lyrics using pinyin, the official romanization system for Standard Mandarin.
1. What is Pinyin?
Pinyin is a system developed in the 1950s to transliterate Chinese characters into the Latin alphabet. It uses diacritic marks to indicate tones, which are essential in Mandarin because they can change the meaning of a word. For example, "mā" (with a first-tone mark) means "mother," while "má" (with a fourth-tone mark) means "horse."
2. How to Pronounce "海阔天空"
The title of the song, "海阔天空," can be pronounced "hǎi kuò tiān kōng" in pinyin. Here's a breakdown of each syllable:
"hǎi" with a third-tone mark means "sea"
"kuò" with a fourth-tone mark means "wide"
"tiān" with a first-tone mark means "sky"
"kōng" with a first-tone mark means "empty"
To get the correct pronunciation of each syllable, you can listen to the audio recordings available online or use a pinyin chart like the one on ChinesePod. It's important to practice saying the syllables together in the correct order and with the correct tones.
3. How to Pronounce Some of the Lyrics
Here are some of the lyrics from the chorus of "海阔天空" and how to pronounce them in pinyin:
"愿做你的手中的一朵花" (yuàn zuò nǐ de shǒu zhōng de yī duǒ huā) means "I wish to be a flower in your hand." Here are the pronunciations for each syllable:
"yuàn" with a fourth-tone mark means "wish"
"zuò" with a fourth-tone mark means "to do"
"nǐ" with a third-tone mark means "you"
"de" with a neutral tone means "of"
"shǒu" with a third-tone mark means "hand"
"zhōng" with a first-tone mark means "in"
"yī" with a first-tone mark means "one"
"duǒ" with a third-tone mark means "flower"
"huā" with a first-tone mark means "flower"
"海阔天空能不能够" (hǎi kuò tiān kōng néng bù néng gòu) means "can the sea and sky be wide enough." Here are the pronunciations for each syllable:
"néng" with a second-tone mark means "can"
"bù" with a fourth-tone mark means "not"
"gòu" with a fourth-tone mark means "enough"
Conclusion:
Learning how to pronounce Chinese characters using pinyin is an essential step for anyone who wants to study Mandarin or appreciate Chinese music. With practice, you can master the correct tones and pronunciation of songs like "海阔天空" and even impress your friends with your Mandarin skills.