<ol>
<li><p>Zhang and Yang (2007:157–165) classifies consonantal assimilation (輔音同化) in Mandarin into three types:</p>
<ul>
<li>Progressive assimilation (前化後, lit. prior converts latter)</li>
<li>Regressive assimilation (後化前, lit. latter converts prior)</li>
<li>Bidirectional assimilation (前後互化, lit. prior and latter convert each other)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ol>
<p><strong>Examples of regressive assimilation</strong></p>
<ol start="2">
<li><p><strong>/n/ → [m] / _ [p pʰ m]</strong> (= all /n/ before [p], [pʰ], or [m] become [m]). All bilabial consonants in Mandarin exert an effect on an immediately preceding /n/. <code>什麼</code> naturally follows this rule.</p>
<div class="s-table-container">
<table class="s-table">
<thead>
<tr>
<th style="text-align: center;"></th>
<th style="text-align: center;">Before</th>
<th style="text-align: center;">After</th>
<th style="text-align: center;">Pinyin</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">麵包</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">/mjɛn˥˩ paʊ˥˥/</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">[mjɛm˥˩ paʊ˥˥]</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">miàn bāo</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">亂跑</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">/lwan˥˩ pʰaʊ˨˩˦/</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">[lwam˥˩ pʰaʊ˨˩˦]</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">luàn pǎo</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">難免</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">/nan˧˥ mjɛn˨˩˦/</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">[nam˧˥ mjɛn˨˩˦]</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">nán miǎn</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div></li>
<li><p><strong>/n/ → [ŋ̟] / _ [k kʰ x]</strong>. I added the advanced diacritic for [ŋ] because Zhang and Yang claims the inherent nature of /n/ is still stronger than assimilation, so the result is not exactly velar. Also, notice in the first and third examples how the final has not changed from [aŋ] to [ɑŋ], so the result of assimilation is also not exactly <em>ang</em> in pinyin, either.</p>
<div class="s-table-container">
<table class="s-table">
<thead>
<tr>
<th style="text-align: center;"></th>
<th style="text-align: center;">Before</th>
<th style="text-align: center;">After</th>
<th style="text-align: center;">Pinyin</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">戰國</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">/ʈ͡ʂan˥˩ kuɔ˧˥/</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">[ʈ͡ʂaŋ̟˥˩ kuɔ˧˥]</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">Zhàn'guó</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">辛苦</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">/ɕɪn˥˥ kʰu˨˩˦/</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">[ɕɪŋ̟˥˥ kʰu˨˩˦]</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">xīn kǔ</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">山花</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">/ʂan˥˥ xwa˥˥/</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">[ʂaŋ̟˥˥ xwa˥˥]</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">shān huā</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div></li>
<li><p><strong>/n/ → [ɲ] / _ [t͡ɕ t͡ɕʰ ɕ]</strong> (palatalisation before pinyin <em>j q x</em>), but <strong>/n/ → [ɳ] / _ [ʈ͡ʂ ʈ͡ʂʰ ʂ]</strong> (retroflexisation before pinyin <em>zh ch sh</em>). Personally I think these are less conspicuous.</p>
<div class="s-table-container">
<table class="s-table">
<thead>
<tr>
<th style="text-align: center;"></th>
<th style="text-align: center;">Before</th>
<th style="text-align: center;">After</th>
<th style="text-align: center;">Pinyin</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">班級</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">/pan˥˥ t͡ɕi˧˥/</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">[paɲ˥˥ t͡ɕi˧˥]</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">bān jí</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">感情</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">/kan˨˩ t͡ɕʰɪŋ˧˥/</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">[kaɲ˨˩ t͡ɕʰɪŋ˧˥]</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">gǎn qíng</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">看戲</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">/kʰan˥˩ ɕi˥˩/</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">[kʰaɲ˥˩ ɕi˥˩]</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">kàn xì</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">班長</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">/pan˥˥ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ˨˩˦/</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">[paɳ˥˥ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ˨˩˦]</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">bān zhǎng</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">難吃</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">/nan˧˥ ʈ͡ʂʰɚ˥˥/</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">[naɳ˧˥ ʈ͡ʂʰɚ˥˥]</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">nán chī</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">天山</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">/tʰjɛn˥˥ ʂan˥˥/</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">[tʰjɛɳ˥˥ ʂan˥˥]</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">tiān shān</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div></li>
</ol>
<p><strong>Example of progressive assimilation</strong></p>
<ol start="5">
<li><p><strong>/∅/ → [ŋ] / [ŋ] _</strong> (= all /∅/ after [ŋ] become [ŋ]).</p>
<div class="s-table-container">
<table class="s-table">
<thead>
<tr>
<th style="text-align: center;"></th>
<th style="text-align: center;">Before</th>
<th style="text-align: center;">After</th>
<th style="text-align: center;">Pinyin</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">嫦娥</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">/ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ˧˥ ɤ˧˥/</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">[ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ˧˥ ŋɤ˧˥]</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">Cháng'é</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div></li>
</ol>
<p><strong>Example of bidirectional assimilation</strong></p>
<ol start="6">
<li><p><strong>/n ∅/ → [ŋ̟ ŋ̟]</strong>. It is as if the third and fifth rules are combined.</p>
<div class="s-table-container">
<table class="s-table">
<thead>
<tr>
<th style="text-align: center;"></th>
<th style="text-align: center;">Before</th>
<th style="text-align: center;">After</th>
<th style="text-align: center;">Pinyin</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">專案</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">/ʈ͡ʂwan˥˥ an˥˩/</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">[ʈ͡ʂwaŋ̟˥˥ ŋ̟an˥˩]</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">zhuān àn</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">天鵝</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">/tʰjɛn˥˥ ɤ˧˥/</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">[tʰjɛŋ̟˥˥ ŋ̟ɤ˧˥]</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">tiān é</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div></li>
</ol>
<p>Reference: Zhang Bennan &amp; Yang Ruowei (2007). [普通話連讀音變]. Hong Kong: Commercial Press.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-20T13:47:48.430Z
2021-04-28T02:21:38.877Z
2021-04-28T02:21:38.877Z
L Parker
<p>什么 (shénme) sounds to my ears more like (shéme).</p>
<p>Assuming I'm hearing correctly, is this just a common contraction of this word, or is the sequence &quot;-n&quot; + &quot;m-&quot; <em>generally</em> contracted to &quot;-m-&quot;?</p>

<pronunciation><phonology>
Pronunciation of 什么
# Pronunciation of 什么

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-04-20)

什么 (shénme) sounds to my ears more like (shéme).

Assuming I'm hearing correctly, is this just a common contraction of this word, or is the sequence "-n" + "m-" *generally* contracted to "-m-"?

**Tags:** pronunciation, phonology

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-04-20. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

1. Zhang and Yang (2007:157–165) classifies consonantal assimilation (輔音同化) in Mandarin into three types:

   * Progressive assimilation (前化後, lit. prior converts latter)
   * Regressive assimilation (後化前, lit. latter converts prior)
   * Bidirectional assimilation (前後互化, lit. prior and latter convert each other)

**Examples of regressive assimilation**

2. **/n/ → [m] / \_ [p pʰ m]** (= all /n/ before [p], [pʰ], or [m] become [m]). All bilabial consonants in Mandarin exert an effect on an immediately preceding /n/. `什麼` naturally follows this rule.

   |  | Before | After | Pinyin |
   | --- | --- | --- | --- |
   | 麵包 | /mjɛn˥˩ paʊ˥˥/ | [mjɛm˥˩ paʊ˥˥] | miàn bāo |
   | 亂跑 | /lwan˥˩ pʰaʊ˨˩˦/ | [lwam˥˩ pʰaʊ˨˩˦] | luàn pǎo |
   | 難免 | /nan˧˥ mjɛn˨˩˦/ | [nam˧˥ mjɛn˨˩˦] | nán miǎn |
3. **/n/ → [ŋ̟] / \_ [k kʰ x]**. I added the advanced diacritic for [ŋ] because Zhang and Yang claims the inherent nature of /n/ is still stronger than assimilation, so the result is not exactly velar. Also, notice in the first and third examples how the final has not changed from [aŋ] to [ɑŋ], so the result of assimilation is also not exactly *ang* in pinyin, either.

   |  | Before | After | Pinyin |
   | --- | --- | --- | --- |
   | 戰國 | /ʈ͡ʂan˥˩ kuɔ˧˥/ | [ʈ͡ʂaŋ̟˥˩ kuɔ˧˥] | Zhàn'guó |
   | 辛苦 | /ɕɪn˥˥ kʰu˨˩˦/ | [ɕɪŋ̟˥˥ kʰu˨˩˦] | xīn kǔ |
   | 山花 | /ʂan˥˥ xwa˥˥/ | [ʂaŋ̟˥˥ xwa˥˥] | shān huā |
4. **/n/ → [ɲ] / \_ [t͡ɕ t͡ɕʰ ɕ]** (palatalisation before pinyin *j q x*), but **/n/ → [ɳ] / \_ [ʈ͡ʂ ʈ͡ʂʰ ʂ]** (retroflexisation before pinyin *zh ch sh*). Personally I think these are less conspicuous.

   |  | Before | After | Pinyin |
   | --- | --- | --- | --- |
   | 班級 | /pan˥˥ t͡ɕi˧˥/ | [paɲ˥˥ t͡ɕi˧˥] | bān jí |
   | 感情 | /kan˨˩ t͡ɕʰɪŋ˧˥/ | [kaɲ˨˩ t͡ɕʰɪŋ˧˥] | gǎn qíng |
   | 看戲 | /kʰan˥˩ ɕi˥˩/ | [kʰaɲ˥˩ ɕi˥˩] | kàn xì |
   | 班長 | /pan˥˥ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ˨˩˦/ | [paɳ˥˥ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ˨˩˦] | bān zhǎng |
   | 難吃 | /nan˧˥ ʈ͡ʂʰɚ˥˥/ | [naɳ˧˥ ʈ͡ʂʰɚ˥˥] | nán chī |
   | 天山 | /tʰjɛn˥˥ ʂan˥˥/ | [tʰjɛɳ˥˥ ʂan˥˥] | tiān shān |

**Example of progressive assimilation**

5. **/∅/ → [ŋ] / [ŋ] \_** (= all /∅/ after [ŋ] become [ŋ]).

   |  | Before | After | Pinyin |
   | --- | --- | --- | --- |
   | 嫦娥 | /ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ˧˥ ɤ˧˥/ | [ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ˧˥ ŋɤ˧˥] | Cháng'é |

**Example of bidirectional assimilation**

6. **/n ∅/ → [ŋ̟ ŋ̟]**. It is as if the third and fifth rules are combined.

   |  | Before | After | Pinyin |
   | --- | --- | --- | --- |
   | 專案 | /ʈ͡ʂwan˥˥ an˥˩/ | [ʈ͡ʂwaŋ̟˥˥ ŋ̟an˥˩] | zhuān àn |
   | 天鵝 | /tʰjɛn˥˥ ɤ˧˥/ | [tʰjɛŋ̟˥˥ ŋ̟ɤ˧˥] | tiān é |

Reference: Zhang Bennan & Yang Ruowei (2007). [普通話連讀音變]. Hong Kong: Commercial Press.


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