Page:Chinese without a teacher - being a collection of easy and useful sentences.djvu/12

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ii

in the same manner, and not sho, which sound is already provided for.

Again, to is to be pronounced like one's big toe, and not too; and in dzi, and all words ending in i, the i is to be read like the 9th letter of the alphabet, and not e or any fancy sound. Above all, not like the y in beauty, that sound being itself of frequent occurrence.

Be careful to aspirate where an aspirate is required. There is a great difference between choo and ch‘oo. To make sure, some speakers pronounce the first almost like joo.

But to multiply observations and rules is to do the very thing it is so desirable to avoid; I therefore leave the rest to the patience and common sense of those for whom these sentences and vocubulary have been composed.

H. A. GILES.

H.B.M. Consulate,

TIENTSIN, 26th October 1872.