To spell the way it sounds . . . that’s the literal meaning of p.ny.n. For decades, Chinese had been transliterated in any number of ways. Finally, in 1979, the People’s Republic of China officially adopted p.ny.n as its official romanization system. After the adoption, U.S. libraries and government agencies diligently changed all their prior records from other romanization systems into p.ny.n.
You should keep in mind the following quick facts about some of the initial sounds in Mandarin when you see them written in the relatively new p.ny.n system:
J: Sounds like the “g” in “gee whiz.” An “i” often follows a “j.” “Ji kuai qian?” (jee kwye chyan) means “How much money?” Q: Sounds like the “ch” in “cheek.” You never see it followed by a “u” like in English, but an “i” always follows it in Chinese, possibly before another vowel or a consonant. Q.ngdao (cheeng daow) beer used to be spelled “ch’ing tao” or “Tsingtao.” X: The third letter that’s often followed by an “i.” It sounds like the “sh” in “she.” One famous Chinese leader, Deng Xiaoping (dung shyaow peeng), boasted this letter in his name. Zh: Unlike “j,” which often precedes a vowel to make it sound like you’re opening your mouth, “zh” is followed by vowels, which make it sound like your mouth is a bit more closed. Take Zh.u Enlai (joe un lye), for example, the great statesman of 20th-century China. When you say his name, it should sound like Joe En-lye. Z: Sounds like a “dz.” You see it in the name of the PRC’s first leader, Mao Zed.ng (maow dzuh doong), which used to be spelled Mao Tse-tung. C: Pronounced like “ts” in such words as cai (tsye; food) or cesuo (tsuh swaw; bathroom). B, D, and G: In the past, the sounds made by these three letters were represented by P, T, and K, respectively. In the past, if the corresponding initial sounds were aspirated (had air coming out of the speaker, like in the words “pie,” “tie,” and “kite”), they would’ve been written as “p’,” “t’,” and “k’.” Today, the letters “P,” “T,” and “K” represent the aspirated sounds.
