Phofsit Daibuun (普實臺文, PSDB) is an orthography in the Latin alphabet for Taiwanese Hokkien based on Modern Literal Taiwanese. It allows for the use of the ASCII character set to indicate the proper lexical tones without any subsidiary scripts or diacritic symbols.

Phonology

ConsonantsIPA: Pulmonic    Dental Alveolo-palatal Bilabial AlveolarVelar Glottal Plosive voiceless unaspiration     p d k ' () aspiration     ph t q   voiced unaspiration     b   g   Affricate voiceless unaspiration z c         aspiration zh ch         voiced unaspiration   j         Fricative voiceless unaspiration s si         aspiration           h Nasal voiced unaspiration     m/v n ng/v   Lateral voiced unaspiration       l    

Nasalized syllables are indicated by "v" preceding the syllable nucleus. Except for b, j, l, which do not precede nasalized vowels, and m and n, which are already nasals.

Normal c ch d g h k p ph q s t z zh ø Nasalized cv chv dv gv hv kv pv phv qv sv tv zv zhv v Example 爭(cvy) 星(chvy) 鄭(dve) 硬(gve) 耳(hvi) 件(kvia) 病(pve) 鼻(phvi) 扲(qvii) 漬(svi) 縫(tvi) 濺(zvoa) 青(zhvef) 院(vi)

VowelsIPA: Vowels   Front Central Back Close i   u Close-mid e   oi(2) Mid   oi(1)   Open-mid     o Open a    

Regarding the pronunciation of "oi": in southern regions such as Tainan, the pronunciation tends toward oi(1), the mid central vowel ə in central and northern regions, the pronunciation tends toward oi(2), the close-mid back unrounded vowel ɤ

Tone spellings The table below shows the spelling of the basic tone (7) mid tone, and the four sub-tones (1) high, (5) rising, (3) low falling/low, (2) falling/high falling (') indicates a changed tone (**) indicates a tone that does not exist in standard Taiwanese

Monophthongs

a (ha)夏 af 阿 aa (gaa)牙 ax (pax)豹 ar (kar)絞 i 異 y 伊 ii 姨 ix 意 ie 椅 u 有 w 污 uu (guu)牛 ux 熨 uo 羽 e 下 ef (qef)溪(qef) ee 的 ex (kex)嫁 ea 矮 o 芋 of 黑 oo 湖 ox (tox)兔 or 挖 oi (goi)餓 oy 渦 ooi 蚵 oix 奧 oir 襖 ng (hng)遠 ngf 秧 ngg 黃 ngx 怏 ngr 阮 m 毋 mf' (mfpooi)姆婆 mm 蕾 mx' (mxsi)不是 mr 姆

Diphthongs

ai (dai)代 ay 哀 aai (daai)台 aix 愛 ae 藹 au 後 aw 歐 aau 喉 aux 懊 ao (kao)狗 ia 夜 iaf 埃 iaa 爺 iax 厭 iar 野 iau 耀 iaw 邀 iaau 姚 iaux (tiaux)跳 iao (ciao)鳥 ioi (bioi)廟 ioy 腰 iooi 搖 ioix (kioix)叫 ioir (cioir)少 iu 柚 iw 憂 iuu 油 iux 幼 iuo 友 oa (doa)大 oaf (koaf)歌 oaa (zoaa)蛇 oax (hoax)化 oar (zoar)紙 oai (hoai)壞 oay (koay)乖 oaai (hoaai)懷 oaix (koaix)怪 oae (koae)拐 oe 話 oef 鍋 oee 唯 oex (hoex)貨 oea 挖 ui 位 uy 威 uii 圍 uix 畏 uie 委

Nasal finals

an (han)限 afn 安 aan 緊 axn 案 arn (karn)簡 ang (bang)網 afng 翁 aang 紅 axng 甕 arng (karng)講 am 頷 afm 醃 aam 涵 axm 暗 arm 洝 eng 用 efng 鷹 eeng 閒 exng 應 erng 泳 iam 豔 iafm 閹 iaam 鹽 iaxm 厭 iarm 掩 iang 恙 iafng 央 iaang 陽 iaxng 泱 iarng 養 ien 沿 iefn 煙 ieen 鉛 iexn 宴 iern 演 in 胤 yn 因 iin 云 ixn 印 irn 引 im (dim)燉 ym 音 iim 淫 ixm 蔭 irm 飲 iong 用 iofng 央 ioong 容 ioxng 擁 iorng 勇 oan 緩 oafn 冤 oaan 完 oaxn 怨 oarn 遠 ong 旺 ofng 汪 oong 王 oxng 罋 orng 往 un 運 wn 溫 uun 勻 uxn 搵 urn 隱 om' 掩'埋 ofm 掩 oom** oxm (doxm)頓 orm' (dorm)頓'頭

Checked syllables

# symbol represents characters used for their meaning, rather than their pronunciation

Monophthong

Labial Dental Velar Open Low ab 壓 ad 握 ag 渥 aq 鴨 High ap 盒 at (bat)密 ak (bak)目 ah (tah)疊 Low ib 揖 id 壹 ig** iq (tiq)鐵 High ip 佾 it 軼 ik** ih 胰 Low ub** ud 熨 ug** uq (duq)拄 High up** ut (kut)滑 uk** uh (duh)刺 Low eb** ed** eg 億 eq (keq)格 High ep** et** 役 eh 狹 Low ob (lob)#踏 od** og 惡 oq (moq)漏平 High op (lop'lob) ot** ok (dok)獨 oh (moh)膜 Low oib** oid** oig** oiq #慢 High oip** oit** oik** oih 學

Diphthong

iab #掩藏 ied 謁 iag (siag)摔 iaq 扼 iap 葉 iet 搧 iak (diak)彈 iah 頁 oad #轉 iog auq (kauq)輾 oat 悅 iok 育 auh (bauh)貿 iuq (kiuq)縮 iauq (hiauq)剝 iuh' (kiuh)縮 iauh (hiauh)剝 oaq (koaq)割 ioiq #猜 oeq (hoeq)血 uiq (huiq)血 oah 活 ioih 藥 oeh 劃 uih 劃

Rarely used vowels

Vowel Example io nio, =nio 讓；svio, =sviu 想 iof diofng 忠；hviof, =hviw香 ioo nioo, =niuu 量，想；hioong affectionate, cruel iox cioxng 將，從；hioxng 向 ior nior, =niuo 兩；bioir 秒 ioq hioq 嗎 (interrogative) oaiq voaiq 瘸著走 oaih' vih'voaih'kioix 噫椏叫 mq hmq, =hmr strike down forcefully mh hmh insidious, silent; hmq'hmh ngq hngq (expression of agreement) ngh dngh 當, 擔任；hngh (expression of disapproval)

Examples Universal Declaration of Human Rights PSDB English Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Article 1

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Greetings PSDB Translation RemarksCiaqpar`boe? Greetings. ("Have you eaten?")Sitlea! Sorry for my impoliteness! (lit., "Disrespect")Goar tviaf booi. I don't understand. (lit., "I hear not")Piexnsor di doyui? Where's the bathroom? (lit., "bathroom is where?")Loflat! Kafmsia!Thank you Ho daf `lax! Cheers! (lit., Let it [the cup/glass] be dry [empty]!)Lie karm korng Engguo?Do you speak English? Siensvy korng, hagsefng diaxmdiam tviaf. The teacher talks, the students quietly listen. Kin'afjit hit'ee zabor-gyn'ar laai goarn daw qvoax goar. Today that girl came to my house to see me. Kin'axm larn beq qix Suxliim Iaxchi'ar.Tonight, we want to go to Shilin Night Market.

Comparison chart

Notes

External links PSDB(Phofsit Daibuun) Formosa culture(Kun dor guan'de)