Learn Hani: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners121

Introduction

Hani is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Hani people in southern China and northern Vietnam. It is a tonal language with a rich history and culture. This tutorial will provide a comprehensive introduction to Hani, covering its pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary.

Pronunciation

Hani has 18 initial consonants, 11 vowels, and 4 tones. The tones are: high, mid-level, low, and dipping.

The following table shows the Hani consonant inventory:


Bilabial
Dental
Alveolar
Palatal
Velar


Voiceless stops
p
t
c
kj
k


Voiced stops
b
d
j
gj
g


Nasals
m
n


ŋ

Fricatives
f

s
sj
h

Approximants
w

l
j

The following table shows the Hani vowel inventory:


Front
Central
Back


High
i

u


Mid
e
ə
o


Low
a

ɔ

Grammar

Hani is a SOV (subject-object-verb) language. The basic word order is:

Subject + Object + Verb

For example:

ŋɔŋ haŋ toŋ

I eat rice

Hani verbs do not conjugate for person or number. The tense of the verb is indicated by the use of particles.

The following table shows some common Hani verbs:

Verb
Meaning


toŋ
eat


loŋ
drink


kɔŋ
sleep


hoŋ
walk


jaŋ
say

Vocabulary

The following table shows some common Hani vocabulary:

Hani
English


ŋɔŋ
I


ŋɔŋ
you


ŋɔŋ
he/she


haŋ
rice


loŋ
water


kɔŋ
house


hoŋ
tree


jaŋ
mountain

Conclusion

This tutorial has provided a comprehensive introduction to Hani, covering its pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. With this knowledge, you can begin to learn more about the Hani language and culture.

2025-01-28

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