Lessing-Othmer is a romanization of Mandarin Chinese that was introduced by F. Lessing and Dr. W. Othmer, who in 1912 printed their book „Lehrgang der nordchinesischen Umgangssprache“ („Course in the North Chinese Colloquial Language“) through the „Deutsch-Chinesische Druckerei und Verlagsanstalt“ in Qingdao while it was a German colony.

In 1979, the State Council of the People's Republic of China for Romanization ruled that translations of foreign-language publications should utilize Lessing-Othmer romanization in German-speaking countries, and Pinyin in English-speaking countries.[1]

Table

The tones romanized differently from Pinyin are highlighted in blue.

Initial

BilabialLabiodental AlveolarRetroflex Alveolo-palatalVelar
VoicelessVoicedVoicelessVoiceless VoicedVoicelessVoicedVoiceless Voiceless
Nasal m [m]
ㄇ m		n [n]
ㄋ n
PlosiveUnaspirated b [p]
ㄅ b		 d [t]
ㄉ d		 g [k]
ㄍ g
Aspirated p [pʰ]
ㄆ p		 t [tʰ]
ㄊ t		 k [kʰ]
ㄎ k
AffricateUnaspirated ds [ts]
ㄗ z		 dsch [ʈʂ]
ㄓ zh		 dj [tɕ]
ㄐ j
Aspirated ts [tsʰ]
ㄘ c		 tsch [ʈʂʰ]
ㄔ ch		 tj [tɕʰ]
ㄑ q
Fricative f [f]
ㄈ f		 s [s]
ㄙ s		 sch [ʂ]
ㄕ sh		 hs [ɕ]
ㄒ x		 h [x]
ㄏ h
Liquid l [l]
ㄌ l		j [ɻ~ʐ]
ㄖ r

Finals

Coda
∅/i//u//n//ŋ//ɻ/
Medial ∅ ï [ɨ]
ㄭ -i		ö [ɤ]
ㄜ e		a [a]
ㄚ a		 e [ei]
ㄟ ei		ai [ai]
ㄞ ai		 ou [ou]
ㄡ ou		au [au]
ㄠ ao		 ën [ən]
ㄣ en		an [an]
ㄢ an		 ung [ʊŋ]
ㄨㄥ ong		ëng [əŋ]
ㄥ eng		ang [aŋ]
ㄤ ang		 örl [aɚ]
ㄦ er
/j/ i [i]
ㄧ i		iä [je]
ㄧㄝ ie		ia [ja]
ㄧㄚ ia		 iu [jou]
ㄧㄡ iu		iau [jau]
ㄧㄠ iao		 in [in]
ㄧㄣ in		iän [jɛn]
ㄧㄢ ian		 iung [jʊŋ]
ㄩㄥ iong		ing [iŋ]
ㄧㄥ ing		iang [jaŋ]
ㄧㄤ iang
/w/ u [u]
ㄨ u		o [wo]
ㄨㄛ uo		ua [wa]
ㄨㄚ ua		 ui [wei]
ㄨㄟ ui		uai [wai]
ㄨㄞ uai		 un [wən]
ㄨㄣ un		uan [wan]
ㄨㄢ uan		 ung [wəŋ]
ㄨㄥ ueng		uang [waŋ]
ㄨㄤ uang
/ɥ/ ü [y]
ㄩ ü		üä [ɥe]
ㄩㄝ üe		 ün [yn]
ㄩㄣ ün		üan [ɥɛn]
ㄩㄢ üan

References

  1. ↑ Encyclopædia Britannica, 2004 edition, "Pinyin romanization" article
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