run2-mandarin-rhyming

name	run2_mandarin-rhyming
description	Detailed guide to modern Mandarin rhyming and tone classification for classical Chinese poetry, including common pitfalls.

Mandarin Rhyming & Tones for Classical Poetry

Tone Classification (Modern Mandarin)

Category	Tones	Examples
平声 (level)	1st tone (阴平), 2nd tone (阳平)	风(fēng), 人(rén)
仄声 (oblique)	3rd tone (上声), 4th tone (去声)	火(huǒ), 目(mù)

Common Pitfall: 入声字

• Ancient 入声 characters have been redistributed into all 4 modern tones
• When the task specifies "modern Mandarin pronunciation," use modern tones directly
• Examples: 白(bái, 2nd tone → 平 in modern), 月(yuè, 4th tone → 仄 in modern)

Productive Rhyme Groups (韵部) in Modern Mandarin

Group	Finals	Example Characters
-ang	-ang, -iang, -uang	疮 chuāng, 行 háng, 方 fāng, 郎 láng, 长 cháng, 光 guāng, 乡 xiāng
-an	-an, -ian, -uan	山 shān, 间 jiān, 关 guān, 年 nián
-en	-en, -in, -un	人 rén, 春 chūn, 新 xīn
-ong	-ong, -iong	中 zhōng, 空 kōng, 风 fēng (note: 风 is -eng, not -ong)
-eng	-eng, -ing	生 shēng, 情 qíng, 明 míng

Verification Steps for Rhyming

1. List all rhyming characters and their pinyin
2. Confirm all share the same final (韵母)
3. Confirm all are 平声 (1st or 2nd tone)
4. Check for polyphonic characters (多音字) — use the pronunciation that fits the context
   • 行: háng (row) vs xíng (walk) — both are 平
   • 种: zhǒng (seed) vs zhòng (plant) — both are 仄
   • 长: cháng (long) vs zhǎng (grow) — cháng is 平, zhǎng is 仄