Last Updated on August 12, 2017
[lastupdated]
Pinyin, is the most common way to romanize Mandarin Chinese today. It is what is used in Mainland China. But there are other romanization systems as well, one of which is Wade-Giles. Wade-Giles was finished in 1892, while Pinyin was developed in the 1950’s. There are still many books, people’s surnames (especially in Taiwan), city names, and universities that use the Wade-Giles system. This article include a conversion table from the Pinyin system of romanization, to the Wade-Giles, an older romanization system.
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A Few Quick Notes About Wade-Giles System of Romanization
The proper use of Wade-Giles uses diacritics, including ê, û, and ü. But, if you know the Pinyin pronunciation, it shouldn’t be a problem. In addition, proper Wade-Giles use uses apostrophes. Apostrophes are critical with the Wade-Giles system. For example, tao in Wade-Giles corresponds to dao in Pinyin, and t’ao in Wade-Giles corresponds to tao in Pinyin. If you ignore or just arbitrarily drop apostrophes, you may lose meaning and create lots of mistakes.
The following table is sorted alphabetically by Pinyin.
| Pinyin | Wade-Giles |
| A | |
| a | a |
| ai | ai |
| an | an |
| ang | ang |
| ao | ao |
| Pinyin | Wade-Giles |
| B | |
| ba | pa |
| bai | pai |
| ban | pan |
| bang | pang |
| bao | pao |
| bei | pei |
| ben | pên |
| beng | pêng |
| bi | pi |
| bian | pien |
| biao | piao |
| bie | pieh |
| bin | pin |
| bing | ping |
| bo | po |
| bu | pu |
| Pinyin | Wade-Giles |
| C | |
| ca | ts’a |
| cai | ts’ai |
| can | ts’an |
| cang | ts’ang |
| cao | ts’ao |
| ce | ts’ê |
| cen | ts’ên |
| ceng | ts’êng |
| cha | ch’a |
| chai | ch’ai |
| chan | ch’an |
| chang | ch’ang |
| chao | ch’ao |
| che | ch’ê |
| chen | ch’ên |
| cheng | ch’êng |
| chi | ch’ih |
| chong | ch’ung |
| chou | ch’ou |
| chu | ch’u |
| chua | ch’ua |
| chuai | ch’uai |
| chuan | ch’uan |
| chuang | ch’uang |
| chui | ch’ui |
| chun | ch’un |
| chuo | ch’o |
| cong | ts’ung |
| cou | ts’ou |
| cu | ts’u |
| cuan | ts’uan |
| cui | ts’ui |
| cun | ts’un |
| cuo | ts’o |
| Pinyin | Wade-Giles |
| D | |
| da | ta |
| dai | tai |
| dan | tan |
| dang | tang |
| dao | tao |
| de | te |
| dei | tei |
| deng | têng |
| di | ti |
| dian | tien |
| diao | tiao |
| die | tieh |
| ding | ting |
| diu | tiu |
| dong | tung |
| dou | tou |
| du | tu |
| duan | tuan |
| dui | tui |
| dun | tun |
| duo | to |
| Pinyin | Wade-Giles |
| E | |
| e | o (e) |
| en | en |
| eng | eng |
| er | êrh |
| Pinyin | Wade-Giles |
| F | |
| fa | fa |
| fan | fan |
| fang | fang |
| fei | fei |
| fen | fên |
| feng | fêng |
| fo | fo |
| fou | fou |
| fu | fu |
| Pinyin | Wade-Giles |
| G | |
| ga | ka |
| gai | kai |
| gan | kan |
| gang | kang |
| gao | kao |
| ge | ke (ko) |
| ge | ko (ke) |
| gei | kei |
| gen | kên |
| geng | kêng |
| gong | kung |
| gou | kou |
| gu | ku |
| gua | kua |
| guai | kuai |
| guan | kuan |
| guang | kuang |
| gui | kuei |
| gun | kun |
| guo | kuo |
| Pinyin | Wade-Giles |
| H | |
| ha | ha |
| hai | hai |
| han | han |
| hang | hang |
| hao | hao |
| he | ho |
| hei | hei |
| hen | hên |
| heng | heng |
| hong | hung |
| hou | hou |
| hu | hu |
| hua | hua |
| huai | huai |
| huan | huan |
| huang | huang |
| hui | hui |
| hun | hun |
| huo | huo |
| Pinyin | Wade-Giles |
| J | |
| ji | chi |
| jia | chia |
| jian | chien |
| jiang | chiang |
| jiao | chiao |
| jie | chieh |
| jin | chin |
| jing | ching |
| jiong | chiung |
| jiu | chiu |
| ju | chü |
| juan | chüan |
| jue | chüeh |
| jun | chün |
| Pinyin | Wade-Giles |
| K | |
| ka | k’a |
| kai | k’ai |
| kan | k’an |
| kang | k’ang |
| kao | k’ao |
| ke | k’e (k’o) |
| ken | k’ên |
| keng | k’êng |
| kong | k’ung |
| kou | k’ou |
| ku | k’u |
| kua | k’ua |
| kuai | k’uai |
| kuan | k’uan |
| kuang | k’uang |
| kui | k’uei |
| kun | k’un |
| kuo | k’uo |
| Pinyin | Wade-Giles |
| L | |
| la | la |
| lai | lai |
| lan | lan |
| lang | lang |
| lao | lao |
| le | le |
| lei | lei |
| leng | leng |
| li | li |
| lia | lia |
| lian | lien |
| liang | liang |
| liao | liao |
| lie | lieh |
| lin | lin |
| ling | ling |
| liu | liu |
| long | lung |
| lou | lou |
| lü | lü |
| lu | lu |
| luan | luan |
| lüe | lüeh |
| lün | lün |
| lun | lun |
| luo | lo |
| Pinyin | Wade-Giles |
| M | |
| ma | ma |
| mai | mai |
| man | man |
| mang | mang |
| mao | mao |
| mei | mei |
| men | mên |
| meng | mêng |
| mi | mi |
| mian | mien |
| miao | miao |
| mie | mieh |
| min | min |
| ming | ming |
| miu | miu |
| mo | mo |
| mou | mou |
| mu | mu |
| Pinyin | Wade-Giles |
| N | |
| na | na |
| nai | nai |
| nan | nan |
| nang | nang |
| nao | nao |
| nei | nei |
| nen | nên |
| neng | nêng |
| ni | ni |
| nian | nien |
| niang | niang |
| niao | niao |
| nie | nieh |
| nin | nin |
| ning | ning |
| niu | niu |
| nong | nung |
| nou | nou |
| nu | nu |
| nü | nü |
| nuan | nuan |
| nüe | nüeh |
| nun | nun |
| nuo | no |
| Pinyin | Wade-Giles |
| O | |
| ou | ou |
| Pinyin | Wade-Giles |
| P | |
| pa | p’a |
| pai | p’ai |
| pan | p’an |
| pang | p’ang |
| pei | p’ei |
| peng | p’ên |
| peng | p’êng |
| pi | p’i |
| pian | p’ien |
| piao | p’iao |
| pie | p’ieh |
| pin | p’in |
| ping | p’ing |
| po | p’o |
| pou | p’ou |
| pu | p’u |
| Pinyin | Wade-Giles |
| Q | |
| qi | ch’i |
| qia | ch’ia |
| qian | ch’ien |
| qiang | ch’iang |
| qiao | ch‘iao |
| qie | ch’ieh |
| qin | ch’in |
| qing | ch’ing |
| qiong | ch’iung |
| qiu | ch’iu |
| qu | ch’ü |
| quan | ch’üan |
| que | ch’üeh |
| qun | ch’ün |
| Pinyin | Wade-Giles |
| R | |
| rang | jan |
| rang | jang |
| rao | jao |
| re | jê |
| ren | jên |
| reng | jêng |
| ri | jih |
| rong | jung |
| rou | jou |
| ru | ju |
| ruan | juan |
| rui | jui |
| run | jun |
| ruo | jo |
| Pinyin | Wade-Giles |
| S | |
| sa | sa |
| sai | sai |
| san | san |
| sang | sang |
| sao | sao |
| se | sê |
| sen | sên |
| seng | sêng |
| sha | sha |
| shai | shai |
| shan | shan |
| shang | shang |
| shao | shao |
| she | shê |
| shei | shei |
| shen | shên |
| sheng | shêng |
| shi | shih |
| shou | shou |
| shu | shu |
| shua | shua |
| shuai | shuai |
| shuan | shuan |
| shuang | shuang |
| shui | shui |
| shun | shun |
| shuo | shuo |
| si | ssû (szu) |
| song | sung |
| sou | sou |
| su | su |
| suan | suan |
| sui | sui |
| sun | sun |
| suo | so |
| Pinyin | Wade-Giles |
| T | |
| ta | t’a |
| tai | t’ai |
| tan | t’an |
| tang | t’ang |
| tao | t’ao |
| te | t’e |
| teng | t’êng |
| ti | t’i |
| tian | t’ien |
| tiao | t’iao |
| tie | t’ieh |
| ting | t’ing |
| tong | t’ung |
| tou | t’ou |
| tu | t’u |
| tuan | t’uan |
| tui | t’ui |
| tun | t’un |
| tuo | t’o |
| Pinyin | Wade-Giles |
| W | |
| wa | wa |
| wai | wai |
| wan | wan |
| wang | wang |
| wei | wei |
| wen | wên |
| weng | wêng |
| wo | wo |
| wu | wu |
| Pinyin | Wade-Giles |
| X | |
| xi | hsi |
| xia | hsin |
| xia | hsia |
| xian | hsien |
| xiang | hsiang |
| xiao | hsiao |
| xie | hsieh |
| xin | hsin |
| hsing | |
| xiong | hsiung |
| xiu | hsiu |
| xu | hsü |
| xuan | hsüan |
| xue | hsüeh |
| xun | hsün |
| Pinyin | Wade-Giles |
| Y | |
| ya | ya |
| yai | yai |
| yan | yen |
| yang | yang |
| yao | yao |
| ye | yeh |
| yi | i (yi) |
| yin | yin |
| ying | ying |
| yong | yung |
| you | yu |
| yu | yü |
| yuan | yüan |
| yue | yüeh |
| yun | yün |
| Pinyin | Wade-Giles |
| Z | |
| za | tsa |
| zai | tsai |
| zan | tsan |
| zang | tsang |
| zao | tsao |
| ze | tsê |
| zei | tsei |
| zen | tsên |
| zeng | tsêng |
| zha | cha |
| zhai | chai |
| zhan | chan |
| zhang | chang |
| zhao | chao |
| zhe | che |
| zhei | chei |
| zhen | chen |
| zhen | chên |
| zheng | chêng |
| zheng | chêng |
| zhi | chih |
| zhong | chung |
| zhou | chou |
| zhu | chu |
| zhua | chua |
| zhuai | chuai |
| zhuan | chuan |
| zhuang | chuang |
| zhui | chui |
| zhun | chun |
| zhuo | cho |
| zi | tz’u (or tzû) |
| zong | tsung |
| zou | tsou |
| zu | tsu |
| zuan | tsuan |
| zui | tsui |
| zun | tsun |
| zuo | tso |
Interested in seeing a Wade-Giles Conversion To Pinyin conversion table? See that here. Do you have anything to add to this article? Let’s discuss it in the comments below.