Chinese rhyme modern

Modern Mandarin Rhyme Groups for Poetry (中华新韵)

Overview

When composing classical-style Chinese poetry using modern Mandarin pronunciation (普通话), the rhyming is based on the vowel finals (韵母) of Pinyin.

Common Rhyme Groups (韵部)

1. 麻花韵 (a, ia, ua)

Examples: 家(jiā), 花(huā), 沙(shā), 下(xià), 华(huá)

2. 波歌韵 (o, e, uo)

Examples: 歌(gē), 河(hé), 多(duō), 国(guó)

3. 皆来韵 (ai, uai)

Examples: 来(lái), 开(kāi), 台(tái), 怀(huái)

4. 开微韵 (ei, ui/uei)

Examples: 飞(fēi), 归(guī), 回(huí), 催(cuī)

5. 姑苏韵 (u)

Examples: 书(shū), 湖(hú), 路(lù), 图(tú)

6. 鱼居韵 (ü)

Examples: 鱼(yú), 居(jū), 去(qù)

7. 豪遥韵 (ao, iao)

Examples: 高(gāo), 朝(cháo), 遥(yáo), 桥(qiáo)

8. 侯求韵 (ou, iu/iou)

Examples: 楼(lóu), 秋(qiū), 流(liú), 州(zhōu)

9. 寒山韵 (an, ian, uan, üan)

Examples: 山(shān), 年(nián), 关(guān), 圆(yuán), 天(tiān), 间(jiān)

10. 痕辰韵 (en, in, un, ün)

Examples: 人(rén), 春(chūn), 门(mén), 新(xīn)

11. 唐阳韵 (ang, iang, uang)

Examples: 光(guāng), 乡(xiāng), 长(cháng), 黄(huáng)

12. 庚青韵 (eng, ing, ong, iong)

Examples: 声(shēng), 明(míng), 风(fēng), 中(zhōng)

Key Rules

• All rhyming characters in a poem must belong to the same rhyme group.
• For regulated verse, rhyming characters should be in 平声 (1st or 2nd tone).
• Modern Mandarin has no 入声 (entering tone), so all characters are classified as 平 or 仄 based on their modern tones.