MING YE Explains the Manchu Twelve Syllabic Sections: Understanding the Manchu Alphabet and Writing System — Part II
MING YE Explains the Manchu Twelve Syllabic Sections: Understanding the Manchu Alphabet and Writing System — Part II
9/23/20268 min read
MING YE Explains the Manchu Twelve Syllabic Sections: Understanding the Manchu Alphabet and Writing System — Part II
From the Twelve Syllabic Sections to Manchu Reading and Calligraphy
By Ming Ye (MING YE)
In Part I, we began with the six basic vowels of Manchu and gradually introduced fundamental combinations such as na, ka, ga, ha, ba, pa, sa, xa, ta, da, la, and ma. We also discussed the basic concept of the “Twelve Syllabic Sections.”
If the material introduced in Part I may be regarded as establishing the “framework” of the Manchu writing system, the next stage is to expand and develop that framework so that learners can acquire the practical ability to read, transliterate, and write Manchu.
11. The ang Series: From Basic Syllables to Syllables with Finals
Once learners have become familiar with basic consonant–vowel combinations, they can proceed to more complex syllabic structures.
For example:
ang, eng, ing, ong, ung, vng
These can be further practiced in combinations such as:
angga, engge, inggi, onggo, unggu, vnggv
The principal objective at this stage is to become familiar with syllables containing nasal finals.
Examples include:
tang — Tang
jang — Zhang
tanggv — hundred
inenggi — daytime; day
enenggi — today
sunggari — the Milky Way
angga — mouth
By this stage, learners are no longer limited to simple open syllables. They can begin to recognize and analyze more complex morphological and syllabic structures in Manchu words.
12. al, am, and an: Recognizing Different Syllable-Final Consonants
The next stage introduces combinations such as:
al, el, il, ol, ul, vl
am, em, im, om, um, vm
and:
an, en, in, on, un, vn
The primary purpose of these combinations is to familiarize learners with the written forms that occur when consonants such as l, m, and n function in syllable-final position.
Examples include:
amba — large; great
elhe — peaceful; safe
niyalma — person; human being
julge — ancient; former times
emgi — together
Other examples include:
anda — friend
manju — Manchu
duin — four
sunja — five
ninju — sixty
After completing this stage, beginners generally experience a noticeable improvement in their ability to read Manchu words, since a considerable number of Manchu lexical forms contain these syllable-final structures.
13. as, ax, ar, ab, at, and ak: Gradually Mastering More Complex Syllabic Structures
An important later component of the Twelve Syllabic Sections involves syllables formed with different consonants in final position.
For example:
as, es, is, os, us, vs
ax, ex, ix, ox, ux, vx
ar, er, ir, or, ur, vr
ab, eb, ib, ob, ub, vb
at, et, it, ot, ut, vt
ak, ek, ik, ok, uk, vk
This stage represents an important transition in the study of Manchu.
At this point, learners can no longer rely solely on identifying which letter a particular form appears to resemble. Instead, they must begin to understand the internal composition of a syllable:
How, precisely, is a Manchu syllable constructed?
Consider the following examples:
irgen — people; populace
abka — heaven; sky
erde — early; morning
dergi — east
wargi — west
julergi — south
amargi — north
When these words are encountered in actual reading, learners can see that their structures are built progressively from the fundamental patterns introduced in earlier stages.
14. Beyond Regular Patterns: Learning a Limited Number of Special Forms
Every writing system contains regular patterns, but it may also include forms that must be learned individually.
After the ak series, for example, learners should pay particular attention to special syllables such as:
tek, kuk, guk, huk, k’ak, g’ak, h’ak
This is an important point for beginners.
One of the most common misconceptions in language learning is the assumption that a rule should explain every possible form.
In practice, a more effective approach is:
learn the majority of forms through regular patterns, while memorizing a limited number of special forms individually.
This approach is generally more efficient.
The existence of several special forms should not lead learners to conclude that the entire system is irregular. Conversely, learners should not pursue absolute regularity to the point of overlooking established conventions in actual written usage.
15. ca, za, r’a, and sy: Representing Proper Names and Particular Sounds in Manchu
Beyond the basic Manchu orthographic system, learners will encounter certain letter forms used to transcribe particular Chinese syllables, geographical names, personal names, and other sounds.
Examples include:
ca, ce, ci, co, cu
za, ze, zi, zo, zu
as well as:
r’a, r’e, r’i, r’o, r’u
sy, qy, jy
These forms can be used in the transcription of Chinese proper names, titles, and geographical names, including examples such as:
Cai Ming, Zengzi, Shizi, Zongdu, Zaixiang, and Caifeng, as well as Japan, Rehe, Renzong, Zhili, and Sichuan.
This demonstrates that Manchu was not a closed writing system restricted exclusively to native Manchu vocabulary.
Over the course of its historical use, the script also developed conventions for representing Chinese proper names and other sounds.
After completing this stage, learners can attempt a particularly meaningful exercise:
writing their own names in the Manchu script.
At this point, the learner begins to move from simply “studying the script” toward actually “using the script.”
16. Why I Advocate Learning Manchu through the Twelve Syllabic Sections
If I were to offer one central piece of advice to beginners, it would be this:
Do not learn Manchu as dozens of isolated letters. Learn it as a structured syllabic system.
This is where the principal advantage of the Twelve Syllabic Sections becomes apparent.
First, they address the problem of memorization.
Memorizing dozens of letters individually can quickly become tedious.
When they are instead learned systematically in groups such as:
na, ne, ni, no, nu, nv
or in related series such as:
ka, ga, ha
the learner begins to perceive recurring patterns and structural relationships.
Second, the system facilitates decoding and reading.
When learners encounter an unfamiliar word, they no longer need to analyze every letter slowly and independently. Instead, they can begin to identify its structure more rapidly:
Which consonant occurs at the beginning?
Which vowel forms the center of the syllable?
Which consonant functions as the final?
As this ability develops, reading becomes progressively more fluent.
Third, the system facilitates writing.
Manchu is not written simply by placing a sequence of isolated letters beside one another.
The form of a letter may change according to whether it occurs independently or in initial, medial, or final position.
Learning syllables, therefore, simultaneously provides training in the principles of connected writing.
Finally, this method establishes an important foundation for the study of Manchu calligraphy.
Manchu calligraphy is not identical to ordinary literacy, but both rest upon the same fundamental principle:
first learn to write the script correctly; then learn to write it beautifully.
If a student of calligraphy has not mastered standard Manchu letter structures, joining conventions, and the distinctions between individual letters, even visually attractive brushwork will not by itself lead to a genuine command of Manchu calligraphy.
For this reason, I have consistently maintained that:
Manchu calligraphy cannot be separated from the Manchu writing system itself.
17. From Recognition to Writing, and from Writing to Practical Use
A systematic introduction to Manchu may be understood as proceeding through three broad stages.
The first stage is:
Recognition.
The learner sees a letter and knows what it is.
The learner sees a syllable and is able to read it.
The second stage is:
Writing.
The learner understands how a letter changes in its isolated, initial, medial, and final forms.
The learner can write letters correctly according to the conventions of connected Manchu script.
The third stage is:
Practical use.
The learner can write words, personal names, and simple sentences.
The learner can convert Latin transliteration into Manchu script and can also transliterate Manchu script back into Latin letters.
Only when these two directions of conversion become increasingly familiar can the learner be said to have acquired a genuine command of the Manchu alphabet rather than simply the ability to copy written forms.
18. Learning the Manchu Alphabet as the First Step toward Manchu Calligraphy
Because I have long been engaged in the practice and creation of Manchu calligraphy, I place particular emphasis on one principle:
the study of the Manchu alphabet and the study of Manchu calligraphy should not be completely separated from one another.
At the beginning, a learner may focus primarily on writing each form correctly.
As study progresses, however, it becomes increasingly apparent that the Manchu script possesses highly distinctive linear and compositional characteristics.
Its vertical structure naturally creates a sense of upward and downward extension.
The continuous connection of letters within a word also allows the word to form a visual line extending along the vertical axis.
This continuity is one of the most distinctive visual characteristics of Manchu calligraphy.
In practical writing, learners should therefore gradually begin to pay attention to:
the spacing between letters, the relative proportions of long and short elements, the placement of dots and circles, the vertical balance of the written form, the treatment of final strokes, and the spacing between words.
At this stage, the Twelve Syllabic Sections are no longer merely a method for learning the language. They can also function as fundamental exercises in the practice of Manchu calligraphy.
For example, repeatedly writing:
na, ne, ni, no, nu, nv
provides practice in observing how a consonantal structure changes when combined with different vowels.
Similarly, repeated practice of:
ka, ga, ha
helps train the eye and hand to distinguish subtle differences between graphically related forms.
For this reason, I have always regarded the Twelve Syllabic Sections as material that should be both read and written.
19. Beginners Do Not Need to Memorize the Entire Table at Once
Many beginners feel intimidated when they first encounter a complete table of the Twelve Syllabic Sections.
They may ask:
“How am I ever going to memorize all of this?”
There is no need to memorize the entire table at the beginning.
A more effective method is to learn it progressively and in stages.
First, master the six basic vowels.
Second, learn several of the most frequently used consonant series.
Third, begin reading simple words.
Fourth, gradually introduce the remaining letters.
Fifth, study the different syllable-final combinations.
Sixth, return to the Twelve Syllabic Sections as a whole and practice reading and writing them systematically.
This approach is more effective than attempting to memorize the entire table mechanically from beginning to end.
The Twelve Syllabic Sections should not become a burden of memorization for beginners. Rather, after learners have acquired a basic foundation, they should serve as a structural synthesis of the Manchu syllabic system as a whole.
20. The Fundamental Significance of the Twelve Syllabic Sections: Transforming Manchu from “Unfamiliar Symbols” into a Readable Language
When many people first encounter Manchu, they see little more than a sequence of unfamiliar symbols arranged vertically.
Once they begin studying the script, however, they discover that Manchu possesses a high degree of structural regularity.
First, they learn:
a, e, i, o, u, v
Then:
na, ne, ni, no, nu, nv
They gradually proceed to:
ka, ga, ha
ba, pa
sa, xa
ta, da
la, ma
qa, ja, ya
and subsequently to the various syllable-final combinations.
What initially appeared to be a complicated sequence of unfamiliar forms gradually becomes a system that can be segmented, decoded, read, and understood.
This transformation is one of the most rewarding aspects of learning Manchu.
The learner progresses from “seeing a sequence of symbols” to “seeing a syllable”;
from “seeing a syllable” to “seeing a word”;
and ultimately to being able to read and write Manchu as a meaningful system of language.
Conclusion
Learning the Manchu script is not as difficult as many people initially imagine.
What it requires above all is an appropriate method.
If learners attempt to memorize every letter as an isolated form, Manchu can appear unnecessarily complicated.
If, however, the writing system is understood through its vowels, consonant combinations, syllable-final structures, and the organization of the Twelve Syllabic Sections, its underlying regularity becomes much more apparent.
The value of the Twelve Syllabic Sections lies precisely in making these patterns visible and learnable.
They constitute both a traditional method of literacy instruction and an effective system of syllabic training. They are useful not only for beginners learning to read Manchu but also as foundational exercises for the study and practice of Manchu calligraphy.
For me, the ultimate purpose of learning Manchu is not simply to “recognize a few words.”
Its deeper significance lies in using the written language as a means of re-engaging with Manchu history, language, documentary traditions, and artistic heritage.
Once a writing system can be read and written again, the culture it carries can also be brought back into living engagement.
— Ming Ye (MING YE)