Mandarin Rhotacization: A Sociolinguistic Study of Young Urban Speakers in Beijing and Other Regions of China

Abstract

Rhotacization (erhua) is a salient phonological feature of Beijing Mandarin and a well-known marker of regional identity in China, especially among male speakers. However, the distribution of this feature among younger Mandarin speakers, notably in large cities, somewhat differs from the distribution described in previous studies . This study investigates the effects of region and gender on erhua usage among urban Mandarin speakers born in the 2000s, recruiting participants from Beijing and other major Chinese cities, evenly divided by gender. Through a quantitative comparison across groups and styles in performing reading tasks, the results show a robust regional effect: Beijing speakers use erhua at significantly higher rates than non-Beijing speakers. Beijing speakers also display substantially greater individual variation, likely reflecting the city’s sociolinguistic heterogeneity. In contrast, no statistically significant gender difference was found. However, descriptive patterns suggest that Beijing men may reduce rhotacization more sharply in formal contexts than women, indicating possible gendered style shifting. These findings highlight the continued importance of regional background in shaping erhua usage while suggesting a potential weakening of traditional gender-based differences among younger urban speakers.