One of the questions we run in too, quite frequently, is ,”What is the difference between Chinese and Mandarin”.

While mandarin is the official language of China and almost all Chinese-born citizens can speak Mandarin, it is by far not the only language spoken in China. This can make the question of if Chinese and Mandarin are the same thing, a little more complicated. So let’s look at some things we know to be true.

• Mandarin officially is known as 普通话 (pǔ tōng huà). This translates to “the common tongue”.
  
• The term 中文 (zhōng wén) is commonly used to refer to Mandarin. The character 中 (zhōng) means “middle” and the character 文 (wén) means “language”. The character 中 (zhōng) comes from China’s historical view of itself as the Middle Kingdom. So the term 中文 (zhōng wén) can be translated as the “middle kingdom language” which
  basically means “Chinese language”.
  

So from this, we can gather that referring to Mandarin as Chinese is not incorrect, as functionally it is the Chinese language. But, there are also many other languages spoken in China. Let’s have a look.

Mandarin vs Cantonese

Cantonese and Mandarin are the two most prominent Chinese languages, each with unique characteristics and cultural significance. Mandarin is the official language of China and the most widely spoken language globally, with over a billion speakers. Cantonese, on the other hand, is primarily spoken in the Guangdong province, Hong Kong, and Macau.

Diffrences between Cantonese and Mandarin

• Mandarin has four basic tones and a fifth neutral tone. Cantonese is commonly spoken with 6 tones, but traditionally it contains 9 tones.
• Mandarin uses simplified and traditional Chinese characters while Cantonese favours traditional Chinese characters.
• Mandarin and Cantonese speakers can not understand one another when speaking. (Most people born in Guangdong province speak both Mandarin and Cantonese).

Similarities between Cantonese and Mandarin

• Even though they are not spoken in the same way, most words are written with the same characters. Mandarin speakers are able to read Cantonese to some extent.
• Both Mandarin and Cantonese follow the same basic pattern when constructing sentences but the grammar rules are not identical.

The Beijing Dailect

The Beijing dialect, sometimes called “Beijinghua” (北京话), is the dialect or accent found in Beijing locals.  As the foundation of Standard Mandarin , the Beijing dialect holds significant influence over how Mandarin is spoken throughout China.

Quirks of the Beijing Dialect

• The intonation in the Beijing dialect can be more exaggerated and expressive compared to other Mandarin dialects. This can make the speech sound more vibrant and dynamic.
• A distinct feature of the Beijing accent is the prominent use of “Erhuayin,” where an elongated “er” sound is appended to numerous words and expressions.

The linguistic landscape of China is a testament to its historical richness and cultural diversity. From the widespread use of Mandarin to the melodic tones of Cantonese, the intricate syllables of Shanghainese, and the numerous other dialects and languages spoken across its vast regions, each contributes to the nation’s vibrant mosaic.

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