Varieties of Chinese
If you have heard about the features of the Chinese, you have heard that the Chinese have such different dialects that are discussed if they are different dialects or languages, or something. Well I have to tell you this:
So there are several Chinese languages, not just one. Chinese languages can also be called Sinitic languages and belong to the Sino-Tibetan language family. What is certain is that it is said that Chinese is only one language, and its varieties are dialects, but that's because it was so before, but now have changed both varieties that are distinctly separate languages.
The most Chinese spoken language, the common language for all Chinese, and I'm studying is Mandarin. All other languages like Wu, Catonese or Hakka are spoken to a lesser extent and regionally.
Then each Chinese language has dialects, which are often called subdialects, and they are so different that some of them there are arguments that if they are dialects or different languages. The Mandarin dialect which the Chinese government seeks to impose the whole of China is known as pǔtōnghuà, which is standardized Mandarin based on the Beijing dialect.
There are about ten Chinese languages, but it is difficult to count them accurately, since some varieties are discussed that if they are separate languages or dialects.
Knowing read Chinese, you can understand any Chinese texts as the Chinese writing is logographic, meaning that the characters represent units of meaning, and therefore any idea is written basically the same between Sinitic languages; but not listening in another language, because the words are different between the two languages. For example, one which can only speak Mandarin Cantonese can understand a text, but not a conversation in that language, since the pronunciation is completely different.
Also, sometimes the Chinese have understanding problems speaking the same language, but in different dialects, as there are also distinctions in pronunciation of words between dialects of the same language.
A part of Chinese languages, as we know, also in China other languages as Tibetan or Uighur are spoken too, which also are important in the regions where they are spoken respectively.
However, Mandarin which is imposing is more present in all of China, at least in the working world, so it takes only speak pǔtōnghuà to live in any part of the country. Although in my opinion, it should also be present languages and dialects spoken in each area, because they are there for a long time, and Mandarin was not spoken until recent decades.
This is the map which the main Sinitic languages are spoken:
Those are the varieties of Chinese, which are languages, not dialects.
Chinese is a language subfamily, and is made up of different languages.
So there are several Chinese languages, not just one. Chinese languages can also be called Sinitic languages and belong to the Sino-Tibetan language family. What is certain is that it is said that Chinese is only one language, and its varieties are dialects, but that's because it was so before, but now have changed both varieties that are distinctly separate languages.
The most Chinese spoken language, the common language for all Chinese, and I'm studying is Mandarin. All other languages like Wu, Catonese or Hakka are spoken to a lesser extent and regionally.
Then each Chinese language has dialects, which are often called subdialects, and they are so different that some of them there are arguments that if they are dialects or different languages. The Mandarin dialect which the Chinese government seeks to impose the whole of China is known as pǔtōnghuà, which is standardized Mandarin based on the Beijing dialect.
There are about ten Chinese languages, but it is difficult to count them accurately, since some varieties are discussed that if they are separate languages or dialects.
Knowing read Chinese, you can understand any Chinese texts as the Chinese writing is logographic, meaning that the characters represent units of meaning, and therefore any idea is written basically the same between Sinitic languages; but not listening in another language, because the words are different between the two languages. For example, one which can only speak Mandarin Cantonese can understand a text, but not a conversation in that language, since the pronunciation is completely different.
Also, sometimes the Chinese have understanding problems speaking the same language, but in different dialects, as there are also distinctions in pronunciation of words between dialects of the same language.
A part of Chinese languages, as we know, also in China other languages as Tibetan or Uighur are spoken too, which also are important in the regions where they are spoken respectively.
However, Mandarin which is imposing is more present in all of China, at least in the working world, so it takes only speak pǔtōnghuà to live in any part of the country. Although in my opinion, it should also be present languages and dialects spoken in each area, because they are there for a long time, and Mandarin was not spoken until recent decades.
This is the map which the main Sinitic languages are spoken:
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