If you have never been to China, you may think that everyone there speaks Mandarin. It is true that the Chinese government made Mandarin the official language of China in order to unify the people. For this reason, it is the language that is traditionally taught in schools and universities in the United States for those who desire to learn about Chinese language and culture. In reality, China’s linguistic situation is not as simple as it is often portrayed. There are in fact 5 major language groups: Mandarin, Wu, Min, Hakka, and Yue (Cantonese). In addition, there are several other dialects that do not fall under these 5 categories spoken by ethnic groups throughout the country. Most of these languages are based on the same writing system and therefore can be considered dialects of Chinese. However, spoken, they are mutually unintelligible and therefore can be considered separate languages. As a result, most Chinese citizens are bilingual in their local dialect and Mandarin.
Yue, more commonly known as Cantonese, is one of the oldest forms of Chinese to exist. Its history dates back to before the emergence of Mandarin. It originated thousands of years ago from the Proto-Sino-Tibetan language group and persisted as the dominant language in what is now China as the main form of spoken communication. Because of natural geographical separation, other forms of Cantonese began to persist and as a result, within the Cantonese umbrella exists different dialects. Today, Cantonese is most prominent in the southern Chinese provinces of Guangdong and Guangxi as well as the Special Administration Regions (SAR) of Macau and Hong Kong. Outside of China, Cantonese is spoken in many Southeast Asian countries where many Cantonese speakers have immigrated and in cities across the U.S.
Just like Mandarin, Cantonese is a tonal language. However, Cantonese has 6 or 9 tones (depending on which classification system you use) while Mandarin only has four. It is also more common to see consonants at the end of words in Cantonese than in Mandarin, although these combinations do exist in Mandarin. Stylistically, there are two different usages: formal and colloquial. Formal Cantonese uses the standard traditional Chinese characters for writing and pronunciation purposes, but this form is not used in everyday speech. Colloquial Cantonese is the Cantonese that is used in everyday speech and home life; it is also considered slang as many expressions do not have a written counterpart. However, because of the prominence of unwritten expressions, many new written words are being created by Cantonese speakers that cannot be read by speakers of other Chinese dialects.
In Hong Kong, there are actually two official languages: the English language and the Chinese language. The term “Chinese” however, is a vague term that can mean several things. Both Cantonese and Mandarin fall under the umbrella of Chinese language and culture. When Hong Kong was under British rule, Cantonese was the default Chinese language. Now that it is under the mainland Chinese government (since July 1, 1999), it is unclear whether Mandarin is also an official language. Many Hong Kongers feared that Cantonese would die out and that linguistic changes would be drastic after the handover to China. Instead, Mandarin has made its way into Hong Kong’s way of life as an addition to English and Cantonese rather than a replacement. Today, you will hear English, Cantonese, and Mandarin on the MTR, Hong Kong’s subway system. Many tourist hot spots now contain Mandarin translations to accommodate mainland Chinese visitors. Local Hong Kongers are making more of an effort to learn Mandarin, especially since it is so closely related to Cantonese.
Although English has been and still is an official language, it is not a large part of Hong Kong’s identity. English is most useful in tourist areas and those with high status jobs. Hong Kong residents identify themselves as native speakers of Cantonese and therefore most consider themselves linguistically and culturally Cantonese.
Language Connections has previously provided interpreting services for clients with consumer products in Hong Kong as well as translation services for written Chinese. However, it is extremely important as a translation and interpreting company that we ask our clients the necessary questions to obtain the correct information. Here in our office, project managers have a foundational knowledge of linguistic differences and will only provide translators and interpreters with not only linguistic competence, but also dialectal and cultural understanding to fit our clients’ needs. For more information about our services, visit our website at www.languageconnections.com.
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