Chinese Language Day falls on the 20th of April. It is a time chosen to align with the Chinese celebration of Guyu, which honours Cangjie—the four-eyed mythical figure traditionally credited with creating Chinese characters in the time of the Yellow Emperor, around 5,000 years ago.
The United Nations’ series of “language days” is designed to promote the use of the UN’s six official languages, as well as to celebrate cultural and linguistic diversity. In this article, we’ll take a look at the languages spoken in China with a similar goal in mind.
What is the Language of China?
Mandarin is the most-spoken native language in the world, with over 920 million native speakers and more than 1 billion total speakers. When most people think of “Chinese”, it is Mandarin they are picturing. But Mandarin Chinese is far from the only variant of the Chinese language—or the only language spoken in China.
In fact, there are a great number of Chinese languages. These include eight to ten primary spoken language groups within mainland China, which are—in the main—mutually unintelligible. Remember, this is a country which is both very large and ancient. Different regions within the vast expanse of China can be separated not only by great distances but also by broadly impassable topographical features, such as mountain ranges.
Understanding the situation is complicated by the fact that, while many Chinese people in different geographical areas may not understand each other when they speak their regional language, they may share the same written language—even if their pronunciation of characters varies.
This is true across locations as distinct as Taiwan and Hong Kong, for example. Both share Traditional Chinese characters as their written script, albeit with some important differences. Yet in Taiwan, Mandarin is spoken, whereas in Hong Kong, most people speak Cantonese.
What is the Difference Between Traditional and Simplified Chinese?
Let’s start where things are—relatively speaking—simplest. There are only two scripts used to write the Chinese language:
- Simplified Chinese: Widely promoted in the early 1950s as part of a system of Communist reforms in mainland China designed to improve literacy amongst the country’s huge population.
- Traditional Chinese: The pre-reform system of Chinese writing.
The Simplified Chinese writing system introduced several key changes to Traditional Chinese, including:
- Reduced strokes: The number of “strokes” (i.e., lines) required to write a character was reduced.
- Reduced character redundancy: Multiple characters with similar meanings were consolidated.
- Character selection: Where several characters could previously be used to represent the same idea, one—usually the most popular—was chosen as the “correct” form.
However, the work to simplify the language in the 1950s was just one stage in a longer process. It began in the late 19th century and is still ongoing. Regular updates to the list of standardised characters occur, with the last significant update, at the time of writing, taking place in 2013.
Where Are These Writing Systems Used?
There is not just one version of Simplified or Traditional Chinese. There are four major written Chinese language versions, and the use of each tends to correspond to a different region.
Simplified Mandarin in Mainland China, Malaysia and Overseas
This is the written Chinese language variant most often referred to as “Simplified Chinese”. It is the official script of mainland China. Thus, the vocabulary and phrasing of the official spoken dialect of China—Mandarin—is apparent within it.
Simplified Mandarin in Singapore
Also usually referred to as “Simplified Chinese”, though generally with a clear “Singapore” note attached, the written variant of Chinese used in Singapore has a lot in common with that used in mainland China. However, it has evolved its own vocabulary and style not used on the mainland.
This means that while a translation targeting mainland China might be understood in Singapore, it will clearly not be perceived as native.
Traditional Mandarin in Taiwan
The reforms instituted in mainland China in the 1950s did not affect Taiwan. Thus, Traditional Chinese remains the written script. A native Taiwanese reader will be accustomed to different phrasing and vocabulary compared to a reader on the mainland, even though the official spoken dialect of Taiwan is also Mandarin.
Traditional Cantonese in Hong Kong, Macao and Overseas
Hong Kong’s long period of British rule means it uses Cantonese as the de facto spoken language, while Traditional Chinese is the standard written form. While the official written language is Chinese, the grammar and vocabulary often reflect spoken Cantonese.
Readers used to the Traditional Mandarin Chinese used in Taiwan will likely be able to understand the Traditional Chinese used in Hong Kong. However, phrasing and vocabulary can be quite different, and they may encounter characters completely unknown at home. This is because quite a few characters in Traditional Cantonese do not exist in Traditional Mandarin at all.
The Evolution of Written Chinese
Languages are not static objects. Simplified and Traditional Chinese continue to evolve naturally. There are now many new ideas and words in mainland China’s Simplified Chinese which do not occur in Hong Kong Traditional Chinese, for example. Similarly, the ways in which Chinese variants are used diverge as different countries or regions develop asymmetrically, experiencing different events as well as distinct political or societal changes.
Why Does China Have So Many Languages?
To the outside observer, it can be difficult to grasp the sheer size of the People’s Republic of China. It is nearly the size of the entire European continent, with a history and diversity of language that is consequently just as vast.
The Latin Analogy
A useful way for the Western mind to understand the variations in written and spoken Chinese is to consider the influence of Latin on European languages. Around 2,000 years ago, Latin was used by most of Europe’s administrators and scholars. It influenced how all the languages it touched evolved, while not ruling out local variants and divergence.
Likewise, Greater China had its own “Latin”—Classical Chinese, a form of Old Chinese—in which many works of classical Chinese literature are written.
Historical Divergence in China
China has been more or less unified for the past 1,400 years. The Communist Revolution of 1949 was only the most recent important event regarding language. There have been many periods of instability in Chinese history, as one would expect from a region comparable to the European continent.
The sheer scale of this geography and history has led to huge divergences in the written forms of the language, in addition to perhaps even greater differences in the spoken forms.
Spoken Chinese – Dialects or Languages?
There are eight to ten main Chinese language groups according to the Language Atlas of China. These include Mandarin, Wu, Yue, Xiang, Min, Gan, Hakka, and others. Within these groups are hundreds of regional dialects or sub-variants. There is ongoing debate among linguists about whether many of these should be classified as dialects or fully distinct languages.
Mandarin vs. Cantonese – Key Differences
Mandarin and Cantonese differ significantly in phonology, tones, grammar, and vocabulary. Mandarin has 4-5 tones; Cantonese has 6-9. Cantonese has more consonants and a more complex vowel system. They are not mutually intelligible and are better viewed as separate languages.
The Challenges Involved in Chinese Localisation
Localisation must consider spoken and written variants, regional vocabulary, social norms, and even political factors. A term acceptable in one region may be confusing or offensive in another. True localisation goes beyond translation.
Modern Trends and the Future of Chinese
There is growing interest in Traditional Chinese in mainland China, possibly due to rising nationalism. Meanwhile, Mandarin’s spread into Hong Kong has met resistance. Technological advances in recognising and translating scripts are developing but are not yet perfect.
How Many Languages Are Spoken in China?
There are eight to ten major Sinitic language groups, each with many internal dialects. In addition, China is home to over 50 ethnic minorities who speak languages such as Uyghur, Tibetan, Mongolian, Zhuang, and Korean.
Speak to Your Audience in Their Language
As we have seen, the Chinese linguistic landscape is incredibly rich and nuanced. Whether you need Mandarin in Simplified Chinese for a product launch in Beijing, or Traditional Cantonese for a campaign in Hong Kong, localisation is not just about translation—it is about cultural connection.
At Asian Absolute, our expert linguists understand the subtleties of each dialect and script. We help you communicate naturally and persuasively with your Chinese-speaking audience—wherever they are. Get in touch with us today to make your message resonate across every region of China and beyond.