Do you have good reasons to study Chinese? But which one? Do you know that the Chinese language comes in hundreds of forms and varieties?
Yes, that is right!
As with Indian languages, Chinese is not a single language. Instead, it is a broad term encompassing more than 300 languages and dialects spoken in mainland China and elsewhere.
This extensive guide will help you discover the different types of Chinese languages.
So, with no further ado, let’s begin!
Table of Contents
- Overview of the Chinese Language
- Most popular languages and dialects of China
- Written forms of Chinese
- Final words on the types of Chinese language
Overview of the Chinese Language
China is a big country with over 1.4 billion inhabitants. Its population is more than that of Europe or the combined North and South America.
The Chinese language is also called Sinitic (汉语 / 漢語 / Hànyǔ / 中文 / Zhōngwén). It is a sub-branch of the larger Sino-Tibetan branch. We also often refer to Standard Chinese as Mandarin or Putonghua (Spoken).
Chinese is the first language of 1.3 billion people worldwide (or about 16 percent of the global population).
It is commonly heard that ‘Chinese’ is the language of China. But this is a myth because ‘Chinese’ is an umbrella term for hundreds of languages and dialects spoken in China.
The People’s Republic of China is home to many language families, which are further subdivided into various language groups. The number of languages also varies by region.
For example, Sino-Tibetan languages are spoken across a vast area of China, with over 1.1 billion speakers.
This family comprises many broad language categories, such as Mandarin, Yue, Wu, Jin, Min, Hakka, Huizhou, Ping, Gan, and Xiang. It is further subdivided into diverse languages and dialects.
Given their large area and population, there are substantial variations among them.
As a result, there are pronounced regional variations in sound, vocabulary, and grammar. Most varieties are not mutually intelligible either.
The official status of the Chinese language
With over 1.3 billion speakers, Chinese is the most widely spoken native language globally. Approximately one in six people globally speaks Chinese.
China isn’t the only country that speaks Chinese.
It is valuable in many countries and regions, particularly in Asia and Southeast Asia, including Macau, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Mongolia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei, and Singapore.
Standard Chinese, based on the Beijing dialect of Mandarin, is the official language of both China and Taiwan. It is also one of Singapore’s four official languages and one of the UN’s six official languages.
Mandarin is the most suitable if you wish to make a career involving Chinese.
However, most people in Macau, Hong Kong, overseas Chinese communities, and southeastern China speak Cantonese.
There are two types of written forms: simplified and traditional.
China, Singapore, and Malaysia use the simplified form. In contrast, the Republic of China (Taiwan), Macau, Hong Kong, and overseas Chinese diasporas employ traditional characters.
Why does China have so many languages?
This is like asking, “Why does Europe or India have so many languages?”
Given China’s vast territory, large population, ancient surviving civilization, diverse ethnic groups, and the highest number of neighbors, it is natural that it has many languages.
The country’s demographics comprise 56 officially acknowledged ethnic groups and dozens of unrecognized minority racial groups. All have played a vital role in the development of the various languages spoken in China.
Han ethnicity accounts for roughly 92% of the population but comprises many subgroups. Depending on their location, history, and place of origin, Han people speak distinct Chinese language varieties.
All ethnic groups are distinct from one another, even in minor respects, compared with the world outside.
China shares land borders with 14 nations, two autonomous regions—Macau and Hong Kong—and maritime borders with several additional countries, including Japan and South Korea.
However, before today’s borders, it was a confluence of many great cultures, leading to interactions and migrations.
As a result, many languages from other families are present in today’s China. E.g., Kra–Dai, Turkic, Mongolic, Tungusic, Austroasiatic, etc. This influenced the growth of many language groups and races, particularly in regions near current borders.
Most people believe China is a homogeneous country in terms of its language. That is not the case, as evidenced by its vast ethnic diversity, as shown above.
With these immense varieties, there is bound to be contrast! The variations between languages, accents, and dialects are controversial yet too tempting to ignore.
Chinese languages Or Dialects?
According to linguists, China is home to approximately 300 languages and dialects that are still spoken, even in small numbers.
Ethnologue research provides a precise list of 306 languages for China. Of these living languages, 279 are indigenous, and 26 are non-indigenous.
Although they are often grouped under the label ‘Chinese,’ they are named in different dialects.
Many so-called “dialects” can even pass as distinct languages and are not mutually intelligible. However, this is again due to China’s geographical and territorial characteristics.
Like other languages, these local tongues are natural to different language families and regions. So, naming them “dialects” would be misleading and unfair.
Philologists regard such dialects as distinct languages for various reasons. It is not just an articulation that distinguishes them.
They sometimes have different vocabulary, grammar rules, honorifics, and sounds. It could be mutually unintelligible in some respects but divergent in many respects.
To illustrate, consider the American, Australian, and British accents of English. Three speakers with unfamiliar accents can still understand each other in everyday conversation.
However, this may not hold for two Chinese dialects, Mandarin and Cantonese. That is because these two are not mutually intelligible. In short, the two are distinct languages.
Many Chinese dialects are at least as diverse as Romance languages such as French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. So, we should classify them as distinct. Yet, many are usually described as dialects for various reasons.
Additionally, because most are spoken locally and not taught, there are no meaningful means of instruction other than hearing or immersion.
It’s also worth noting that accents can occur within dialects due to regional variation in their use. This could also lead to the formation of sub-dialects.
Varieties of the Chinese language
Linguists have made seven to ten classifications of the primary language groups. This list includes, but is not limited to.
- Mandarin (often known as Northern Chinese, which is the most widely spoken),
- Wu (which is spoken around Shanghai’s shoreline),
- Jin (63 million speakers in northern China),
- Yue (also includes Cantonese and Taishanese),
- Huizhou (Mostly used in and around Huizhou),
- Xiang (a dialect of Southern China’s Hunan province),
- Pinghua (Mainly in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region),
- Min (a Fujian dialect that is also spoken in Taiwan),
- Gan (also known as Kan, a Chinese language in many regions, including Jiangxi and Fujian),
- Hakka (made up of 13 dialects and is expressed primarily in remote areas).
The largest of this classification is Mandarin (also known as Northern). It is subdivided into many sub-categories. Since this is more widespread than others, Mandarin is beneficial.
Wu, Min, and Yue each have their own set of sub-dialects. Wu, for example, comprises multiple sub-dialects, including Shanghai, Suzhou, and Hangzhou.
These are mutually intelligible to some extent. Still, many other sub-dialects are not understandable with these three.
Most popular languages and dialects of China
Covering even half the many language groups would be difficult, and writing about that would be almost impossible.
However, I can address the most important ones, which account for over 95% of the population. So, let’s explore ten of these main linguistic language groups.
1. Mandarin (官话 / 官話)
Standard Chinese, or Putonghua, is mainland China’s official national language. It is the lingua franca of Mandarin-speaking regions and is used by approximately 70% of China’s population.
Mandarin has many versions, including Beijing, Southwestern, Standard, Jilu, Malaysian, Taiwanese, Singaporean, Zhongyuan, Northeastern, and Lan-yin.
The standard version is based on the Beijing Mandarin dialect and, to a lesser extent, on other dialects across mainland China. It is considered the second most spoken language in the world.
Many also speak the official languages in many other autonomous areas. Tibetans, for example, have official status in Tibet’s Autonomous Region, whereas Mongolians have official status in Inner Mongolia.
Hong Kong and Macau have official languages (Cantonese, English, and Portuguese) that differ from those of the mainland. Thus, they are exempt from restrictions on the use of Mandarin Chinese.
Do you wish to take one of the Mandarin language exams? The good news is that you have two options: HSK from China and Taiwan’s TOCFL.
2. Wu (吳語 / 吴语)
The Wu or Shanghainese is a significant group of Sinitic languages. These dialects are spoken primarily in eastern China, particularly in Shanghai and the southeastern provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang.
We colloquially refer to the Wu Chinese language as Wyuèy, Goetian, or Changzhou.
They estimate that the number of Wu speakers in China exceeds 85 million. Initially, the Wu language spread from Suzhou, China’s cultural capital.
Yet, it gained prominence during the Ming era when Shanghai established itself as a major metropolis.
It is spoken in parts of many provinces, including Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Fujian, Anhui, and the Shanghai municipality. Wu is the second most widely spoken dialect in Chinese.
3. Yue (粤语 / 粤語)
Yue is another Chinese language that is distinct from and not mutually intelligible with other Chinese dialects.
We popularly know it as Cantonese, but in regional terms, we also go by the names Yueyu, Yuet Yue, and Yueh. In terms of use, it is second only to Mandarin.
Approximately 62 million people in China speak Yue. But 73.5 million Chinese people worldwide also speak it.
Although it is spoken by only 5.6 percent of the population, it is associated with Hong Kong martial arts films.
One can find many highly rated Cantonese movies to learn Chinese. The diaspora from China has also given it greater international recognition than many other Chinese dialects.
In Guangdong, Hunan, Hainan, and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Cantonese is the primary language. There are ten sub-dialects of Cantonese, with the Guangzhou variant being the most common.
Outside mainland China, Cantonese is spoken in Australia, Brunei, Canada, Hong Kong, Macao, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Suriname, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Its origins may be traced to Guangzhou (Canton), thereby giving rise to Cantonese. Many aspects of Ancient Chinese remain evident in Cantonese, such as the use of final consonants.
It contains six tones and, despite fewer initial consonants, has multiple distinct syllables.
Before the mid-twentieth century, most Chinese immigrants spoke Cantonese (Yue). However, because the Government of China has standardized the language, it is being overtaken by standard Mandarin Chinese.
Today, Cantonese is the second most widely spoken Chinese language worldwide, after Mandarin.
4. Xiang (湘语 / 湘語)
They speak the Xiang (Hunanese) dialect of Chinese in Hunan Province, southern China. This is the most commonly spoken dialect here.
The topography of the southern province is such that Mandarin-speaking states surround it. Thus, the Xiang dialect is heavily influenced by standard Mandarin Chinese.
That’s why the Xiang dialect is the closest to Mandarin among the primary groupings of Chinese idioms. The language has two sub-dialects, New Xiang and Old Xiang.
While Changsha, Hunan’s capital, speaks the new variation of Xiang, Shuangfeng and several other locations in Hunan are dominated by the older variety.
In addition to being similar to Mandarin, Old Xiang is akin to the Wu dialect of Chinese.
Estimates indicate that there are approximately 36 million Xiang speakers in China. Like other Chinese languages, Xiang is tonal, with five distinct tones denoting different meanings.
5. Min (闽语 / 閩語)
Min Chinese is a set of languages or dialects spoken predominantly in Fujian’s coastal region. Native Min speakers constitute approximately 10.3 million of China’s population.
There are many diverse kinds of Min, and most variants comprise it. This is possible due to the physical isolation imposed by Fujian’s rugged topography.
The Min languages are spoken in Fujian province and in areas of Guangdong, Zhejiang, Hainan, and Taiwan.
We divide them into many groups, ranging from seven to 10. Two broad groupings are Inland (northern and central) and Coastal (eastern, Pu-Xian, and southern).
Northern Min focuses on Fuzhou, and Southern Min centers on Amoy. Roughly 48 million people in China and Taiwan spoke of Southern Min.
It is not mutually intelligible with other Min dialects or Standard Chinese.
Hokkien is a well-known Min variation. This is a Southern Min dialect from Fujian’s southeastern region and is also spoken in the Republic of China (ROC), i.e., Taiwan.
In addition, members of overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia and Chinatowns in many nations, including the United States, speak Hokkien.
The Min dialect also has other common sub-dialects. For example, Min Nan is a language spoken by around 50.5 million people in Taiwan and Southeastern China.
It also contains many idioms, such as “Amoy” and “Xiamen”. The sub-dialects Min Dong, Min Bei, and Pu-Xian are also commonly spoken, with some overseas speakers from Singapore and Malaysia.
The Min Zhong sub-dialect is sometimes known as Southern Min or Central Min. It is spoken in the municipalities of Yong’an and Sanming and in the county of Sha.
The Min people also employ a dialect known as Tang Min, which preserves the final consonants of Ancient Chinese for literary reasons.
Min is a hybrid of grammar and vocabulary that has been used many times in the history of the Chinese language.
Although there are many Min speakers, the dialect’s evolution has made it challenging to obtain the appropriate Chinese characters. This is because most were designed for Mandarin.
As a result, written Min substitutes Roman characters for Mandarin characters that aren’t available.
6. Gan (赣语 / 贛語)
We also know the Gan dialect of Chinese as Xi, Kan, or Jiangxinese. They speak this dialect mainly in parts of Western China.
More than 41 million people speak one of the Gan dialects, a distinct branch of Chinese.
The primary center is Jiangxi province. The provinces of Anhui, Fujian, Hubei, and Hunan surrounded it.
Scholars have identified five basic dialects: Changjing, Yiping, Jiliang, Fuguang, and Yingyi.
These are partly identical and understandable to the standard Mandarin and the Wu group. Yet they share most of their characteristics with the Hakka.
Many ancient phrases no longer used in Mandarin remain intact and have survived in the Gan dialect.
7. Hakka (客家话 / 客家話)
Hakka noodles sound pretty familiar now, don’t they?
After Mandarin and Cantonese, Hakka Chinese (Kejia, Kèjihuà) is arguably the best-known Chinese language outside China. It is widely used in various overseas Chinese communities.
Guangdong, Fujian, Guangxi, Hainan, Sichuan, Jiangxi, Guizhou, Hong Kong, and Taiwan have populations of over 48 million Hakka speakers.
We may also find Chinese speakers in towns worldwide, including Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
The Hakka dialect of Mei County, Guangdong, is the best-known. Its structure resembles that of Cantonese and Standard Chinese.
Hakka is also the most closely related language to Gan, which we often regard as a dialect of Hakka. Still, Cantonese was probably the source of most of the vocabulary in both tongues.
The intriguing history of the Chinese Hakka dialects and the Hakka (Kejia) people illustrates how conflict and migration have shaped China’s linguistic landscape.
8. Jin (晋语 / 晉語)
A proposed group of varieties of the Chinese language is the Jin variant.
There is disagreement among language experts regarding Jin’s status. Some connect it to Mandarin. At the same time, others treat it as a closely related but distinct language, such as Min and Yue.
About 63 million people speak Jin Chinese in northern China. This includes most of Shanxi Province, central Inner Mongolia, and adjacent areas of Hebei, Henan, and Shaanxi.
According to the Language Atlas of China, there are eight subgroups of Jin, such as Bingzhou, Da-Bao, Wutai, Shangdang, Lüliang, Zhi-Yan, and Han-Yan.
9. Huizhou (徽语 / 徽語)
An area around Huizhou in the historical region of Huizhou speaks Huizhou Chinese.
It is a group closely related to Sinitic languages. A few more counties in Zhejiang and Jiangxi, and many mountainous areas in southern Anhui speak Huizhou.
Hui dialects exhibit high internal variation, despite their small geographic area relative is other Chinese dialects. Someone living in another country cannot understand, since almost every country has a distinct dialect.
That is why most Hui speakers know two or three varieties of this language. There are around 4.6 million speakers of the Huizhou idioms.
10. Pinghua (平话 / 平話)
They primarily interact in the Sinitic language, Pinghua, in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Hunan Province. However, some speakers also speak in other areas.
Most Pinghua speakers are genetically different from most Han Chinese; some are officially classified as Zhuang.
In the northern subgroup, Pinghua is centered on Guilin. In the southern subset, Nanning is the city. They are subdivided into three subgroups: Yongjiang, Rongjiang, and Guandao.
Southern Pinghua has several distinctive features, including four distinct checked tones. It also employs various loanwords from the Zhuang language, such as the final particle wei, in imperative sentences.
11. Other languages
China is home to so many dialects of Chinese and languages that even a book series cannot cover every aspect.
Other significant languages include Bai Chinese, dozens of Tibeto-Burman varieties, and the Danzhou dialect. And the list is never-ending.
Many language families are prominent in China, including Kra-Dai, Hmong-Mien, Turkic, Mongolic, Austroasiatic, Austronesian, Yeniseian, Tungusic, and some unclassified and mixed ones.
Foreign languages in China include English. It is an official language in Hong Kong, and Portuguese is an official language in Macau. Therefore, it can benefit you if you intend to work as an English teacher in China.
Millions of people in China also know and speak Korean, Russian, Tajik, Japanese, Kyrgyz, Kazakh, Vietnamese, Mongolian, and other languages of bordering countries.
Written forms of Chinese
Although there are several Chinese dialects and languages, written Chinese is the most widely used mode of communication.
Individuals in separate provinces cannot converse orally; they may comprehend each other in writing.
Here are three written forms in China.
They use traditional Chinese in Taiwan, Macau, Hong Kong, and the Chinese diaspora, whereas in mainland China, Malaysia, and Singapore, it is simplified.
They have simplified the traditional Chinese alphabet. We accomplish this by combining character with stroke reduction.
We still employ traditional Chinese in official situations and highlight particular words and phrases in mainland China. Nevertheless, its everyday use has declined.
There is plenty of use of traditional Chinese in many global media, including subtitled video footage from Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Final words on the types of Chinese language
So here is it. So next time someone says Chinese language, you know it is for 300 varieties.
With so many variations that could be viewed as separate languages, ‘Chinese’ is a vast family of languages. Each has its legacy and story to tell, which are worth exploring.
It is a linguistic paradise for anyone passionate about language. Studying Chinese opens a valuable window into the country’s rich history, vast geography, distinctive customs, and ethnic diversity.
Although Chinese has a wide variety of dialects, Standard Mandarin is China’s most widely spoken and official language.
Nearly two-thirds of China’s population speaks this language. Thus, the advantages of learning Mandarin are immense.
When most learners say, “I am studying the Chinese language,” they refer to Mandarin. This is because most educational institutions also teach this language only.
Do you plan to learn one form of Chinese, or perhaps you already speak Mandarin? Then, you can share your views in the comments below.
