Hi everyone!
Today, we’ll be discussing the different dialects of the Chinese language spoken in different parts of China!
In China, every province has its own dialect, and every village in the provinces has its own variation of the dialect, making for more than a hundred different kinds of spoken Chinese. The seven broadest categories of dialects are:
- Min– spoken in Fujian, Hainan, and Taiwan
- Gan– spoken in Hunan, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangxi, and Fujian
- Guan– aka Mandarin Chinese! This is spoken across most of north and southwestern China and is what we learn in American schools!
- Kejia– spoken in Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan, and Guizhou
- Wu– spoken in Zhejiang, Shanghai, and southern Jiangsu
- Xiang– spoken in Hunan, Guangxi, Sichuan, and Shaanxi
- Yue– spoken in Guangdong and Guangxi; known by some as Cantonese
Although all the dialects sound different, the written language is all the same; however, some grammar variation may be present (different verb placements, different vocabulary, etc.).
Watch these following videos to get a taste of the plethora of Chinese dialects!
This one is especially funny, yet accurate!
I hope you enjoyed this little language enlightenment! See you next week!
語言是會越多越好，因為人類的溝通就是靠語言。作者選用的影片真是太貼切了！
其实方言也很能代表一个地方的传统特色。江浙上海一带的方言比较婉约柔软，让人听了便想到江南水乡的宁静。东北的方言听起来让人有些忍俊不禁，很能代表东北人的耿直大气
During AP Chinese on Fun Friday, Ms.Song showed us a video of “Let It Go” that was sang in 24 Chinese Dialects. It was quite mind blowing because I didn’t understand a word besides the Mandarin parts. I was amazed by the diversity of the Chinese culture and Chinese language. In my opinion, Chinese Dialects are really different from each other. The top two most spoken is probably Mandarin and Cantonese, correct me if it’s not. All these dialects are really a pain in the butt.
I find it amazing how many dialects there are in China. My parents often speak Fuzhounese, and although it’s hard for me to pronounce a lot of the dialect, I am able to understand what is said to me in the dialect. After hearing the song “Let It Go,” sung in all these various dialects, I have come to greater appreciate the beauty of each of the spoken languages of China. It still boggles my mind how out of all these dialects that is spoken in China, we still only have one written language. However, I also find a sense of unity because of this, as it demonstrates that no matter how different each culture and dialect is, we are all brought together by one common written language.
中国现代几大汉语方言中，北方方言可以看成是古汉语经过数千年在广大北方地区发展起来的，而其余方言却是北方居民在历史上不断南迁逐步形成的。
I am amazed at how many dialects there are in the Chinese language. At home, my mom speaks 3 dialects and even though I can understand the dialects, I only know how to speak back Mandarin to my parents. I would like to go to China one day and hear the different dialects and learn it.