Which Should You Learn: Mandarin or Cantonese?_Shanghai Translation Company
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China is the most populous country in the world, with a culture that stretches back nearly four thousand years.
In recent history, China reformed its economy to make it one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. China has also become a major cross-cultural investor, continuing to pursue increasingly assertive growth. But to take advantage of that growth, you will — of course — have to learn to speak Chinese.
But should you focus your attentions on Cantonese or Mandarin?
Mandarin is the official language in Mainland China, and is used by most of the Chinese primary schools, colleges, and universities. It’s also used in most of the mainstream media, including film, radio stations, television programs, and music.
Cantonese is primarily used in the Guangdong and Guangxi provinces. Many Chinese communities in Australia, Europe, North America, and other parts of the world also use Cantonese as their primary language.
But in recent years, the number of Mandarin-speaking Chinese people living abroad has rapidly increased. This is due to more Northern Chinese being Taiwanese immigrants who play a larger and more active role in the global culture and economics.
Both of these languages are spoken in China and they share the same base alphabet, and individuals who are fluent in either language are able to communicate with one another through written Chinese, as both languages share a common vocabulary.
Deciding which language to study depends largely on what you are planning to do with the language once you’ve mastered it. If you plan to do business in most of mainland China, then Mandarin is definitely the way to go. If, however, you plan to settle in Hong Kong or communicate with Chinese-speaking communities within the United States, then it would be worth it to pick up Cantonese.
But something else to consider is the ease of learning. Cantonese is a much more difficult language to learn because there are more tones used in Cantonese than there are in Mandarin. Getting the tone right is as vital to communicating in Mandarin as the words or grammar.
Regardless of which form of Chinese you choose, you can rest assured that either language will take you far.