Mandarin vs Cantonese, and what "Mandarin Chinese" really means
Mandarin vs Cantonese: both are Chinese, but they are as different as Dutch and German or Spanish and Italian. Mandarin (普通话 Pǔtōnghuà) is the official language of China and Taiwan and is spoken by the large majority of Chinese speakers. Cantonese is the language of Hong Kong and much of Guangdong. This guide explains the differences and helps you choose.
By Zoey (Ziqiao Zang), Chinese teacher since 2011
What is Mandarin Chinese?
Mandarin Chinese is the language most people mean when they say “Chinese”. Strictly speaking, Mandarin is a large group of northern Chinese varieties; Standard Mandarin, called 普通话Pǔtōnghuà (“common speech”) in mainland China, 國語 (Guóyǔ) in Taiwan and 华语 (Huáyǔ) in Singapore, is the standardised form based on the pronunciation of Beijing. It is the language of schools, government, national television and business across China.
With roughly a billion speakers, counting native and second-language speakers, the Mandarin language is the most spoken language in the world by number of native speakers. It is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. It is also the language of the HSK exam and of almost every Chinese course outside China.
The English word “Mandarin” comes from the officials of imperial China, through Portuguese mandarim. Their spoken language, used at court, became known by the same name.
Chinese is a family of languages
“Chinese” is an umbrella term for a family of languages that share a history, a culture and a writing system. The main groups:
| Group | Example | Where | Approx. speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mandarin | Putonghua, Sichuanese | Northern and southwestern China, Taiwan, Singapore | about 900 million native |
| Yue | Cantonese | Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Macau, overseas | about 85 million |
| Wu | Shanghainese | Shanghai, Zhejiang, southern Jiangsu | about 80 million |
| Min | Hokkien, Taiwanese, Teochew | Fujian, Taiwan, Southeast Asia | about 75 million |
| Hakka | Hakka | Scattered across southern China and abroad | about 45 million |
Speakers of these languages generally cannot understand each other’s speech. What unites them is the written standard: a newspaper in Beijing, Hong Kong and Taipei uses (mostly) the same written Chinese, even if people would read it aloud in different languages.
Mandarin vs Cantonese: the differences
| Mandarin | Cantonese | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | National language of China and Taiwan, official in Singapore | The everyday spoken language of Hong Kong, Macau and much of Guangdong |
| Native speakers | ~900 million | ~85 million |
| Tones | 4 + neutral | 6 (9 by the traditional count) |
| Syllable endings | Only -n and -ng | Also -p, -t, -k, -m |
| Writing | Simplified (China, Singapore) or traditional (Taiwan) | Traditional; plus colloquial Cantonese characters |
| Romanisation | Pinyin | Jyutping (and others) |
| Learning materials | Abundant, HSK exam | Far fewer |
A few examples show how far apart they are:
| Meaning | Mandarin | Cantonese |
|---|---|---|
| hello | 你好 nǐ hǎo | 你好 nei5 hou2 |
| thank you (for a service) | 谢谢 xièxie | 唔该 m4 goi1 |
| thank you (for a gift) | 谢谢 xièxie | 多谢 do1 ze6 |
| what? | 什么 shénme | 乜嘢 mat1 je5 |
| to eat | 吃 chī | 食 sik6 |
| Cantonese language | 粤语 Yuèyǔ | 廣東話 gwong2 dung1 waa2 |
Same characters for “hello”, completely different pronunciation; different words altogether for “what”. That is why a Mandarin speaker in Hong Kong may understand the signs but not the conversation.
Is Mandarin a language or a dialect?
In Chinese, varieties like Cantonese and Shanghainese are usually called 方言 (fāngyán), often translated as “dialects”. That reflects shared culture, history and writing. From a linguist’s point of view they behave like separate languages: they are not mutually intelligible, any more than Dutch and German are. Both views are common, and both are understandable. Is Mandarin the same as Chinese? Mandarin is the standard form of Chinese, so for a learner the practical answer is: learn Mandarin and you are learning “Chinese”.
Simplified vs traditional Chinese
Writing is a separate question from speech. Simplified characters (学, 国, 爱) are used in mainland China and Singapore; traditional characters (學, 國, 愛) in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. Mandarin can be written in either: a Taiwanese newspaper is Mandarin in traditional characters. For most learners, simplified Chinese is the practical start, since it is used by the large majority of readers and in the HSK. Learning to read the other script later takes a few months. More in Chinese characters.
Which is harder: Mandarin or Cantonese?
For most learners, Cantonese is harder:
- More tones: six (or nine by the traditional count) against four, and they are closer together.
- More sounds: syllables can end in -p, -t, -k, sounds Mandarin doesn’t have.
- Fewer resources: far fewer textbooks, apps, courses and exams.
- Spoken vs written gap: colloquial Cantonese uses words and characters that differ from standard written Chinese.
How hard is it to learn Cantonese from Mandarin? Easier than from zero, because you know the characters and much of the vocabulary, but you still need to learn new tones, pronunciation and everyday words.
Mandarin or Cantonese: which should you learn?
Choose Mandarin if you want Chinese for work, travel in mainland China or Taiwan, study, the HSK exam, or to speak with the largest number of people. It is also the language of most Chinese learning materials.
Choose Cantonese if your partner’s family speaks it at home, if you plan to live in Hong Kong or Guangzhou, or if you love Cantonese cinema and music. Even then, many learners start with Mandarin, because Hong Kong today widely understands Mandarin too.
Start with Mandarin
At KeSong I teach Standard Mandarin with simplified characters, the language of the HSK, with attention to the pronunciation of the four tones from the first lesson. Start with Chinese for beginners, or read how long it takes to learn Chinese first.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mandarin the same as Chinese?
Mandarin is one form of Chinese, and by far the most widely spoken. "Chinese" is an umbrella term for a family of related languages, including Mandarin, Cantonese, Wu (Shanghainese), Min (Hokkien) and Hakka. When people say they are learning Chinese, they almost always mean Mandarin, the standard language of China, Taiwan and Singapore.
Is Mandarin a language or a dialect?
It depends on the definition. In Chinese, Mandarin and Cantonese are often called 方言 (dialects), because they share a culture and a written standard. Linguistically, they are separate languages: speakers cannot understand each other without learning the other. Standard Mandarin, Putonghua, is the national language.
Which is harder, Mandarin or Cantonese?
For most learners Cantonese is harder. It has six tones (nine by the traditional count) against Mandarin's four, more final consonants, fewer textbooks and courses, and a colloquial written form that differs from standard written Chinese. Mandarin also has far more learning materials and opportunities to practise.
Is Mandarin simplified or traditional?
Neither, because Mandarin is a spoken language. It is written with simplified characters in mainland China and Singapore, and with traditional characters in Taiwan. Cantonese in Hong Kong and Macau is written with traditional characters. Most learners of Mandarin start with simplified.
Learn with Zoey
One-to-one or in a small group, online or in Amsterdam by arrangement. Tell Zoey what you want to achieve and she will suggest a plan.
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About the author
Zoey (Ziqiao Zang, 臧子乔) has taught Chinese as a foreign language since 2011 and in the Netherlands since 2016. She holds a Master of Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages from Zhejiang Normal University and set up and ran an official HSK online exam centre with more than 250 candidates.