3 ms·

Actually there is, IMHO. Chinese is in fact a group of spoken languages, including Mandarin, Cantonese, and Southern Min. These are completely different langua

by phil5 12y ago

Actually there is, IMHO. Chinese is in fact a group of spoken languages, including Mandarin, Cantonese, and Southern Min. These are completely different languages at least in tones and pronunciations. Mandarin speakers could hardly talk to Cantonese speakers. But all these languages share a common character set, so that different dialect speakers can communicate in the written form even they couldn't understand each other orally. Traditional Japanese (and similarly Traditional Korean and Traditional Vietnamese) uses a subset of Chinese characters which they call "Kanji". And "writing down the characters" (Bitan, 筆談) had been a very effective way of communication between Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese until the last century.

wodenokoto 12y ago
No, people from Beijing cannot read a text written in Shanghainese using simplified script. The only reason why they can read Cantonese is because pop music from Hong Kong is popular enough that most kids teach themselves enough to get the jist of the written lyrics. > But all these languages share a common character set, so that different dialect speakers can communicate in the written form even they couldn't understand each other orally. Since everyone in China is taught mandarin Chinese they tend to write to each other in mandarin.
- phil5 12y ago
  > No, people from Beijing cannot read a text written in Shanghainese using simplified script. I'm not a native of Shanghai but I still get to understand written Shanghainese. Because even though I can't _read_ it, I can somehow _interpret_ it. It uses the same Chinese characters and I already knew what these characters mean. > Since everyone in China is taught mandarin Chinese they tend to write to each other in mandarin. There are still people native to Cantonese, Min Nan, or Hakka who don't speak Mandarin.
- eva1984 12y ago
  You must be joking. Mandarin is not a written system at all. Even though I don't have the passion for HongKong pop music, I have no problem understanding traditional writing at all, cause it is just so similar to simplied one.
  - deadfoxygrandpa 12y ago
    Of course Mandarin is a written system. Pop music from Hong Kong is usually in what basically amounts to Cantonese-pronounced Mandarin. That's why they sing 是 instead of 系 and it's why people recommend NOT using pop music as a learning tool when learning Cantonese. Written Cantonese also exists: 係唔係佢哋㗎？ vs 是不是他們的？, for a Wikipedia example. The first is what people speaking Cantonese actually say, the second is what they might write if they're trying to be formal or official and it's probably what you're used to seeing.

by phil5 12y ago

wodenokoto 12y ago

No, people from Beijing cannot read a text written in Shanghainese using simplified script. The only reason why they can read Cantonese is because pop music from Hong Kong is popular enough that most kids teach themselves enough to get the jist of the written lyrics. > But all these languages share a common character set, so that different dialect speakers can communicate in the written form even they couldn't understand each other orally. Since everyone in China is taught mandarin Chinese they tend to write to each other in mandarin.

phil5 12y ago
> No, people from Beijing cannot read a text written in Shanghainese using simplified script. I'm not a native of Shanghai but I still get to understand written Shanghainese. Because even though I can't _read_ it, I can somehow _interpret_ it. It uses the same Chinese characters and I already knew what these characters mean. > Since everyone in China is taught mandarin Chinese they tend to write to each other in mandarin. There are still people native to Cantonese, Min Nan, or Hakka who don't speak Mandarin.
eva1984 12y ago
You must be joking. Mandarin is not a written system at all. Even though I don't have the passion for HongKong pop music, I have no problem understanding traditional writing at all, cause it is just so similar to simplied one.
- deadfoxygrandpa 12y ago
  Of course Mandarin is a written system. Pop music from Hong Kong is usually in what basically amounts to Cantonese-pronounced Mandarin. That's why they sing 是 instead of 系 and it's why people recommend NOT using pop music as a learning tool when learning Cantonese. Written Cantonese also exists: 係唔係佢哋㗎？ vs 是不是他們的？, for a Wikipedia example. The first is what people speaking Cantonese actually say, the second is what they might write if they're trying to be formal or official and it's probably what you're used to seeing.