Cantonese Vs. Mandarin Chinese Comparison and Things you Should Know

 

I recently add the Chinese Language to my self-study schedule, because I live in a city where many Chinese people are coming so I think it could be a benefit if I can communicate with them. The first thing I try to make sure of is that I am heading in the right direction hmmm... I mean the right language that they use. 

Cantonese or Mandarin?

For this, I do some research and found that there are many many different languages Chinese people speak, and the two most popular are Mandarin and Cantonese. Mandarin is the central language they use as a means of communication in Mainland China. Whereas in Hong Kong they speak Cantonese and I do really have an interest in Cantonese because I like watching Hong Kong movies. Because Mandarin is the more popular one I am quite familiar with the sound but for Cantonese my first impression was weird. But later I found Cantonese quite interesting and sound really great and I do like to listen to Cantonese songs more than Mandarin.

Okay, let's get quick to our point here which is Cantonese vs. Mandarin comparing the 2 languages and things you need to know about.

Should you learn Mandarin or Cantonese?

The answer depends if you want to speak to the majority of Chinese people Mandarin is probably what you should learn because Mandarin is the official language. But if you specifically want to connect with people in Hong Kong or Macau then Cantonese helps you negotiate really well with the people there.

Can a Mandarin understand Cantonese?

If you only know Mandarin or Cantonese you can not understand each other speaking because the two totally sound really different. But yes you can understand Cantonese through reading because they write in what is called Standard Characters so Mandarin and Cantonese can understand each other in this way.

The Difference and Similarity between Mandarin and Cantonese

Both Mandarin and Cantonese are spoken in China though Mandarin is the official language, Cantonese Chinese prefer to communicate in Cantonese when they are together. 

In written form, Cantonese and Mandarin can understand each other it is mature and intelligible. But in Mainland China, they use simplified characters whereas in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan they use traditional characters which are more complicated.

Another big difference is that Cantonese and Mandarin are completely different languages in speaking so you cannot expect to understand Cantonese if you learn Mandarin and vice-versa.