i understand Sabah and Sarawak version of Malay language and a bit of Brunei. For Chinese just Mandarin (level 1 understanding)

I always thought the official chinese language was mandarin, but people have told me that it is called "chinese". Who is correct?

i really want to learn mandarin(a form of chinese language), and i want to be able to speak it fluently as soon as i can. can anyone give me some sites or recommend some ways of learning it plz. and how long wud it take?
Thx!

I know Cantonese(粵語) is the most widely spoken language in Hong Kong.
Many Hong Kong people speak Cantonese as their first language.

Then what is Hong Kong people's second language?
Is it English or Mandarin(Putonghua普通話)?
Which language do Hong Kong people generally speak better?

I am half Chinese and my friends and family have been encouraging me to study Mandarin. Has anyone also tried to study Mandarin? Has it been helpful and was it easy for you? Can you give me good websites where I can start off or perhaps CD which I could use personally ie i can buy from amazon etc?

The reason that Mandarin became a national language has to do with the political power vested in the Northerners and that the capital is at Beijing. If Sun Yat Sen, after he overthrew the Qing government were to start the national capital in Guangdong province, would that make Cantonese the national language?

in mandarin

Hi, I have a number of questions about Mandarin pinyin pronunciation:

1. How do you know when "i" in pinyin should be pronounced "uh" or "ee" or "er" as in the English word "fur" (examples of usage in chi and shi)? I've heard it as all these ways and am very confused as to which is correct, keeping in mind I am aiming for the Beijing accent.

2. In the pinyin "e", how does one know if it is to be pronounced as the English sound "uh" or "eh"? I have heard "ye" as both "yeh" and "yuh".

3. Does it really make a huge difference if you give your "ch" and "zh" different forces of air, like I know some of the sounds have more air than others, like "p" and "b"...?

4. Which region's/city's accent is the most understood throughout the PRC?

5. "Eng"- pronounced like "ung" or "ang" in the english word "hang"? How do I know which is right? Like for example, cheng2 chi2

I know that if I heard the word before I should know how to spell it in pinyin the problem is I'm hearing so many different ways to say things! Please help! Xie Xie!!
So are there exceptions to the pinyin "e"? Such as in "de" in "wo de"? Isn't that pronounced "duh"?

Thanks for the info on pronunciation variations though...I'm sure it's similar to Spanish, with Castilians having a lisp and the Argentines with their pronunciation of "ll".

Have dated asian girls in the past and picked up a few words, but i plan on moving to somewhere that speaks Mandarin in the future. How can I learn to speak the quickest?

I am chinese, but was born in the states and English is my primary language. When I was little, my parents spoke cantonese a lot so now I can speak it very well. I can understand a little bit of mandarin, but I can't write chinese at all. Can I take chinese as a course in college? In other words, would it be okay for me to take chinese even though I understand it a little? Would it be weird?

I am curious, if supposedly Mandarin came before Cantonese, how can it be explained that poems, existing before the Ming dynasty which supposedly when Mandarin originated, have more rhythm in Cantonese?

How can I learn the chinese languages mandarin & cantonese ? I don't have any money to go into an extra class in my school or to take classes outside of school, how can I learn these languages ? There is an chinese girl in school who i want to date so i want to learn chinese to talk to her.

We can have a dinner together!
Anybody interested in Mandarin/English language exchange in Kingston, Ontario, Canada?
I am a Taiwanese who speaks both Mandarin and English. I am studying at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. If you speak English and you are interested in learning Mandarin, please message me.

I work with on old Asian woman. I try to be friendly with her. She has tried to show me some words I just don't have a grasp for it. She only knows a few words English. I asked her once what is her language was I asked Mandarin or Cantonese. She said Cantonese.

I'm making a website with options for Mandarin and Cantonese translations. What are the Chinese characters for "Chinese" ( in Mandarin) and "Chinese" (in Cantonese )

I know the two most widely used are Cantonese and Mandarin, and I would like to learn the one that is most used out of those because so many people speak Chinese, it's just insane. Well anyways, which of these is most widely used around the world? P.S. Which is harder? P.P.S. Could I learn both if I was really determined?

Cantonese people live in the PRC, and the language preferred by the Central government is Mandarin (And it is the Language of the majority of the people - 850 million).

So, how does Mandarin compare to English as a second language?

Do Cantonese people prefer to learn Mandarin BEFORE English, as a second language?

Do more Cantonese people (Those living in PRC) speak English than Mandarin?

And yes I know Mandarin and Cantonese share the same character system, but I am asking about SPOKEN language

Thank you very much

considering that 3/4s are of Chinese origin and a study said that more of Chinese-Singaporeans prefer to communicate in Mandarin over English at home even among the highly educated?

I am studying traditional Mandarin in school. I need a free program that I can download that will allow me to type in pinyin and then it will convert into traditional Chinese characters...Mandarin

Thank you.

What job opportunities can a mandarin speaker get? what are the main parts of china that speak mandarin? Why should i learn mandarin?

I am a private employee who needs to learn Mandarin and or Cantonese as secondary language. How long do you think would it take me before I learn how to speak and understand these languages? specific time frame please.

Doing a school project..
sub question:
Will mandarin overtake English as the international language over the next century? (give reason)
please help out!

Hi. I'm from Korea, and going to take Mandarin 12 simplified in Delta school district. Has anyone ever taken Mandarin 12?
If so, could you tell me what kind of questions were on when you took the exam? was it hard ? what was the topic for oral section?? Thank you

I am living in the Philippines, and I am quite proficient with the English language. However, I am getting interested with Mandarin. I want to learn it online or if someone can give me some materials (eBooks, etc.). I hope you can help me.:)

Anybody interested in Mandarin/English language exchange in Kingston, Ontario, Canada?
Anybody interested in Mandarin/English language exchange in Kingston, Ontario, Canada?
I am a Taiwanese who speaks both Mandarin and English. I am studying at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. If you speak English and you are interested in learning Mandarin, please message me.
Actually we better meet by person:)

I know that Chinese (in all its dialects, whether Mandarin, Cantonese, etc.) is very difficult for native English-speakers to learn particularly because the tonal system makes a word have different meanings.

For instance, the word "tianming" means both "sunrise" and "Mandate of Heaven", but it's pronounced in different tones to differentiate the two meanings.

How do tone-deaf people in China learn their native language?

Hi. I'm from Korea, and going to take Mandarin 12 simplified in Delta school district. Has anyone ever taken Mandarin 12?
If so, could you tell me what kind of questions were on when you took the exam? was it hard ? what was the topic for oral section?? Thank you

Is the Chinese surname 孫 pronounced the same in Mandarin and Cantonese? If there are any differences, what are they?

* Note 孫 can also be written as 孙.

I intend on learning Mandarin in evening classes at the University of Aberdeen as it likely to benefit my career once I've finished University. For those of you who have learned it, please tell me if it is difficult or not.

Thank you for your help

I am looking to learn a language, mostly for business, and not sure which one to learn.

Currently I am working in Singapore and there is a lot of people who already speak English and Mandarin so I am not sure if it will be really beneficial.

Any advice?

I'd take a class but they don't teach Mandarin at my school. So i'm stuck with Spanish (which I like btw.)

in/Close to Auburn, Washington?
Im Young and trying to learn a few different languages, and decided Mandarin was a good way to go.
Any classes around Auburn, Washington?

i understand Sabah and Sarawak version of Malay language and a bit of Brunei. For Chinese just Mandarin (level 1 understanding)

mandarin is a language from china..
gimme correct answer for 10 pointss and if possible gimme the website..