Mandarin vs. Chinese: What’s the Difference?
Compared to other countries, China is an outlier when it comes to linguistics. The unique story of China is steeped in regional conflicts, centuries-long dynasties, internal strife, political intrigue, ruthless invasions – and that’s just scratching the surface. No other country is like China, in terms of its riveting national narrative that stretches back to the dawn of human civilization.
This tumultuous history, combined with expansive borders populated by endless enclaves of regional cultures & customs, naturally lends itself to a captivating, alluring account of the Chinese language.
Today, there is much discussion about the Mandarin vs Chinese language. Is there a difference between Mandarin and Chinese? Or are Chinese and Mandarin the same language?
For those looking to acquire another language, there’s another important question: should you learn Mandarin or another form of Chinese, like Yue or Xiang?Plenty of questions revolve around the Mandarin vs Chinese debate. Let’s delve into the details!
Is Mandarin the Same as Chinese?
Many people believe they’re the same. But Mandarin is not the same as Chinese. When you hear “the Chinese language,” the term doesn’t mean one form of the language, like Mandarin. It’s more of a general term for the Sinitic languages, the most widely spoken language group in Asia.
“Chinese,” refers to all the different forms of the Sinitic languages spoken in China. Mandarin is the most popular by far, and has been adapted to create something called Standard Chinese, which is the official state language of China. That’s one major reason why Mandarin is often referred to as “Chinese.”
Even though Mandarin is by far the most widely spoken form of Chinese and has official status, there are plenty of other Chinese languages, each with their own unique cultural heritage, history, idioms, pronunciation, and dialects.
Key Differences Between Mandarin and Chinese
The one key difference between Mandarin and Chinese is that Mandarin refers to the distinct Mandarin subset of the Sinitic language, while “Chinese” can mean any of the various other forms of the Sinitic tongue.
However, given Mandarin’s standardization and official designation, it’s often compared against all the other languages within China. So, the differences between Mandarin and Chinese would be too long to list, since each variation of the Sinitic language has its own unique way of speaking – vocabulary, pace, cadence, and more.
Other Major Dialects within the Chinese Language Family
The Sinitic languages make up the largest-speaking language group in the world. Over 1.5 billion people speak some form of Chinese. Here’s a breakdown of the Sinitic language distribution – as you’ll see, it’s not all about Mandarin vs Chinese…Mandarin is just one of the major branches of the Chinese language.
- Mandarin – nearly 1.2 billion speakers
- Yue (Cantonese) – just under 90 million
- Wu – just over 80 million
- Min – approximately 75 million
- Jin – nearly 50 million
- Hakka – 45 million
- Xiang – nearly 40 million
- Gan – over 20 million
- Huizhou – 5 million
- Pinghua – 4 million
- Dungan – approximately 50,000
Mandarin or “Chinese”: Which Should You Learn?
As we’ve seen, Mandarin is considered the official Chinese language, since it’s used in nearly every facet of life: business & commerce, politics, media, art, and the overall Chinese culture. Mandarin and Chinese are the same language, according to many people – including over 1 billion Chinese citizens.
But that’s not technically true – the Chinese language is just one of the Sinitic languages. So if you’re considering learning “Chinese” with Pimsleur, the choice is between Mandarin and Cantonese, a close relative of Mandarin that’s spoken in the southwest part of the country. While over a billion people speak Mandarin, less than 100 million speak Cantonese.
Your choice of language to learn – Mandarin or another form of Chinese, like Cantonese, depends on what your ultimate goals are. Looking to add some appeal to your language resume? Either one is fine, though Mandarin offers more possibilities. Want to reach out to a relative in China or elsewhere? If they’re located in Hong Kong or Macau, Cantonese would be the better option. Pimsleur can help you exceed your learning goals, with either Mandarin or Cantonese Chinese. Learning either, with our Premium subscription, or both, with our All Access subscription, is fun, easy, and enlightening. Give us 30 minutes per day, and you’ll be speaking Mandarin after lesson number one!