To most of the outside world, cantonese seemed to be representative of the Chinese language since the first Chinese who migrated to North America were mostly from Guangdong province. Later from the 1949-1978, mainland China was closed off and so again, most of the immigrants were cantonese speaking Chinese from Hong Kong.
But now, with China's 30 year-old rapid economic modernization, there's a risk of cantonese being a dying language. In Guangdong province, most of the educated chinese find that mandarin is much more useful in the new, open China. They still speak cantonese to relatives and maybe childhood friends but the usage is becoming limited.
Even in HK, where cantonese is spoken with the highest concentration, they are rapidly learning mandarin as its almost become the standard way to do business.
The cantonese speaking chinese in North America are feeling left out. Before, they had fully setup cantonese speaking communities but now with the new wave of immigrants from China and Taiwan, they will soon be a minority.
The most difficult hit are probably the second generation chinese who come from cantonese speaking only families. They may feel left out and segregated because the definition of being chinese to them has changed. People more and more will now associate mandarin as chinese and not cantonese.
Personally, I am a mandarin speaking chinese but I have associated with cantonese speaking chinese. We used to know this cantonese family who lived down the street who vehemently forced their son to go to chinese school, not to learn cantonese, but mandarin. They felt it was extremely important.
I have another HK friend who is second generation chinese who can only speak cantonese. He is going to back for a trip with his family to China. His parents are cantonese but they know mandarin only but their son can only speak cantonese. He finds it perplexing and confusing and a bit hurt that he can't even speak the language of the country he belongs to.
I've met many other cantonese-speaking chinese who wish to learn mandarin. They told me that growing up, they simply thought cantonese was the chinese language but as they grew older and they met more and more chinese from china and taiwan, they realized they didn't even share the same language.
It is unlikely cantonese will disappear but the trend is that it is becoming less and less popular as the most native of cantonese speakers are scrambling to learn mandarin.
I mean no offense when I say this but I think all chinese should be able to speak fluent mandarin. Simply because most chinese speak mandarin. If we are to be one unified country, we must be able to communicate with each other.
If cantonese was spoken by the majority of chinese, I'd advocate that all chinese should learn cantonese.
I'm not favoring one language over the other. I do however, feel that mandarin sounds more polite and gentle although you cantonese speakers may feel free to disagree with me on that.
I believe that it is important that in today's world, Chinese show unity and one of the most important things is to share a common language. Language is perhaps the most important thing about one's identity.
Full Version: Should all Chinese be able to speak Mandarin? Should the Cantonese language be left to extinction?
I almost agree everything you say, Cantonese is dying, everyone in HK knows Mandarin now, if not learning right now.
I, myself is pressure from my parents to learn Mandarin, and even i think it will be more useful than Cantonese, (but of course both are better).
To further emphasis your point, if you look at the 80s and early 90s HK films and series, most films are spoken in Cantonese only. Now if you look at it now, there always be some part where the actors will be speaking mandarin.
The thing is, almost all the school in Canada, are starting to offer Mandarin and not Cantonese. Like in universities. So should all Chinese be able to speak Mandarin... i say it's their choice.
I, myself is pressure from my parents to learn Mandarin, and even i think it will be more useful than Cantonese, (but of course both are better).
To further emphasis your point, if you look at the 80s and early 90s HK films and series, most films are spoken in Cantonese only. Now if you look at it now, there always be some part where the actors will be speaking mandarin.
The thing is, almost all the school in Canada, are starting to offer Mandarin and not Cantonese. Like in universities. So should all Chinese be able to speak Mandarin... i say it's their choice.
QUOTE (Dave Goodmen @ Feb 28 2006 3 21 AM) 
I almost agree everything you say, Cantonese is dying, everyone in HK knows Mandarin now, if not learning right now.
I, myself is pressure from my parents to learn Mandarin, and even i think it will be more useful than Cantonese, (but of course both are better).
To further emphasis your point, if you look at the 80s and early 90s HK films and series, most films are spoken in Cantonese only. Now if you look at it now, there always be some part where the actors will be speaking mandarin.
The thing is, almost all the school in Canada, are starting to offer Mandarin and not Cantonese. Like in universities. So should all Chinese be able to speak Mandarin... i say it's their choice.
I, myself is pressure from my parents to learn Mandarin, and even i think it will be more useful than Cantonese, (but of course both are better).
To further emphasis your point, if you look at the 80s and early 90s HK films and series, most films are spoken in Cantonese only. Now if you look at it now, there always be some part where the actors will be speaking mandarin.
The thing is, almost all the school in Canada, are starting to offer Mandarin and not Cantonese. Like in universities. So should all Chinese be able to speak Mandarin... i say it's their choice.
hmm, well I see you live in Canada. I think Canada still has a very vibrant cantonese speaking community, especially in Toronto.
But in Vancouver, its rapidly changing as there are so many taiwanese and mainland chinese living there now.
Yah, most chinese movies now are in mandarin. To be honest, I never connected with HK pop culture at all even though its Chinese. I always find myself being more attracted to south korean pop culture.
Just curious though, why do you think cantonese would be more useful?
oh yah, I don't think all HK ppl know mandarin. I was there two years ago and my parents and I had trouble getting around due to communication problems. Most of them could only speak very, very simple mandarin and their pronounciation was sometimes off.
Maybe it's changed now.
What ever happened to that great pride of being Cantonese? 
Have people become so spineless that they will sell their soul and culture for money? Shame.
Have people become so spineless that they will sell their soul and culture for money? Shame.
i have to agree, cantonese is primarily spoken in hong kong anyways right? and even with that hong kong is being swarmed with all these Taiwan singers, series etc. which makes mandarin even more bigger 
No No No, Cantonese is spoken in HK, Singapore, Macau, Guangdong and majority of overseas Chinese. That would comprise at least 150 million people. Most of the GDP in China is thanks to Cantonese provinces. The north is too poor, so for what reason would we want to learn Mandarin... 
QUOTE
please refer to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantonese_%28linguistics%29 before continuing with your ignorant assumptions.
The article states "Although Mandarin (or putonghua) is the standard and official language in mainland China, it has only been around for about 700 or 800 years, compared to the 2000-year history of Cantonese. Cantonese, not Mandarin, is the dominant language in overseas Chinese communities. This comes from the fact that, around the world, the largest flow of Chinese immigrants originates from Hong Kong.
In some ways, Cantonese is a more conservative language than Mandarin. This can be seen, for example, by comparing the words for "I/me" (我) and "hunger" (餓). They are written using very similar characters, but in Mandarin their pronunciation is quite different ("wǒ" vs. "è"), whereas in Cantonese they are pronounced identically except for their tones (ngo5 vs ngo6 respectively). Since the characters hint at a similar pronunciation, it can be assumed that their ancient pronunciation was indeed similar, but in Mandarin the two syllables acquired different pronunciations in the course of time. Although the ancient pronunciation has not been maintained in Cantonese, in this case, there have been fewer changes in Cantonese, and so their modern values are closer to the older ones than Mandarin."
Thus if you wanted "Official Old Chinese" Cantonese would be a better choice based on history and changes within.
also refer to the following chart to which delinates the history of the Chinese language from the Zhou Dynasty:
referenced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandarin_%28linguistics%29
Thus, read the referenced articles before attempting to initate a informed and intellectual debate on Mandarin versus Cantonese.
The article states "Although Mandarin (or putonghua) is the standard and official language in mainland China, it has only been around for about 700 or 800 years, compared to the 2000-year history of Cantonese. Cantonese, not Mandarin, is the dominant language in overseas Chinese communities. This comes from the fact that, around the world, the largest flow of Chinese immigrants originates from Hong Kong.
In some ways, Cantonese is a more conservative language than Mandarin. This can be seen, for example, by comparing the words for "I/me" (我) and "hunger" (餓). They are written using very similar characters, but in Mandarin their pronunciation is quite different ("wǒ" vs. "è"), whereas in Cantonese they are pronounced identically except for their tones (ngo5 vs ngo6 respectively). Since the characters hint at a similar pronunciation, it can be assumed that their ancient pronunciation was indeed similar, but in Mandarin the two syllables acquired different pronunciations in the course of time. Although the ancient pronunciation has not been maintained in Cantonese, in this case, there have been fewer changes in Cantonese, and so their modern values are closer to the older ones than Mandarin."
Thus if you wanted "Official Old Chinese" Cantonese would be a better choice based on history and changes within.
also refer to the following chart to which delinates the history of the Chinese language from the Zhou Dynasty:
referenced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandarin_%28linguistics%29
Thus, read the referenced articles before attempting to initate a informed and intellectual debate on Mandarin versus Cantonese.
I think all chinese should speak some mandarin since it is the national language, but we should still teach cantonese because it would be sad to loose such a dialect.
Maybe it's time to consider a seperate homeland comprising HK, Macau and Guangdong for Cantonese people.
This way we would be able to keep our language and cultural identity strong, no immigration from poor people in the north; a nation where our people are not discriminated in the government workplace by these northerners who protect their own etc. We could maybe have a loose european union style confederation with Beijing.
Already in Guangdong 30% of the population are poor migrants from the north. Do we really want to become a discriminated minority in our own homelands?
This way we would be able to keep our language and cultural identity strong, no immigration from poor people in the north; a nation where our people are not discriminated in the government workplace by these northerners who protect their own etc. We could maybe have a loose european union style confederation with Beijing.
Already in Guangdong 30% of the population are poor migrants from the north. Do we really want to become a discriminated minority in our own homelands?
I doubt Cantonese will be extinct in the duration of our lifetime. True that Cantonese is big in Hong Kong and Mandarin is useful. However, people from hong kong are not likely to lose the language because it's a part of identity. Tv and schools will still use cantonese.
Mainly, mandarin is more useful professionally for people who speak cantonese.
On a side note, it's a lot easier to learn a language when you are little which is why cantonese parents in North America will try to have their kids learn mandarin. Since the kid already speaks cantonese at home and will likely grow up watching TVB series, then the kid will not have problem learning cantonese.
Mainly, mandarin is more useful professionally for people who speak cantonese.
On a side note, it's a lot easier to learn a language when you are little which is why cantonese parents in North America will try to have their kids learn mandarin. Since the kid already speaks cantonese at home and will likely grow up watching TVB series, then the kid will not have problem learning cantonese.
i dont think that the kantonese dialect should be left for extionction because there are so many diff dialects in china. its what makes us who we are
QUOTE (sky-23 @ Feb 28 2006 11 34 AM)
i dont think that the kantonese dialect should be left for extionction because there are so many diff dialects in china. its what makes us who we are
its what makes you who you are? So as long as people identify themselves only from their region and not from their country, being Chinese is a disgrace. if you identify yourself so much with where you live, then stop saying you're Chinese and stop calling yourself a shanghainese or an HKer or a Guangdong ren or wherever you're from.
i think that all chinese should know or learn how to speak Manderin
sinces its like the main lauguage in China and in every provinces, manderin is spoken
for me, im learning manderin cause even though im chinese i only know how to speak my dialect, fujianese (from Fujian)
sinces its like the main lauguage in China and in every provinces, manderin is spoken
for me, im learning manderin cause even though im chinese i only know how to speak my dialect, fujianese (from Fujian)
well mandarin is the main chinese language but u don't have to know it in order to be a chinese even thogh conto is dying it;s still all good ithink
i think they should however some Chineses dont even know how to speak chinese let alone mandarin...many ppl think mandarin will be even more used than english because of china's growing economy. my french teacher (French Quebecer) is sending her daughter to learn mandarin and she's learned it for 3 years already. i think she could speak better than some chineses i know who havent learned any chinese...
I agree that Mandarin is more useful considering it is the most widely spoken language but Cantonese will never be extinct. It is still widely spoken in parts of the world.
Since Mandarin is considered one of today's international language, like it or not, its important for chinese or other races to learn it. i think we should not compare mandarin and cantonese cuz its impossible for every language to merge. there will b some that are widely use and some that are not. seeing that theres hundreds of languages. how can the usage of every language b equally the same in this world??
I speak cantonese at home but i can speak mandarin quite well too. if you wanna compare language like this then what about English?? English is use world wide. This language is conquering the whole world. there's ntg we can do. its not like we can boycott and refuse to learn english. in the world today, its worst if u dunno english than if u dunno mandarin or cantonese. but since china is slowly merging as a strong country, the usage of mandarin increase to.
those that only know canto is advised to learn mandarin cuz theres no harm learning another language. it will only widen ur horizon and help u in ur future. its not that u should stop talkin in canto after knowing how to speak in mandarin. u can still speak canto if u like and use mandarin when u need it. now, language does not only show culture. language is also important for business, development and studies.
Examply : TVB Soong Chi Ling, she's just a normal actress or what we say " kay lay feh ", but now she's gaining popularity among chinese and korean cuz of her ability in speakin korean. she can carry out interview which most actress can't. and since korean wave is so strong now, it will definitely help her. this is a good example how language can help one's career.
its the same for mandarin too. if u know mandarin, u stand a better chance to widen ur career in the up and coming china. since china market is large, its benificial.
I speak cantonese at home but i can speak mandarin quite well too. if you wanna compare language like this then what about English?? English is use world wide. This language is conquering the whole world. there's ntg we can do. its not like we can boycott and refuse to learn english. in the world today, its worst if u dunno english than if u dunno mandarin or cantonese. but since china is slowly merging as a strong country, the usage of mandarin increase to.
those that only know canto is advised to learn mandarin cuz theres no harm learning another language. it will only widen ur horizon and help u in ur future. its not that u should stop talkin in canto after knowing how to speak in mandarin. u can still speak canto if u like and use mandarin when u need it. now, language does not only show culture. language is also important for business, development and studies.
Examply : TVB Soong Chi Ling, she's just a normal actress or what we say " kay lay feh ", but now she's gaining popularity among chinese and korean cuz of her ability in speakin korean. she can carry out interview which most actress can't. and since korean wave is so strong now, it will definitely help her. this is a good example how language can help one's career.
its the same for mandarin too. if u know mandarin, u stand a better chance to widen ur career in the up and coming china. since china market is large, its benificial.
Most of China's GDP comes from the Cantonese provinces. Not mandarin speaking areas.
If Cantonese had some pride like Koreans or Japanese then our cultural identity+language would be strong.
If Cantonese had some pride like Koreans or Japanese then our cultural identity+language would be strong.
just let nature take its course, when iwas young everyone spoke hakka, but now everyone speaks cantonese lets just see where it goes
Although I hate to see that Cantonese is declining since I speak Cantonese, I do believe that China should have one language only for easy communication like Korea and Japan. It's so hard to see Chinese people having difficulty understanding each other due to language barrier or because of a language, one group have a superior complex over another.
I hate it when I want to watch some K-dramas and all they dubbed it in is in Mandarin. Imagine if everyone Chinese speak and understand Mandarin, then there wouldn't be so much hassle when it comes to dubbing foreign movies and series.
I hate it when I want to watch some K-dramas and all they dubbed it in is in Mandarin. Imagine if everyone Chinese speak and understand Mandarin, then there wouldn't be so much hassle when it comes to dubbing foreign movies and series.
I hate to see the Cantonese language being dried up by the sun.... slowly dissapearing. I myself am being told by my grandparents and parents to learn Mandarin (Well I already learned mandarin, but its pretty weak). To me. I wish for Cantonese to remain as a major dialect and not dissapear, since my entire family speaks Cantonese, but I have to agree, with Mandarin as the nationaly language, what choice is there but to use Mandarin as the language. It just isn't efficient to learn two languages, of course it would work better if the latter generations were constantly exposed to both languages.
sorry prefer to speak cantonese rather then mandarin u seen soo many TVB serious and they all speak cantonese, and after they dubbed it in mandarin..but mostly everytime i walk past other people i mostly hear them speak mandarin... i guess its best to know both languages.
china they all speak mandarin
hk - cantonese
china they all speak mandarin
hk - cantonese
i speak cantonese but not mandarin. would like to learn mandarin too. but i will still keep cantonese as my main language and will teach my future kids speak it.
cantonese is not dying,
many people i meet in the UK, around Doncaster, Manchester, Leeds, Hull, Louth Lincoln they all speak Cantonese. Those that come from Bejing and tawain speak mandarin but other people i bump into actually speak cantonese when i speak to them
Yes, Mandarin is good, and right now im listening to Huang Yi Da with "Na nu hai duo wo shou"
but that doesnt make me not wanting to use the cantonese lanuage. i would i am capable of mastering mandarine then i would a tri-linguio lol
i would like to learn mandarin but also at the same time hang onto cantonese.
i wouldnt want to abandon cantonese.
because to be honest it is harder for people to actually "learn" cantonese.
Like it is actually easier for foriegners to learn mandarin because of the 'pin yin'
but what makes cantonese so special i think is that, you cant 'master' the actualy tone and stuff if cantonese is your second lanuage
people and tell you straight off if canto aint your first language
whilst mandarin its easier to 'hide' the 'accent'
and so canto cant be mastered by other foreigners making china china.
but of course mandarine is now made primary we all ahve to repspect that and i for one
really like singing in madarine but i dont really know it. ahahaa
its better to know more languages then to "drop" or "annihilate" another lanuage from your mind.
So i think Cantonese should not be KILLED. ^-^
me too me too ^x^
i would like them to also learn Hakka because i am actually from a HAKKA family ahaha
but i dont really know it, i can vaguely interprate what my grans says ahaha and say little bits and chat while Mah Jong with my granpa but thats it. i would want my children to learn... Cantonese FIRST *because to be honest i dont want my children to speak like those mandarine people speaking cantonese...*
when Mandarine people speak chinese its... somehow broken. and because of the 'hard' to master... 'tone' and pitch because theres no accurate pin yin for cantonese.. welll i dont know but if there is please tell me or message me ^-^
and then when they know all the basics and can speak sentences... round about 6 i think i would start teaching them mandarine
all the while teaching them english
ahahaaa!
everythings planned out!!!
many people i meet in the UK, around Doncaster, Manchester, Leeds, Hull, Louth Lincoln they all speak Cantonese. Those that come from Bejing and tawain speak mandarin but other people i bump into actually speak cantonese when i speak to them
Yes, Mandarin is good, and right now im listening to Huang Yi Da with "Na nu hai duo wo shou"
but that doesnt make me not wanting to use the cantonese lanuage. i would i am capable of mastering mandarine then i would a tri-linguio lol
i would like to learn mandarin but also at the same time hang onto cantonese.
i wouldnt want to abandon cantonese.
because to be honest it is harder for people to actually "learn" cantonese.
Like it is actually easier for foriegners to learn mandarin because of the 'pin yin'
but what makes cantonese so special i think is that, you cant 'master' the actualy tone and stuff if cantonese is your second lanuage
people and tell you straight off if canto aint your first language
whilst mandarin its easier to 'hide' the 'accent'
and so canto cant be mastered by other foreigners making china china.
but of course mandarine is now made primary we all ahve to repspect that and i for one
really like singing in madarine but i dont really know it. ahahaa
its better to know more languages then to "drop" or "annihilate" another lanuage from your mind.
So i think Cantonese should not be KILLED. ^-^
QUOTE (gaijai @ Mar 2 2006 9 02 PM)
i speak cantonese but not mandarin. would like to learn mandarin too. but i will still keep cantonese as my main language and will teach my future kids speak it.
me too me too ^x^
i would like them to also learn Hakka because i am actually from a HAKKA family ahaha
but i dont really know it, i can vaguely interprate what my grans says ahaha and say little bits and chat while Mah Jong with my granpa but thats it. i would want my children to learn... Cantonese FIRST *because to be honest i dont want my children to speak like those mandarine people speaking cantonese...*
when Mandarine people speak chinese its... somehow broken. and because of the 'hard' to master... 'tone' and pitch because theres no accurate pin yin for cantonese.. welll i dont know but if there is please tell me or message me ^-^
and then when they know all the basics and can speak sentences... round about 6 i think i would start teaching them mandarine
all the while teaching them english
ahahaaa!
everythings planned out!!!
yea mandarin is taking over china and cantonese n other chinese dialects are not being use. they even use mandarin to teach classes in hk and all over china. i think both cantonese and mandarin should b use in school. they are both very important chinese dialects and is part of the culture. they shouldnt pick one dialect over another just becuz the rest of the world believes that all chinese people speak mandarin. if cantonese speaking people are being taught mandarin in school than mandarin speaking people should be taught cantonese in school.
If you guys preferred Cantonese over Mandarin, you might as well wish for a total seperate country with the Mandarin in the North and Cantonese in the South. Actually that won't be a bad idea, although they are all Chinese, their cultures and languages can be pretty different. And since there is such bigotry among these two groups, might as well split into two seperate countries. I wonder if China can survived if the South seceed and become their own country?
i speak cantonese and i guess that's why i prefer cantonese over mandarin, i think cantonese sounds better in a way. Also alot of people i know speaks cantonese, and in nyc alot of people speak cantonese, so to me i wouldn't really care if i knew mandarin or not. But it's always better to know more than one language, but cantonese should still continue on. Also when people say chinese i always assume cantonese, not mandarin.
always loved cantonese and will never hope it will extinct... that's just not good... cause even though some people might say cantonese sounds "weird"... i don't care.. so what? i love cantonese because it's always changing, there are always new words being used and stuff... plus... cantonese isn't just a language... it's more of a way of life... and even though cantonese may seem vulgar compared to mandarin, i don't care... personally... i listen to mandarin songs and they sound very polite and boring (and maybe just cause i can barely understand what they're saying) but cantonese songs can really express how the song's theme and mood is... i just love cantonese, it's such a fun/loud/rude/whatever language... i just love it^^
QUOTE (Sliceofred @ Feb 28 2006 10 18 PM)
No No No, Cantonese is spoken in HK, Singapore, Macau, Guangdong and majority of overseas Chinese. That would comprise at least 150 million people. Most of the GDP in China is thanks to Cantonese provinces. The north is too poor, so for what reason would we want to learn Mandarin...
yes but in singapore cantonese is more of a minority the biggest dialect groups are mandarin and fujian mandarin is essential for communication within china so that the economy of china can be growing
and plz go to this site
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Zhonggu...gji_bankuai.png
you can see that guangdong is one of the state that contribute to china gdp there are alot more northern states that are wealthier than the south
I think Cantonese is a very special language, and even though some people think it's a loud and rude language, I feel that I have more connection with other Cantonese-speaking people than Mandarin speaking people.
I know Cantonese, and I know some Mandarin, and it doesn't hurt to be fluent in both languages. Use Cantonese to communicate with friends and family. Use Mandarin for work purposes.
As long as Hong Kong is still around, I'm sure Cantonese would stick around for a while. Could you imagine all HK people speaking mandarin?? That would be a horror! lol.
I know Cantonese, and I know some Mandarin, and it doesn't hurt to be fluent in both languages. Use Cantonese to communicate with friends and family. Use Mandarin for work purposes.
As long as Hong Kong is still around, I'm sure Cantonese would stick around for a while. Could you imagine all HK people speaking mandarin?? That would be a horror! lol.
I like cantanses i don't think it should be extinct then how would the elders who only know cantanese how would theycommunitcat
people should learn more languages but not forget about it
people should learn more languages but not forget about it
I was never under the impression that Cantonese was dying. Since Mandarin is the standard language, it should be taught, but I don't see why a dialect should be lost.
Mandarin is the Chinese national language so most Asians should be able understand that language. In my college, the professor teaches mandarin. I know that my Cantonese is better than my Mandarin. I do not speak much Mandarin because I am always speaking Cantonese to my family and friends. Most of my friend knows both language. I always find that Mandarin has a nice language.
i sincerely hope cantonese will stay for good..1 thing is because i DONT know mandirin..i was stuggling with mandirin when im working outstation where i have difficulties even on ordering 1 DRINK!.. haha..
maybe im a banana ?ehehe..
maybe im a banana ?ehehe..
QUOTE (Jyp @ Mar 5 2006 7 26 AM)
I was never under the impression that Cantonese was dying. Since Mandarin is the standard language, it should be taught, but I don't see why a dialect should be lost.
Hi all, i am a cantonese speaking guy in Malaysia, and in this country there are a few states that the main chinese language is cantonese. (including mine)
well, no way it is going to extinct...HK people will speak in cantonese...even if they learn up mandarin. i deal with lots of HK ppl in my work and well their cantonese sounds so nice...with the HK slang...anyway no way the language will disappear.
I speak Cantonese and I feel that when other people (non Chinese) think of the Chinese language, they automatically think it is the Mandarin dialect. Mandarin is alot more useful now than Cantonese. I don't think Cantonese will become extinct but there will not be alot of people speaking Cantonese as compare to Mandarin.
no...if we should talk mandarine in the world why cant we speak cantonese instead...so no we ar enot able to speak mandarine 
I can speak a decent cantonese but so so in mandarin. Getting regret now for not learning mandarin since young. Now picking up with mandarin and find it rather useful. For me, I think both cantonese and mandarin are really useful and you will never know when you need them. So no harm to learn another 'dialect' and I also think cantonese will never extinct as long as people those cantonese speaking population is still there.
I don't think Cantonese is a dying language, I mean all of Hong Kong speaks Cantonese and Hong Kong is thriving.
I speak both mandarin and cantonese, but was brought up speaking cantonese. Although mandarin is being more popular in that it is the CHINESE used in business and in many parts of china, I don't think cantonese will ever go away. I think that its just depends on what you use chinese for, i.e. if you're just interacting with your friends and family then its really what they speak that determines how you communicate with them, if you want to use it in business then its probably more useful to learn mandarin.
I don't feel that there is a need to feel leftout or segregated if you only speak cantonese. there is still a huge cantonese population here in SF. its like some of the other dialects out there, just cause all of china doesn't speak it doesn't mean it became extinct. Its just that mandarin is kinda of the unifying language in asia and english is the unifying language of the world.
I don't feel that there is a need to feel leftout or segregated if you only speak cantonese. there is still a huge cantonese population here in SF. its like some of the other dialects out there, just cause all of china doesn't speak it doesn't mean it became extinct. Its just that mandarin is kinda of the unifying language in asia and english is the unifying language of the world.
umm hell no. why you want everything to be the same? different languages/dialects just shows chinas diversity as a culture, which is good
cantonese is still a form of chinese, as well as hakka and we shouldn't have to be put in the position where all chinese people are required to speak manderin. Although it would be so much easier to communicate with just one lang rather than millions of langs in one...
Im not really suprised that so many countries nowadays teach Chinese as a foriegn language. yeh i kinda agree... Cantonese is slowly dying. Maybe because people find manderin to be far easier to pronounce nowadays?
Imagine being put in the position where your on holiday with friends and you're asked something in manderin and you'll be like " i dont speak manderin." you'll feel a little ashamed of yourself i guess... im just saying it would be useful..
Im not really suprised that so many countries nowadays teach Chinese as a foriegn language. yeh i kinda agree... Cantonese is slowly dying. Maybe because people find manderin to be far easier to pronounce nowadays?
Imagine being put in the position where your on holiday with friends and you're asked something in manderin and you'll be like " i dont speak manderin." you'll feel a little ashamed of yourself i guess... im just saying it would be useful..
I am a Cantonese speaking teenager in Malaysia, I know a little of Mandarin, I can understand but I can't speak much. Only an ankward line or two.
I agree that Mandarin is essential for the development in business and more but I do not find that everyone needs to learn Mandarin. MerryHellGoRound brought up this topic because she/he feels that the Chinese needs a central language that will enable them to communicate.
I think that we should use English as a form of communication. Some might disagree saying that the Chinese should not use foreign language as a form of communication between ourselves but it has been an accepted central language in the worldwide community. Of course, we would need to develope on our native language but the point is Cantonese speaking people should not feel stressed to be fluent in Mandarin because generally both languages are native to China and to the Chinese and we should respect and nurture the two languages that our ancestors created.
As for Mandarin being gentler, yes I agree but Cantonese would not be considered as rough or a more uneducated language either. There are people among Cantonese speaking Chinese that are educated and gentle in the form of communication. It varies between individuals. Even Mandarin speaking communities have rough and uncivilised style of speech hidden among the educated?
Thanks for hearing out my opinion
.
I agree that Mandarin is essential for the development in business and more but I do not find that everyone needs to learn Mandarin. MerryHellGoRound brought up this topic because she/he feels that the Chinese needs a central language that will enable them to communicate.
I think that we should use English as a form of communication. Some might disagree saying that the Chinese should not use foreign language as a form of communication between ourselves but it has been an accepted central language in the worldwide community. Of course, we would need to develope on our native language but the point is Cantonese speaking people should not feel stressed to be fluent in Mandarin because generally both languages are native to China and to the Chinese and we should respect and nurture the two languages that our ancestors created.
As for Mandarin being gentler, yes I agree but Cantonese would not be considered as rough or a more uneducated language either. There are people among Cantonese speaking Chinese that are educated and gentle in the form of communication. It varies between individuals. Even Mandarin speaking communities have rough and uncivilised style of speech hidden among the educated?
Thanks for hearing out my opinion
.
what you are saying is the truth. even the chinese community in chinatown, ny is speaking madarin now. where in the past friends i had learned to speak cantonese they are now sticking with mandarin only.
i think all chinese in prc should speak mandarin, i mean they can still speak cantonese(or any other sub-dialect) if they want but atleast know how to speak formally in mandarin. this will boost the effectiveness of communication in china , becoming more effecient.
No, it shouldn't be left to die out. Cantonese is a beautiful language, I think it should be cherished.
I think for cantonese speakers and for the peope of HK and other locations where cantonese is dominant, cantonese should remain as their first language. They should learn mandarin too - but cantonese should still come first. Its part of their culture and heritage and I don't think that should be sacrificed to make communication a little easier.
I think for cantonese speakers and for the peope of HK and other locations where cantonese is dominant, cantonese should remain as their first language. They should learn mandarin too - but cantonese should still come first. Its part of their culture and heritage and I don't think that should be sacrificed to make communication a little easier.
there are so many chinese dialicts out in china. but they shouldnt juss get rid of one becuase each dialict makes each region different, but there should be an universal lexicon so everyone in china can communicte
i dont think canto is dying all or most of the ppl i know speak canto. what i dont understand is y ppl who speak canto want to learn mando but ppl who speak mando dont care to learn canto y shouldn't work both ways.
QUOTE (babygirl @ Mar 14 2006 6 03 AM)
i dont think canto is dying all or most of the ppl i know speak canto. what i dont understand is y ppl who speak canto want to learn mando but ppl who speak mando dont care to learn canto y shouldn't work both ways.
because mandarin is the national language of china , not cantonese. mainly this is for business and professional reasons... kinda like the reason why chinese was simplified to improve literacy thru out the country side.
One thing on my mind is I don't think the original intention of the post was really to facilitate communication. Instead, it was to abolish the enmity between the northern and southern population, which falls under the good idea, bad execution side.
The original poster mentioned several times that the southerners should just split and form their own country because of the language problem.
The original poster mentioned several times that the southerners should just split and form their own country because of the language problem.
I totally think we shouldn't able to speak Mandarin but at least we should try. Since China is coming biger and biger in the market share in the next 10 to 20yr. We should at least able to understand our own languages right. 
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.