What Languages Are Spoken In China? (Answered!)

Mandarin is the primary language spoken in China. In mainland China, many people call the national language ‘Putonghua’. In Mandarin, this translates to ‘everyday speech’. Mandarin is a standardized form of Chinese with over 900 million speakers in the country.

China is officially known as the People’s Republic of China. Over 1.4 billion people reside in the country- the highest population in the world!

A nation rich in culture, history, and art- it is no surprise China is home to various unique dialects.

With a millennia-long history, there is no such thing as a simple breakdown of the language.

Chinese languages are often complex, but their beauty is with the beholder.

A completely different alphabet based on symbols may scare English speakers away. Indeed, this is a natural response.

Chinese symbols are nothing like our alphabet at first glance.

However, Chinese culture (some of which are ancient) has endured the test of time.

Despite having the dominant language of Mandarin, there are regional and lesser-known dialects.

This article explores the languages spoken in China.

In This Article

What is the national language of China?

The national language of China is Mandarin.

The language has been the national dialect since 1911.

Unbelievably, academics have been able to trace early forms of Mandarin back 800 years.

A language surviving 800 years is no mean feat!

China adopted the “The Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language” in 2000.

This law means every citizen can learn and use the available national language (Mandarin).

The law also means that professionals, state workers, the media and educators must all use the national language.

The benefit of having a standard version of Chinese is that everyone can communicate.

In addition, as a large country with different ethnic groups, one common language helps groups interact.

What are the top 5 languages in China?

China, unlike other countries, call their languages ‘dialects’.

Despite Mandarin being the country’s official language, the large population uses many languages.

As we have spoken about, Mandarin is China’s official language.

It is also the most spoken language in the country.

The dialect is known as ‘Chinese’ or simply ‘Guoyu’ which translates to ‘national language’.

Below is a list of some of the languages (or dialects) spoken in China.

Yue- The most known name for Yue is Cantonese. It has features of old Chinese, Southern Chinese, and Aboriginal languages. After Mandarin, Cantonese is the second most spoken language in China.

More than 55 million people speak Cantonese in important cities such as Hong Kong, Canton and Macau.

Wu- This dialect includes hundreds of different spoken forms- all of which are distinct. You will typically hear this language in Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Anhui provinces.

Some people may refer to Wu as ‘Shanghainese’- you can guess that Wu is spoken in Shanghai from this nickname.

Gan dialect is the native language of the Jiangxi province. Surprisingly, Gan is a close relative of the Hakka. Therefore, sometimes you may hear Gan called ‘Hakka-Gan’ dialects.

According to official Chinese statistics, Gan is spoken by 48,000,000 people.

Xiang- You will find this dialect spoken China’s Hunan province. There is old Xiang and New Xiang. Old Xiang dialect is mainly spoken in the southern parts of the Xiang areas. Alternatively, New Xiang can be heard in the northern regions,

Xiang was created by taking major influence from China’s national language of Mandarin.

Of course, having a population of over a billion means China has a wide variety of ethnic groups.

As the second-highest populated country, dialects vary from region to region.

There are over 300 individual languages, and the examples above are some, but definitely not all, of China’s most popular dialects.

Is Mandarin the most complex language to learn?

Even though Mandarin is the second most spoken language in the world, many agree it is the hardest to learn.

This is because Mandarin has thousands of characters and a complicated writing system.

Mandarin is not phonetic, which will not help your cause if you try to learn it.

Furthermore, the language is challenging to come to terms with for people who are used to a Latin writing system.

Looking words up in a Chinese dictionary is sometimes considered a skill- but if over a billion people can learn Mandarin, why can’t you?

How many people speak Mandarin?

Around 15% of the world speaks Mandarin- a statistic that means it is the second most spoken language in the world.

China even has laws to ensure Mandarin remains the ‘Lingua Franca’, the primary form of communication.

Approximately over a billion people speak Mandarin in the world. Nine hundred fifty million mandarin speakers reside in China- 95% of the literate people.

Mandarin is also the official language of Singapore and Taiwan.

Is English spoken in China?

English has been in the Chinese education system for many years.

However, saying this, only around 1%-6% of the population can have a conversation in English.

When you take into account the number of people in rural areas- this is unsurprising.

The poorer and less educated people are unlikely to know English to a conversational level.

However, more people are likely to speak English in major cities and urban centers.

For example, hotel staff, businesspeople, or educated students are more likely to know English.

As part of the British Empire, Hong Kong is different from other parts of China.

There is even such a thing as ‘Hong Kong’ English- a mix of dialects.

There are hundreds of dialects used in China today.

Each dialect is a language, and China is home to vivid forms of communication.

This is no surprise, China is the most populated country in the world.

A look into the history of China and it easy to appreciate its prestigious culture.

A mix of ancient and modern history has created a legacy of diverse languages spoken in China.

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Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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