Cantonese language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yue |
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| Cantonese 粵語/粤语 廣東話/广东话 |
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Yuht Yúh/Jyut6 jyu5 (Yue) written in traditional Chinese (left) and simplified Chinese (right) characters
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| Native to | China, Vietnam, Malaysia | |||
| Region | Pearl River Delta (Central Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau); Eastern-Southern Guangxi | |||
| Ethnicity | Han Chinese | |||
| Native speakers | 62 million (2013) | |||
| Language family | ||||
| Dialects |
Guangfu (incl. Cantonese)
Siyi (incl. Taishan)
Gao–Yang
Yong–Xun
Gou–Lou
Qin–Lian
Wu–Hua
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| Writing system | Traditional Chinese Simplified Chinese (Written Cantonese) Cantonese Braille |
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| Official status | ||||
| Official language in | Hong Kong and Macau (de facto, though officially referred to as "Chinese"; Cantonese and occasionally Mandarin are used in government). Recognised regional language in Suriname. | |||
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Cantonese is a language that comes from Guangzhou, a city in southern China. When people say 'Cantonese', they usually mean the way it's spoken in Guangzhou and Hong Kong. This version of Cantonese is very important in the Yue language family.
Many people speak Cantonese in Southern China, Hong Kong, and Macau. You'll also find it in Malaysia and Singapore. Plus, lots of Chinese people living in other countries, like in Southeast Asia and North America, speak Cantonese. It's thought that over 62 million people speak Cantonese!
Cantonese is a tonal language. This means the meaning of a word can change depending on the pitch of your voice when you say it. Cantonese has six different tones. Even though it's the third most spoken Chinese language after Mandarin and Wu, its official status in Hong Kong and Macau makes it very well-known.
Cantonese is quite different from Mandarin, which is the most spoken Chinese language. They are so different that if you speak Cantonese, you won't understand someone speaking Mandarin unless you learn it. It's like trying to understand French if you only speak English! Cantonese is part of the Sino-Tibetan language family.
Where is Cantonese Spoken?
Cantonese is mainly spoken in the Pearl River Delta region of China. This includes the big cities of Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Macau. It's also spoken in parts of Guangxi province in China.
Outside of China, many people speak Cantonese in places where Chinese communities have settled. This includes countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore. You can also hear Cantonese in Chinatowns around the world, like in San Francisco.
Cantonese in Hong Kong and Macau
In Hong Kong, both English and Chinese are official languages. Even though "Chinese" is a general term, Cantonese is widely used. Most schools in Hong Kong teach in Cantonese, not Mandarin. Many people in Hong Kong prefer to speak Cantonese.
In Macau, most people speak Cantonese. It's an official language there, along with Portuguese. Macau is a popular place for tourists because of its casinos, so you might hear many languages there.
Images for kids
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This Chinese dictionary from the Tang dynasty shows how old Chinese sounds are kept in modern Cantonese.
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A street in Chinatown, San Francisco. Cantonese is a very common language among Chinese communities in Western countries.
See also
In Spanish: Chino yue para niños
