Should I learn Cantonese or Mandarin?

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Alphathree33

Platinum Member
Dec 1, 2000
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I've signed up for a beginner course in Cantonese. (I assume it'll be primarily oral...)

I know that Mandarin is the more "official" of the two languages, but everyone here in Toronto seems to speak Cantonese, and I know that's the language of Hong Kong as well.

Your thoughts?
 
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dighn

Lifer
Aug 12, 2001
22,820
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Mandarin is much more relevant and will become increasingly more so. Here in Vancouver there has been a very noticeable trend of Mandarin becomingly more widely used. Let's not forget that every educated person in China speaks Mandarin, while Cantonese is only a regional dialect, and not the only one at that. Even people in Hong Kong are learning Mandarin.
 
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Cal166

Diamond Member
May 6, 2000
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I would agree with others above that Mandarin is pretty much widespread and is used everywhere.
 
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imported_Imp

Diamond Member
Dec 20, 2005
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Mandarin is definately more useful.

Having said that, I HATE how Mandarin sounds. Maybe it's the tone or structure, but it just sounds strange. Meanwhile, I love the sound of cantonese. It's th perfect casual, verbal abuse language with the best foul language I've ever heard. Tone is really nice too.
 
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Saint Michael

Golden Member
Aug 4, 2007
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I agree that Cantonese sounds nicer, but Mandarin is much more useful. Learn Cantonese if you plan to settle in Guangdong, Hong Kong, or Macau, otherwise learn Mandarin. Many people there will understand Mandarin anyway, as is being pointed out. Besides, people in Toronto are going to be speaking English, so...

By the way, I'm white and learning Mandarin at the moment, a friend is also teaching me some Cantonese. Cantonese tones can be really subtle, it's hard to learn.
 
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nace186

Platinum Member
Sep 16, 2006
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Cantonese does sound nicer, but it's much much harder to learn.

Cantonese has 9 different tonal compare to mandarin which has 4. Also, speaking dialog for Cantonese is vastly different than the written form of it.
Especially in HK, where a new slang is born everyday.

IMO, Cantonese speaking dialog is informal compares to its writing counterpart, while Mandarin matches with its counterpart.

btw, I speak Cantonese and a beginner in Mandirin.

 
0roo0roo

0roo0roo

No Lifer
Sep 21, 2002
64,795
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pretty much only vietnamese people think cantonese sounds nicer. cantonese speakers think manderin sounds nicer. such is the sounds nicer hierarchy.
 
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uhohs

Diamond Member
Oct 29, 2005
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i hate the sound of cantonese because it's the language of verbal abuse from your cantonese parents. :/
 
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dighn

Lifer
Aug 12, 2001
22,820
4
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Originally posted by: uhohs
i hate the sound of cantonese because it's the language of verbal abuse from your cantonese parents. :/
Click to expand...

Cantonese parents take note, don't verbally abuse your child or he'll turn out like uhohs! :p

sorry j/k :laugh:
 
pray4mojo

pray4mojo

Diamond Member
Mar 8, 2003
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Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
pretty much only vietnamese people think cantonese sounds nicer. cantonese speakers think manderin sounds nicer. such is the sounds nicer hierarchy.
Click to expand...

true.

op should learn mandarin. more people speak mandarin than canto.

<- canto
 
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LongCoolMother

Diamond Member
Sep 4, 2001
5,675
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mandarin, without a doubt. will be farrrr more useful, in terms of business and in general, and it's the official language of china so that even people from HK speak it.

also, chinese people like to say Cantonese sounds like quarreling. mandarin is more sing-songy. heh.
 
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deejayshakur

Platinum Member
Aug 7, 2000
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Originally posted by: dighn
Mandarin is much more relevant and will become increasingly more so. Here in Vancouver there has been a very noticeable trend of Mandarin becomingly more widely used. Let's not forget that every educated person in China speaks Mandarin, while Cantonese is only a regional dialect, and not the only one at that. Even people in Hong Kong are learning Mandarin.
Click to expand...

correction: every educated and uneducated person in china speaks mandarin and writes simplifed chinese. learn mandarin if you want to join the masses. you will have a hard time understanding cantonese. on the other hand, learning cantonese will enable you to understand a lot of mandarin.

more people in hong kong are speaking mandarin because after '98, the floodgates were opened, thereby letting in the masses of mandarin-speaking chinese. this also brought in more mainland factories and businesses as well as poverty, pollution, and urban congestion. businessmen in hong kong have always been fluent in mandarin. the rest of hong kongers speak their stereotypical canto-mandarin, cantonese, and british english.

the majority of chinese emigrants speak cantonese because for many decades, only the priviledged living on the coast of china could afford to. this included hong kong and guang-dong people.
 
Praxis1452

Praxis1452

Platinum Member
Jan 31, 2006
2,197
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Most of my family is from Shanghai and it sounds much more like mandarin so go with that.
 
D

dighn

Lifer
Aug 12, 2001
22,820
4
81
Originally posted by: deejayshakur
Originally posted by: dighn
Mandarin is much more relevant and will become increasingly more so. Here in Vancouver there has been a very noticeable trend of Mandarin becomingly more widely used. Let's not forget that every educated person in China speaks Mandarin, while Cantonese is only a regional dialect, and not the only one at that. Even people in Hong Kong are learning Mandarin.
Click to expand...

correction: every educated and uneducated person in china speaks mandarin and writes simplifed chinese. learn mandarin if you want to join the masses. you will have a hard time understanding cantonese. on the other hand, learning cantonese will enable you to understand a lot of mandarin.

more people in hong kong are speaking mandarin because after '98, the floodgates were opened, thereby letting in the masses of mandarin-speaking chinese. this also brought in more mainland factories and businesses as well as poverty, pollution, and urban congestion. businessmen in hong kong have always been fluent in mandarin. the rest of hong kongers speak their stereotypical canto-mandarin, cantonese, and british english.

the majority of chinese emigrants speak cantonese because for many decades, only the priviledged living on the coast of china could afford to. this included hong kong and guang-dong people.
Click to expand...

Many uneducated people in China don't speak Mandarin, they only speak their own regional dialects, of which there are many. Even the older, educated generation tends to speak with heavy accents of their respective mother tongues.

Honestly I don't see the significance of Cantonese anymore unless you are set on going to Hong Kong. As far as I know, even there Mandarin is taught as a requirement. Among Chinese immigrant communities, Cantonese is rapidly losing its prominence. Besides, most people you are likely to deal with are gonna be fluent in English anyway.
 
A

andylawcc

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
18,183
3
81
Originally posted by: Howard
Mandarin will be more useful, I think.

<- Canto
Click to expand...

double


well, it depends, will you think you be living in Toronto for the rest of your life? or plan to live in San Fran or HK? if so, Canto is your friend


and for those who think Canto sounds nicer, you are probably hearing Beijing Mandarin, which found a bit difficult to follow. Southern Mandarin or Taiwanese Mandarin is more "listener-friendly"


oh, and for those who still thinks Canto sounds nicer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSHziqJWYcM

 
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