Sage-Tips

Is Shanghainese a dialect or language?

Wu Chinese
Shanghainese (上海閒話 [z̥ɑ̃̀héɦɛ̀ɦʊ̀] in Shanghainese), or the Shanghai language (simplified Chinese: 上海话 or 沪语; traditional Chinese: 上海話 or 滬語), is a dialect of Wu Chinese spoken in the city of Shanghai and the surrounding region. It is classified as part of the Sino-Tibetan family of languages.

Is Hokkien dying in China?

Hokkien is a Dying Language, based on UNESCO AD Hoc Expert Group on Endangered Languages. With English as the main language as well as medium of instruction in public school education, coupled with the Speak Mandarin campaign in 1979, Singapore Chinese today do not have to use Hokkien for everyday interactions.

Which Chinese dialect is dying?

Shanghainese is a dying language, and despite the recent efforts to bring it back, I don’t think it will ever be the same again. Even in Shanghai, where the dialect originated, young people my age were never taught how to speak it. Starting in the 1990s, the government took initiative to standardize Mandarin.

Why is Shanghainese so different?

For example, there are 5 tones in Shanghainese versus only 4 tones in Mandarin. Voiced initials are used in Shanghainese, but not in Mandarin. Also, changing tones affects both words and phrases in Shanghainese, while it only affects words in Mandarin.

Is the Shanghainese language similar to Mandarin Chinese?

Shanghainese is part of the larger Wu Chinese of Chinese languages. It is not mutually intelligible with any dialects of Mandarin Chinese, or Cantonese, Southern Min (such as Hokkien-Taiwanese), and any other Chinese languages outside Wu. Modern Shanghainese, however, has been heavily influenced by standard Chinese.

What are the languages spoken in China?

The languages of China are the languages that are spoken in China. The predominant language in China, which is divided into seven major language groups (classified as dialects by the Chinese government for political reasons), is known as Hanyu ( simplified Chinese: 汉语; traditional Chinese: 漢語;

Is Shanghainese mutually intelligible with other languages?

Shanghainese is part of the larger Wu Chinese of Chinese languages. It is not mutually intelligible with any dialects of Mandarin Chinese, or Cantonese, Southern Min (such as Hokkien-Taiwanese), and any other Chinese languages outside Wu.

Why is Shanghainese no longer spoken in Shanghai?

From 1992 onward, Shanghainese use was discouraged in schools, and many children native to Shanghai can no longer speak Shanghainese. In addition, Shanghai’s emergence as a cosmopolitan global city consolidated the status of Mandarin as the standard language of business and services, at the expense of the local language.