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Vocabulary

Character Pinyin English
官话 Guānhuà Mandarin (PN)
普通话 Pǔtōnghuà Mandarin (PN)
国语 Guóyǔ Mandarin (PN)
语言 yǔyán language (N)
通用语 tōngyòngyǔ common language/lingua franca (N)
现代 xiàndài modern (Adj.)
华语 Huáyǔ Chinese language (PN)
方言 fāngyán dialect (N)
声调 shēngdiào tone (N)
一声 yīshēng first tone (N)
二声 èrshēng second tone (N)
三声 sānshēng third tone (N)
四声 sìshēng fourth tone (N)
语言学 yǔyánxué linguistics (N)
语言学家 yǔyánxuéjiā linguist (N)
北京话 Běijīnghuà Beijing Dialect (PN)
白话 báihuà vernacular (N)
汉藏语系 Hàn Zàng yǔxì Sino-Tibetan Language Family (PN)

Study Questions

  • Consider the different terms used to refer to Mandarin or Chinese language in general. Can you think of reasons that different terms might be used in different contexts or locations?
  • Mandarin is the national language of a country with a great deal of linguistic diversity. Do you think that a country such as China could succeed without a unifying standard language? Why or why not?
  • When people refer to “Chinese language” what does that really mean?
  • For Mandarin language learners: Is Mandarin difficult to learn/speak? Why or why not?

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