MacLover

Hey guys,

I am thinking about studying one of the languages in the title (Cantonese, Chinese and Mandarin) but I have no idea what the main differences are and whether it is worth it to learn one then try and learn the others after it if the are all similar

I am looking for the one really that is used most in Hong Kong but according to Wiki both Cantonese and Mandarin are spoken widely in HK so I suppose it doesn't matter which I learn first?

Anyway what are the main differences between the 3 as that is where I am well and truly confused lol.

Thanks for reading my rather boring and confusing post

MacLover

MacLover

As it appears I cannot edit my post I'm going to post under it.

I have settled on learning Cantonese but now what software can I use that preferably works on OS X

I looked at Rosetta Stone but they only have Mandarin are there any other good software.

wendy c.

Hi MacLover, the terms Chinese and Mandarin are now used interchangeably. But to be accurate, while Chinese is the ethnicity, Mandarin is the dialect which is most used by the Chinese (it is the official language of China, Singapore and Taiwan). Cantonese is another dialect, most used by Hong Kongers. The pronunciation of words are very different, although you can find many words that are identical in meaning. People in Hong Kong are better in Cantonese.

yup, I think it is much easier learning the other dialect after mastering one.

Hope that helps.

I'm not sure what software is good to learn Cantonese though. This (Talk Now! Learn Cantonese - Beginning Level) might be a good start point - it has high ratings on Amazon.

All the best!

dunmovin

learning from software is not realy such a great idea.the systems of tranposing cantonese writing in our alphabet varies widely and I never found any two books or software programs using the exact same system. You will find enrolling in a course much easier. You can find lots of tutors and course in the classified section of the HK Magazine (distributed free at MTR stations and supermarkets throughout Hong Kong)

I lived in HK for 13 years but still never managed to be fully fluent in Cantonese.

GrecoRomano

As an investment for the future: Mandarin, as Hongkonese are, increasingly so, learning the "real" Chinese (as Mandarin is). Cantonese is spoken tough by more than several dozen million people, (Guandong is as big as France, all of it Cantonese-speaking) good for business if you have a lot of deals in the area. Mandarin though is the language of the culture, without any doubt.

MacLover

Thanks for the replies guys, I'll take a look at Mandarin instead

Mipik

Wise choice.

joeyseven

It depends on the purpose of learning the Chinese language. If you just want to learn a foreign language and possibly for a job position, then Mandarin will be a good choice. However, if you are going to live in Hong Kong, of cos' Cantonese will make more sense.

One note is even though Taiwan, China, Hong Kong are speaking/writing Chinese, they have their own wordings to express the same thing. For example: cellphone, good morning, air-conditioning, computers, etc.

I would suggest you to get some learning exercise on the internet first. If you feel you really like it, you may consider to spend money on training materials later.

dunmovin

I remember years ago, a friend teaching me cantonese "there is one word, mm goi, it means please, thank you and excuse me.... but this is Hong Kong..you don't need to learn this"

joeyseven

That's correct.

Mandarin is more formal, it speaks how it writes while Cantonese is more fun and flexible. Still Hong Kong Cantonese and Guangzhou Cantonese is still different in how they use the wordings to express the same thing.

The best way to learn a language is to speak to local people. Once you catch up more daily communication words, you will get more motivation to learn more.

Kooky.

Agreed. I learned some really rude Hokkien that way.

kiwinyc

I speak Cantonese, Hong Kong dialect learnt from my parents. But if I were learning Chinese from scratch, I would choose mandarin, its easier to learn and is the major language used in mainland China.

Mandarin has 4 'tones' i.e. 4 different ways you can say (what sounds to the western ear) the same word, depending on how you sound the tone, each way means something different.

Cantonese has 7 'tones' so is more difficult to learn. (Or has more ways to get it wrong )

Shanghai-ese is another dialect again, its different to both Cantonese and Mandarin...

Good luck!

penguinsix

If you are just visiting Hong Kong, learn English. Seriously, you can get by for a year or two with just English and a few Cantonese words (i.e. places you are going to in a cab, etc). If you are going to move to Hong Kong, marry a Hong Kong girl, then Cantonese. If you are looking to improve your own marketability later in life/career, Mandarin will help.

It used to be that Cantonese speakers looked down on Mandarin speakers in Hong Kong, but that's really changed in the last five years. I hear a lot of Mandarin all over the place now. Some folks get pretty agitated about what you should learn as many Cantonese speakers fear a loss of their linguistic identity by the 1000lb gorilla on the mainland and many Mandarin speakers had to give up their regional dialects when Mandarin was made 'official' and feel Cantonese speakers should be forced to give up theirs as well.

Are you planning to learn characters? That's another ball of wax between traditional and simplified...

andrewrh

I don't think someone would go to Hong Kong just to find a wife !