What language is spoken in China?
China has seven main languages. Standard Mandarin (Putonghua) has been the official language since 1956. Other important languages include Wu (Shanghai), Cantonese (Guangdong, Hong Kong), Min (Fujian, Taiwan), Xiang (Hunan), Hakka, and Gan.
Mandarin: Official Language and Regional Dialects
Standard Mandarin (Putonghua) has been the official language of China since 1956. It should not be confused with the group of Mandarin dialects, spoken from north to southwest by approximately 850 million people.
The Six Other Main Languages
- Wu: spoken in Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang (77 million speakers)
- Cantonese: in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Macau and by Chinese communities overseas (71 million speakers)
- Min: in Guangdong, Fujian and Taiwan (60 million speakers), including Minnan (Hokkien), Taiwanese, Teochew and Hainanese
- Xiang: Hunan province (36 million speakers)
- Hakka: northern Guangdong, Fujian and Taiwan (34 million speakers)
- Gan: Jiangxi province (31 million speakers)
Additional Recognized Languages
Some linguists distinguish three other important languages: Jin (Northern zone), Hui and Ping, sometimes considered variants of Mandarin, Wu and Cantonese respectively.