Varieties of Chinese and Types of Regional Mandarin

Summary

The speaker discusses various aspects of Chinese dialects, focusing on the differences in Mandarin spoken across regions like Taiwan, Beijing, and southern China. They highlight the tonal variations in languages like Cantonese and Taiwanese, as well as regional influences on Mandarin pronunciation. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding local languages to connect with people while traveling and the cultural significance of preserving dialects like Shanghainese. They also touch on the diversity of Chinese accents and encourage learners to embrace these variations while mastering their tones.

Takeaways

• 🗣️ The speaker is discussing various Chinese dialects and languages, including Mandarin, Taiwanese (Min), and Cantonese.
• 🤔 There are similarities and differences between these languages, such as the word for 'thank you,' which is pronounced differently in Mandarin (xie xie), Taiwanese (do xie), and Cantonese.
• 🗣️ The speaker demonstrates tonal differences across dialects and regions, highlighting how even the same words can sound distinct in Mandarin and Taiwanese.
• 🌍 Mandarin is the dominant language in Taiwan, but many people still speak Taiwanese (Min) at home.
• 🎶 Tones play an essential role in Mandarin pronunciation, but tonal rules vary depending on the region, making it complex for learners.
• 🤓 The 'r' sound (erhua) is a notable feature of Mandarin spoken in Beijing and northern regions, whereas southern dialects soften or omit it.
• 📚 Regional languages and accents influence Mandarin pronunciation, so it’s common for local languages to affect how Mandarin is spoken in different areas.
• 🧳 Travelers in China may encounter different linguistic varieties depending on the region, making it beneficial to learn some local phrases.
• ⚡ Despite Mandarin’s dominance in China, regional languages like Shanghainese are at risk of declining, which could lead to a loss of local culture.
• 🎤 The speaker encourages listeners to embrace tonal challenges and regional differences in Chinese languages, as it makes learning more dynamic and interesting.

Q & A

What language was the speaker referencing in the beginning of the script?

The speaker referenced Thai or Taiwanese (Min) and explained how they were speaking in a different language, not Mandarin.

What are some differences between Mandarin and Taiwanese as mentioned in the script?

In Taiwanese, 'how' is pronounced as 'ho', and 'thank you' can be said as 'doors ya'. The script also points out some nasal sounds and tone differences.

How does the pronunciation of 'thank you' differ in Taiwanese, Mandarin, and Cantonese?

In Taiwanese, 'thank you' is 'doors ya'; in Mandarin, it's 'xie xie'; and in Cantonese, it can be 'door je'. The pronunciation varies with tones and nasal sounds.

What example does the speaker give about learning Cantonese from a Mandarin textbook?

The speaker mentions learning the phrase 'we are all going shopping to the new women's road' in Cantonese and Mandarin, highlighting differences in pronunciation and tones.

What are the tonal differences between northern and southern Mandarin accents?

In northern regions like Beijing, tones are more pronounced with a higher pitch, while in southern regions, tones tend to be less pronounced, and consonants may differ.

What is the significance of the 'R' sound in northern Mandarin?

The 'R' sound is common in northern Mandarin, particularly in Beijing, where words like 'wo shi' might sound like 'wo sher' due to this phonetic influence.

How does the pronunciation of 'eat' differ between northern and southern Mandarin?

In northern Mandarin, 'eat' is pronounced as 'chi', while in southern Mandarin it may sound more like 'siu'.

What does the speaker say about the influence of regional languages on Mandarin pronunciation?

The speaker mentions that speakers of Taiwanese, Shanghainese, or Cantonese may carry over phonetic traits from those languages into their Mandarin pronunciation.

What is the status of Mandarin in Taiwan, according to the script?

Mandarin is the standard language used on TV, by politicians, and in education, but many families still speak Taiwanese (Min) at home.

Why does the speaker emphasize learning a few local phrases when traveling in China?

The speaker suggests that learning local phrases can make locals feel respected, and it enhances cultural connections during travels.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ Exploring Language Tones and Variations in Chinese Dialects

The speaker discusses the differences between Mandarin and various other Chinese dialects such as Taiwanese and Cantonese. They focus on how certain words sound different in these languages, like 'how' being pronounced 'ha' in Mandarin and 'who' in Taiwanese. The speaker also touches on the nasal tone used in Cantonese and provides a few example phrases in Mandarin and Cantonese to illustrate tonal variations.

05:01

🌍 Regional Variations in Mandarin Across China

This paragraph delves into how Mandarin is spoken differently in northern and southern China. In northern regions like Beijing, there is a distinctive 'R' sound, and tones are more extreme, while in southern China, tones are softer and consonants may change. The speaker contrasts regional differences in pronunciation and highlights the importance of understanding these variations when traveling or interacting with different regions in China.

10:03

🗺️ The Importance of Learning Local Languages and Dialects

The speaker emphasizes how learning even a few local phrases in languages like Taiwanese or Shanghainese can help travelers connect with locals and show respect. They discuss how Mandarin dominates in media, business, and education, but local dialects like Shanghainese are at risk of becoming niche or even dying out. The speaker encourages awareness of regional linguistic diversity and highlights the colorful, varied world of Chinese dialects.

Keywords

💡Mandarin

Mandarin is a group of Sino-Tibetan languages spoken across most of northern and southwestern China. It is the official language of China and Taiwan and one of the four official languages of Singapore. In the video, Mandarin is discussed as the standard language used in education, media, and business across China, with variations in pronunciation and accent across different regions.

Highlights

Introduction to the difference between Mandarin and Taiwanese (Min) languages.

Explanation of tonal variations in Mandarin across northern and southern regions of China.

Illustration of how 'thank you' sounds different in Taiwanese (doorsia) and Mandarin (xiexie).

Comparison of nasal sounds in Cantonese and Mandarin, and how the nasalization affects pronunciation.

Random example in Cantonese, illustrating how tones and pronunciations differ in conversation.

Discussion on the influence of local dialects on Mandarin pronunciation in different regions.

Highlighting the unique R-sound (Hua-er) in northern Mandarin, especially in Beijing.

Explanation of tone variety between northern (more pronounced tones) and southern (softer tones) Mandarin.

Consonant variations between northern and southern Mandarin, such as 'gyeongwan' vs. 'sonwan'.

Importance of being aware of local dialects like Taiwanese or Shanghainese while traveling in China.

Mandarin’s dominance in business, education, and media, but risk of local languages like Shanghainese disappearing.

Encouragement to learn a few local phrases to show respect and engage with locals in different regions of China.

Reassurance that tonal differences across regions make Mandarin a rich and colorful language.

Note about personal experience with different tonal varieties during travels in China, e.g., Quailing.

Final reflection on the diversity of languages and dialects within China, making the cultural experience more vibrant.

Transcripts

that gear hood actually what I just said

was no different from what I often say

dad yaha except that it was in a

different language and not Mandarin it

was in Thai you or Taiwanese or which is

you could say also min but yeah so dad

yeah it's dad gay that gay who is how so

sounds more like fourth tone who how we

know we know how true is tasty so good

eat how shoot and in Taiwanese that'd be

good yeah you might know thank you is

yes yet well if you take off the first

you can also put door from need or

that so how old are you so doors how

many so Dorsia just means lots of thanks

so many thanks

don't try try that once good more door

door doors yet so it's quite nice

maybe after your next Chinese lesson

instead of saying yes yet to your

teacher yes yeah you could say doors

yeah many thanks Dwarfs yeah thank you

very much in Taiwanese is door yeah door

yeah and sounds actually a bit similar

in Cantonese which is forgive me if

those of you speaker and my

pronunciation might not be perfect at

all there's that doors a door there and

in Shanghainese for example it's you

know she she Ernie thank you is Cheyenne

Cheyenne Cheyenne on so that neither

comes nan so really really different in

other word in Cantonese which is quite

similar to Taiwanese and Mandarin is the

word for how which is whole whole so we

got who in Taiwanese ha Mandarin and how

sometime in these words just don't sound

anything like the Mandarin for example

took a donkey in Mandarin as Chicka

don't see is this thing for example am I

doing with a peg anyway

Chicka dong see in Cantonese I'm told is

hitting me yeah hidden me yeah

you can probably notice something look

what I'm doing with my with my voice

there when I go make yeah me yeah yeah

it's very nasal so there are certain

points in Tony's where you actually need

to use that nasal sound I can actually

say something quite random in Cantonese

and it goes like this

all day though hi ho no you in-game ID

yet that you yeah hi her yeah and

in Mandarin that would be woman dou yao

- new wrench yeah my dong she Borel ichi

- ah miss completely randomly means that

we are all going shopping to the new

rend road to the to the women to the

woman's road or street why don't we go

together so anyway I got that from a

textbook that was for Mandarin learners

who wanted to learn Cantonese so I'd

like to speak a little bit about

different Chinese accents now different

pronunciations of even just a Mandarin

there can be a lot of variety so in in

Beijing and in various regions up north

the Mandarin spoken is quite well known

for having and Hawaii in which is the R

sound and a lot of their words so I'm in

Beijing instead of saying washer was

John Goren they might say washer drunk

or dread so sure even the SH sound

sounds a bit more like it's got some are

in it so washer water drew Warren the

verb that you may have learnt already to

play computer games would be wired en

now yo C whereas in in southern trying

to be more like Juan Juan DNR your seat

and you might notice also that in

Beijing the tones are more pronounced so

there's really the clear the tones are

more extreme so her first home might be

a bit higher and third tone a bit lower

then you might you might notice those

contrasts more than you would in

southern regions sure MA dong Jie

so dong sheep but don't me see my the

high now instead of just like show madam

I see Shamu dong Jie obviously depends

on the person speaking in a situation

but you know for example

hey yo Chula tayo Tula really

interesting could be I have to go Taiyo

Chula tayo Chula so there can be that

much greater variety in pitch up north

whereas in Taiwan people can be quiet

almost almost there not not monotonous

but the the tones are not as as up here

and down and so you have to listen

harder to hear them for example watching

they butcher Dorian gets in the band I

don't know what I should do right now

wishing they boarded are waiting guides

in a band the tones were still there but

far less and if I said wash and I bore

Odawa yards am i ban so I was also

speaking a lot louder them another

really big difference between north and

south is consonants so you've probably

learnt now you've learned

gyeongwan and shoot to be okay well both

of those words would be pronounced

differently in southern China where

they're more likely to sound like

someone and Sue and instead of chew to

eat would be sue so if I was going to

say washer John Warren it might be war

third son Gua then was the tumbler then

we'll say the R sound you might notice

can alter a bit so instead of being

ripped in some parts of China can or

Taiwan it can become low so what song

well then then so do be aware of that if

you ever think oh how come that person

is speaking in a certain way it could

just be there's an influence from the

regional variety of Mandarin spoken from

and the accent perhaps influence from

the accent of the other language that

they know so if they know Taiwanese then

some of the sounds they make when they

speak Taiwanese might influence their

Mandarin so don't worry I'm not saying

you have to learn all of these different

languages but it's important to be aware

of their existence so that when you're

traveling for example to Taiwan or Hong

Kong or such one province or to Shanghai

you will hear a lot of other land

which is around you and it's really nice

if you can make the effort to learn even

just a couple of phrases like thank you

or hello goodbye or where is such and

such a place because it makes the locals

feel really respected and they're

probably much friendlier to you

so in Taiwan we could say pretty much

that Mandarin is the standard language

because it's used in on TV a lot and by

certain politicians and in education but

at home a lot of families will still

speak Taiwanese or min on you they will

still speak that language it makes

people feel really close that's why when

you do go around and you say something

like those yeah does she add those chat

like thank you door instead of doors

yeah people are like oh I mean ice or

Shane ice yeah perhaps not quite in that

voice but what I find really fascinating

is that you know we've is really

important to get to work on our tones to

make our tones as as good as we can but

strangely when you travel in China there

are places where all the tonal rules

we've learned from Mandarin just don't

seem to apply at all so if you go to

Whelan for example when I was there

actually had a haircut in quailing and I

was asking the hairdresser how would I

say yes yet in in with the local

pronunciation and I was told it would be

xie xie

which actually is like a bit like second

tone again with zai Jian that can

sometimes be dyed Yin which sounds more

like second tone so although I myself

quite think it's quite important to try

and get my tones right and for you as

well to get your tones right strangely

there is a sort of an argument that that

there isn't one perfect correct way of

doing tones because different regions

actually have different tones when

speaking Mandarin so that can make you

feel a bit better

if you find tones really difficult but

don't give up on them because they are

what make commander and juicy and make

it flow

like a river of silk can silk flow so

because Mandarin is very dominant now in

culture

so that's TV music film and also it's

very prevalent in business now as well

and education so a lot of people growing

up in Shanghai can speak flawless

Mandarin just like you they're learning

it at school and they might still speak

some Shanghai needs with relatives but

there is a risk that Shanghainese is

going to die out or at least be a very

very niche language that only a few

people know so I think that's a shame in

a way because some local cultures can

get lost but at least if you are aware

of it then when you go there you can

find out about some of these interesting

extra things about the different places

that you visit in China or if you meet a

person from China why not sort of find

out a bit about their language that they

speak in addition to Mandarin if there

is one it's a fascinating fascinating

world in terms of all the different

linguistic varieties you can encounter

when you're traveling in China so don't

be put off by the fact that not everyone

might speak amazing Mandarin it's

actually makes the world a more colorful

varied and exciting place

tsai-tien so my my pangyo doesn't seem

to be around today I think he's having a

shower oh well see you next time