ABSTRACT
Some people in the west believe the Chinese language to be Cantonese whereas in fact Cantonese is just one of the eight major dialects of the Chinese language. Although different dialects differ immensely in pronunciation, they share the same written form. The Northern dialect (which has many sub-dialects under it) is spoken by 70 per cent of the Chinese population. Therefore, the standard language spoken nationally is based on the pronunciation of the Northern dialect. The name for this standard form is Putonghua (common speech) in mainland China, Guoyu or Huayu (national language) in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and other overseas Chinese communities, and Mandarin Chinese in English-speaking countries. Other forms such as Zhongwen (Chinese) or Hanyu (the Han language, Han Chinese making up 93 per cent of the Chinese population) are more formal and are often used among Chinese language learners. Native Chinese speakers often use the term Zhongwen rather than Putonghua when they ask non-native Chinese speakers if they speak Chinese. Putonghua is taught in schools and spoken by television and radio presenters in mainland China, and it is the kind of spoken language which is most understood by Chinese speakers. This book deals with Putonghua.
