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Cantonese vs Mandarin in Hong Kong?
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dynaemu -

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum, please move if needed >__<

But my question is, I plan on living in HK in the future, because i have alot of cousins and
relatives there.. but I question is.. should I be learning Cantonese or MAndarin?

I heard many people that cantonese is a dying language and mandarin will be HKs new language x_X
so.. opinions/myth clearups from anyone would be nice..


THANK YOU!



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skylee -

Cantonese is very much alive and kicking in Hong Kong. If you speak in Mandarin you can be
understood but it will be more difficult for you to blend in with the locals (unless you stick
with mandarin-speakers) and enjoy local culture. If your plan is to live in Hong Kong then it is
worthwhile to learn Cantonese. IMHO it is harder to learn than Mandarin, though.










pazu -

Agree with Skylee, Hong Kongers just love to speak Cantonese in front of Mandarin speakers. So...










Crivens200 -

Assuming that your first language is English, your primary form of communication in HK is always
going to be English. You'll never get your Canto to a level where it's better than the average
HK'ers English.

If you have the ability to learn both languages at the same time (which I doubt, unless you are 7)
then I would recommend learning both.

Otherwise, I'd say you would be crazy to learn Cantonese ahead of Mandarin, even in HK.










wannabeafreak -



Quote:

Assuming that your first language is English, your primary form of communication in HK is always
going to be English. You'll never get your Canto to a level where it's better than the average
HK'ers English.

If you have the ability to learn both languages at the same time (which I doubt, unless you are 7)
then I would recommend learning both.

Otherwise, I'd say you would be crazy to learn Cantonese ahead of Mandarin, even in HK.

What are you talking about? I use Cantonese everyday.... My primary form of communication in HK is
always in Cantonese. I have NEVER heard Mandarin spoken in Hong Kong by anyone in my Residential
Estate, Tuen Mun, Mong Kok, TST etc.

How is it crazy? I think its quite logical... Everyone speaks Cantonese, wouldn't it be crazy to
learn Mandarin ahead of Cantonese (in HK)?










gougou -



Quote:

How is it crazy? I think its quite logical... Everyone speaks Cantonese, wouldn't it be crazy to
learn Mandarin ahead of Cantonese (in HK)?

That depends a lot on your personal goals. If Hong Kong for you is just a short-term experience,
Mandarin will most likely be more useful in your future. However, if you are planning to stay in
Hong Kong for the long term, Cantonese is an option worth considering.










Crivens200 -

No it wouldn’t be crazy to learn mandarin ahead of Cantonese.

I assume the original poster would be looking at long term benefits of learning Chinese rather
than just something that amounts to a neat little party trick.

As I said, his primary form of communication is going to be English – seeing as he has this
communication skill already I would think that learning Cantonese is not as useful in the long run
as learning Mandarin . . . . . . . . unless his goal is to look cool when ordering his pork buns
in mong kok.

Most foreigners in Hong Kong don’t speak a word of Cantonese, the primary reason for that being
that they don’t need to cos the greater part of the population can communicate effectively in
English.

Much like a foreigner learning shanghainese in shanghai instead of mandarin – wrong choice!










skylee -

The original poster is not going to hk. See his post ->
http://www. /showth...4657#post94657










atitarev -

I would also recommend Mandarin before Cantonese, if one wants to learn the written language
because Cantonese is a spoken dialect but most written materials, including those produced in Hong
Kong are in standard Mandarin - more or less the same as the one used in the rest of China,
although more it is often in traditional characters. Spoken Cantonese can and is written sometimes
but it's not standard and there are not so many resources on it.

Diglossia causes lots of problems but there is only one formal Chinese language, which can be read
with whatever your local dialect is.










Kiwijes -

Hi Dynaemu,
My view is that you should learn Cantonese. You say you want to go there because you have family
there? My assumption is that they speak Cantonese so you might as well learn what they speak.

I suppose it depends on your goal - if it is the aim of learning a new language, or the aim of
being able to communicate in Hong Kong and make the effort. Mandarin would be a better language to
know overall, but Cantonese would be better for you now in Hong Kong.

In Hong Kong everyone speaks English anyway, and I have heard a lot of Mandarin spoken there - but
I still make a point to (try to!) speak in Cantonese as often as I can (Greeting's, thank you's
etc) because I think that they appreciate the effort.
Good luck!












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