Cantonese
The Chinese language is among the most spoken languages in the world, having numerous variations and dialects. The modern dialect of Chinese is Mandarin, with one billion people worldwide, including twelve nations besides China, speaking this dialect (Hickok, 2019). However, Mandarin is not the only variation of Chinese since it additionally involves the Yue family of the language, with one of the group members being Cantonese. In comparison to Mandarin, less than a hundred million people speak this dialect (Hickok, 2019). While many people might assume that Mandarin and Cantonese can be categorized by some people as accents of Chinese, in reality, they are pretty different dialects, with representatives of each group having difficulty understanding each other. Thus, although Mandarin prevails around the world, Cantonese has a rich heritage, being different from other dialects by a more significant option of tones and varying pronunciation, but being slightly similar in grammar.
The History of Cantonese
Firstly, it is vital to introduce Cantonese and its origin, which dates back to ancient times. The Yue group of Chinese languages, as mentioned, includes Cantonese (Moody, 2021). Among the main families of Chinese is classified as Yue, or Cantonese, particularly in the standardized variety that is commonly spoken in Hong Kong (Moody, 2021). There are approximately 60 million Cantonese-speaking individuals around the globe, and they are dispersed across populations of expatriate Chinese people in South East Asia and both Americas (Moody, 2021). Cantonese is the dominant standardizing language in Hong Kong, despite recent disagreements regarding where authentic Cantonese is being used (Moody, 2021). Therefore, a large number of people use this language, with the biggest area of use being in Hong Kong.
As for the history of Cantonese, it was first founded in the classical antiquity era. It is thought that Cantonese first appeared after the Han Dynasty fell in 220 AD when protracted wars forced north communities of Chinese people to move south, carrying their old language alongside (VonCannon, 2021). The term Cantonese is derived from Canton, which was the previous name for Guangzhou, the city of Guangdong, and was once regarded as the origin of the highest form of the language (VonCannon, 2021). Nevertheless, Hong Kong has now firmly established itself as the Cantonese language’s regional center owing to the decades of broadcast and print and widespread media impact.
Mandarin vs. Cantonese: Tones
When compared to other dialects, such as Mandarin, foreigners might have difficulty understanding how these can vary. However, for native speakers, the differences are acute, which even contribute to misunderstandings. For instance, when it comes to tones, in Mandarin Chinese, there are four tones ranging from rising to lowering (Hickok, 2019). It is not uncommon for Chinese to be linguistically multilingual with Mandarin as well as another accent of their language since Mandarin Chinese is used in both educational and media sectors (Hickok, 2019). In reality, according to the findings of a survey (with a sample of 500,000) carried out in 2007, 53.06% of Chinese were verbally skilled in Mandarin (Hickok, 2019). Therefore, while it is frequent to be bilingual with dialects, not all Chinese people should be expected to understand each other.
In contrast, in Cantonese, there are almost twice as many tones. It is frequent to have a tonal transition, where three of the nine sounds ending in p, t, or k, amalgamate with three of the tonalities (Hickok, 2019). Cantonese speakers typically have no trouble distinguishing between Mandarin’s first, second, and fourth tones (Hickok, 2019). When saying a Chinese phrase in Cantonese, one typically uses the Cantonese method while still maintaining Mandarin sounds (Hickok, 2019). Therefore, Cantonese tones have more tones, which make it harder to Mandarin speaker to acquire the same pronunciation.
Mandarin vs. Cantonese: Pronunciation
Regarding pronunciation, there are specific guidelines for Mandarin and Cantonese. Even if they appear to be almost identical when written on paper, many Chinese phrases are spoken differently by Cantonese and Mandarin speakers. As mentioned, despite having tonal systems, they cannot be understood by one another. As a result, Cantonese people would be capable of comprehending Mandarin writing but be unable to comprehend Mandarin speech, and the opposite is true as well. For example, some retroflex consonants in Mandarin, including ch, sh, zh, and r, are spoken with the tongues completely curved backward (Lee, 2018). However, there is no such technique in Cantonese, which partly explains the reason for the misunderstanding. Lee (2018) provides an example that showcases the differences. France sounds like fa-lan-syee when spoken in Mandarin (written falanxi in the modern pinyin style), while fa-lan-say when spoken in Cantonese (Lee, 2018). Therefore, considering that the change of tone and syllables can change the meaning of the world, Cantonese and Mandarin are not mutually understood.
Moreover, there is a difference between Cantonese’s textual and verbal forms because vernacular Cantonese frequently uses an entirely distinct word set. Written Cantonese, a vernacular form of the language established from spoken Cantonese, is becoming more and more popular (Hickok, 2019). In turn, words that are either missing from Mandarin Chinese altogether or have been forgotten are given new characters (Hickok, 2019). Therefore, different world sets and substitutions of some words with others make pronunciation challenging as well.
Mandarin vs. Cantonese: Grammar
Finally, while Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese have entirely different pronunciations, they have nearly identical syntax. Mandarin and Cantonese are both written similarly, while Cantonese prefers classic Chinese characters to modernized equivalents. Similar to English, the subject-verb structure is used in Mandarin Chinese (Hickok, 2019). When specific verbs are being applied, the indirect object always follows the direct object in phrases in Mandarin, whereas it follows the direct object in phrases in Cantonese (Hickok, 2019). Moreover, Cantonese has a considerably more flexible phrase structure and enables far easier word-order changes than Mandarin (Hickok, 2019). Therefore, the area where the languages have the slightest differences is grammar.
Conclusion
Hence, although Mandarin is the most widely spoken language in the world, Cantonese has a rich history and is distinguished from other dialects by a broader range of tones and varied pronunciation while being somewhat similar in syntax. Cantonese is believed to have initially arisen after the Han Dynasty crumbled in 220 AD when continuous battles compelled communities of Chinese people in the north to move south while bringing their native tongue with them. There are four tones in Mandarin Chinese that range from rising to falling, while there are approximately nine tones in Cantonese. Mandarin speakers pronounce consonants by entirely curving their tongues backward; however, Cantonese speakers do not use this approach. Lastly, Cantonese has a much more adaptable phrase structure and makes word-order alterations much simpler than Mandarin. Therefore, out of all areas, including pronunciation, grammar, and tones, the only slight element between the two dialects is grammar, which makes it easier to understand for the speakers.
References
Hickok, J. (2019). Serving library users from Asia: A comprehensive handbook of country. Rowman & Littlefield.
Lee, G. (2018). China imagined: From European fantasy to spectacular power. Hurst & Co. Publishers.
Moody, A. J. (2021). Macau’s languages in society and education: Planning in a multilingual ecology. Springer.
VonCannon, B. (2021). Status anxiety: Hong Kong’s crisis of identity. Palgrave Macmillan.