What is the hardest language to learn in Cantonese?
Cantonese, which is spoken by millions of people both natively and non-natively, is another of the most difficult language in the world for foreign students to learn. The vocabulary, syntax, tone, voice, and writing of this toughest language in the world are all difficult. Mandarin is more widely spoken, making it practical for global communication and career opportunities. Cantonese, with its cultural richness, is advantageous for those interested in specific regions like Hong Kong.Although there is also evidence of Mandarin “replacing” Cantonese both in Asia and abroad (for example, wealthy Mainland Chinese are now migrating in larger numbers than their Hong Kong counterparts), there are still roughly 59 million people worldwide who speak Cantonese (CBC News)– many of whom are monolingual.Cantonese remained a dominant and influential language in southeastern China until the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 and its promotion of Standard Mandarin Chinese as the sole official language of the nation throughout the last half of the 20th century, although its influence still remains .Mandarin is considered somewhat easier to learn since it has fewer tones, and is also the most widely spoken. But both have their benefits and are widely-spoken global languages.
Is Japanese or Cantonese harder?
According to the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), the hardest languages for English speakers are: Category IV (Very Hard): Mandarin Cantonese (harder than Mandarin) Japanese (harder than both due to three writing systems) Korean (complex grammar) Arabic (unfamiliar script & grammar) Cantonese is harder than Mandarin . While both languages can be challenging for English speakers, Mandarin is generally seen as being more difficult. This is due to the fact that there are thousands of Chinese characters, while Arabic only includes 28 letters in its alphabet.
Can Jet Li speak Cantonese?
Jet Li’s voice was dubbed in post-production for the Cantonese-language version because he is not a Cantonese speaker (he spoke in Mandarin entirely during filming). Jet Li’s voice was dubbed in post-production for the Cantonese-language version because he is not a Cantonese speaker (he spoke in Mandarin entirely during filming). Jet Li badly damaged his knee when Wong Fei Hung jumps out of the tea shop using his umbrella.
Is Cantonese older than Mandarin?
Cantonese is undeniably older than Mandarin, but we should not close our eyes to the longevity of other Sinitic languages, which themselves cannot be demonstrated to be primitive and pristine, inasmuch as they possess substratal and areal features, plus borrowing in various directions. She learned to speak Cantonese and Mandarin fluently in the 1980s and 1990s after starting her career in Hong Kong.As a major economic centre of China, there have been concerns that the use of Cantonese in Guangzhou is diminishing in favour of Mandarin, both through the continual influx of Mandarin-speaking migrants from impoverished areas and strict government policies.
Can a Mandarin person understand Cantonese?
Mandarin and Cantonese are not mutually intelligible, meaning someone who only speaks Mandarin will generally not be able to understand Cantonese and vice versa. Genetics. Cantonese people are predominantly of Han Chinese ancestry, with various local genetic clusters suggesting regional language-based endogamy. For example, Cantonese from Hong Kong significantly differ from other southern Han in terms of their northern and southern Han ancestral components.The first closest language to Cantonese is any Yue dialect. For example, the Taishanese or the Goulou Yue dialect. Second closest language is the Guangdong Hakka dialect. It shared many cognates with Cantonese.The Cantonese people (廣府人; 广府人; gwong2 fu2 jan4; Gwóngfú Yàhn) or Yue people (粵人; 粤人; jyut6 jan4; Yuht Yàhn), are a Han Chinese subgroup originating from Guangzhou and its satellite cities and towns (as well as Hong Kong and Macau), who natively speak the Cantonese language.