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January 3, 2006
Mandarin Overtaking Cantonese
This Los Angeles Times article points out something I've noticed for some time. There are more and more Mandarin speakers now and Cantonese is becoming less common in Chinese communities.
I've struggled to keep and learn enough Cantonese just to be able to communicate with my mom. I hope Cantonese doesn't disappear. As the article says, it is much more colorful. I would like to learn Mandarin, though.
Posted by harry at January 3, 2006 3:52 PM
9 Comments
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Ney hai my gouw choi, aah?!
I can't speak for anywhere but Vancouver, but I know in the universities there only Mandarin is taught. For kids in Cantonese-speaking households it was either pick it up from your parents, study in HK after graduation, or learn Mandarin so you could at least write the language.
I also noticed an attitude from a lot of my non-HK friends about Cantonese being a "dirty" or "lesser" language.
It's not lesser. It's just louder. A whole lot louder.
AAAYYAAA!!!
Isn't this old news?
It seemed to be the predominant dialect ever the late 80's, at least in the South Bay.
In any case, Cantonese is the better dialect. It's better for loud, obnoxious conversations. =D
I do like mandarin oranges, never had the cantonese version yet.
Its like beer, mandarin=fancy stella artois... cantonese=budweiser
or canto=PBR
I have been to China but all are very difficult to learn not to talk of the characters.....lol
1.ni hao? -how are you?
2.wo jiao -my name is..
3.wo ai ni -I love you
4.mei yuan -US Dollars