List of varieties of Chinese
 | This article should specify the language of its non-English content, using {{lang}}, {{transliteration}} for transliterated languages, and {{IPA}} for phonetic transcriptions, with an appropriate ISO 639 code. Wikipedia's multilingual support templates may also be used. (February 2024) |
The following is a list of Sinitic languages and their dialects. For a traditional dialectological overview, see also varieties of Chinese.
Classification
[edit]"Chinese" is a blanket term covering many different varieties spoken across China. Mandarin Chinese is the most popular dialect, and is used as a lingua franca across China.
Linguists classify these varieties as the Sinitic branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family. Within this broad classification, there are between seven and fourteen dialect groups, depending on the classification.
The conventionally accepted set of seven dialect groups first appeared in the second edition of the dialectology handbook edited by Yuan Jiahua (1961). In order of decreasing number of speakers, they are:
- Mandarin (including Beijing and Nanjing variants)
- Wu (including the Shanghainese and Suzhounese variants)
- Yue (including the Cantonese and Taishanese variants)
- Min (including the Hokkien and Fuzhounese variants)
- Hakka (Kejia)
- Xiang (Hunanese)
- Gan (Jiangxinese)
The revised classification of Li Rong, used in the Language Atlas of China (1987) added three further groups split from these:
Summary
[edit]The number of speakers derived from statistics or estimates (2019) and were rounded:[2][3][4]
| Number | Branch | Native Speakers | Dialects |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mandarin | 850,000,000 | 51 |
| 2 | Wu | 95,000,000 | 37 |
| 3 | Yue | 80,000,000 | 52 |
| 4 | Jin | 70,000,000 | 6 |
| 5 | Min | 60,000,000 | 61 |
| 6 | Hakka | 55,000,000 | 10 |
| 7 | Xiang | 50,000,000 | 25 |
| 8 | Gan | 30,000,000 | 9 |
| 9 | Huizhou | 7,000,000 | 13 |
| 10 | Pinghua | 3,000,000 | 2 |
| Total | Chinese | 1,300,000,000 | 266 |
List of languages and dialects
[edit]In addition to the varieties listed below, it is customary to speak informally of dialects of each province (such as Sichuan dialect and Hainan dialect). These designations do not generally correspond to classifications used by linguists, but each nevertheless has characteristics of its own.
Gan
[edit]- 赣语/贛語
| Dongkou Gan | 洞口话 | 洞口話 |
| Huaining Gan | 怀宁话 | 懷寧話 |
| Fuzhou Gan | 抚州话 | 撫州話 |
| Ji'an Gan | 吉安话 | 吉安話 |
| Leiyang Gan | 耒阳话 | 耒陽話 |
| Nanchang Gan | 南昌话 | 南昌話 |
| Xianning Gan | 咸宁话 | 鹹寧話 |
| Yichun Gan | 宜春话 | 宜春話 |
| Yingtan Gan | 鹰潭话 | 鷹潭話 |
Mandarin
[edit]- 官话/官話
The number of speakers derived from statistics or estimates (2019) and were rounded:[5]
| Number | Branch | Native Speakers | Dialects |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beijing | 35,000,000 | 7 |
| 2 | Ji–Lu | 110,000,000 | 4 |
| 3 | Jianghuai | 80,000,000 | 6 |
| 4 | Jiao–Liao | 35,000,000 | 4 |
| 5 | Lan–Yin | 10,000,000 | 3 |
| 6 | Northeastern | 100,000,000 | 4 |
| 7 | Southwestern | 280,000,000 | 11 |
| 8 | Zhongyuan | 200,000,000 | 11 |
| Total | Mandarin | 850,000,000 | 50 |
Hui
[edit]- 徽语/徽語
Sometimes subcategory of Wu.
| Jixi Hui | 绩溪话 | 績溪話 |
| Shexian Hui | 歙县话 | 歙縣話 |
| Tunxi Hui | 屯溪话 | 屯溪話 |
| Yixian Hui | 黟县话 | 黟縣話 |
| Xiuning Hui | 休宁话 | 休寧話 |
| Wuyuan Hui | 婺源话 | 婺源話 |
| Dexing Hui | 德兴话 | 德興話 |
| Fuliang Hui | 浮梁话 | 浮梁話 |
| Jiande Hui | 建德话 | 建德話 |
| Shouchang Hui | 寿昌话 | 壽昌話 |
| Chun'an Hui | 淳安话 | 淳安話 |
| Sui'an Hui | 遂安话 | 遂安話 |
| Majin Hui | 马金话 | 馬金話 |
Jin
[edit]- 晋语/晉語
Sometimes a subcategory of Mandarin.
| • Baotou dialect | 包头话 | 包頭話 |
| • Datong dialect | 大同话 | 大同話 |
| • Handan dialect | 邯郸话 | 邯郸话 |
| • Hohhot dialect | 呼市话 | 呼市話 |
| • Taiyuan dialect | 太原话 | 太原話 |
| • Xinxiang dialect | 新乡话 | 新鄉話 |
Hakka
[edit]- 客家话/客家話
| • Huizhou (Hakka) dialect | 惠州客家话 | 惠州客家話 |
| • Meizhou dialect | 梅州客家话 | 梅州客家話 |
| • Wuhua dialect | 五华客家话 | 五華客家話 |
| • Xingning dialect | 兴宁客家话 | 興寧客家話 |
| • Pingyuan dialect | 平远客家话 | 平遠客家話 |
| • Jiaoling dialect | 蕉岭客家话 | 蕉嶺客家話 |
| • Dabu dialect | 大埔客家话 | 大埔客家話 |
| • Fengshun dialect | 丰顺客家话 | 豐順客家話 |
| • Longyan dialect | 龙岩客家话 | 龍岩客家話 |
| • Lufeng (Hakka) dialect | 陆丰客家话 | 陸豐客家話 |
Min
[edit]- 闽语/閩語
| Southern Min | 闽南语 | 閩南語 |
| Quanzhang Min (Hokkien) | 闽南话（泉漳片） | 閩南話 (泉漳片) |
| • Amoy dialect | 厦门话 | 廈門話 |
| • Quanzhou dialect | 泉州话 | 泉州話 |
| • Zhangzhou dialect | 漳州话 | 漳州話 |
| • Longhai dialect | 龙海话 | 龍海話 |
| • Zhangpu dialect | 漳浦话 | 漳浦話 |
| • Anxi dialect | 安溪话 | 安溪話 |
| • Hui'an dialect | 惠安话 | 惠安話 |
| • Tong'an dialect | 同安话 | 同安話 |
| • Jinjiang dialect | 晋江话 | 晉江話 |
| • Nan'an dialect | 南安话 | 南安話 |
| • Yongchun dialect | 永春话 | 永春話 |
| • Taiwanese (see regional variations) [note 2] | 台湾话 | 台灣話 |
| • Lan-nang dialect (Philippine Hokkien) | 咱人话/咱侬话（菲律宾福建话） | 咱人話/咱儂話 (菲律賓福建話) |
| • Singaporean Hokkien | 新加坡福建话 | 新加坡福建話 |
| • Penang Hokkien | 槟城福建话 | 檳城福建話 |
| • Muar Hokkien | 麻坡福建话 | 麻坡福建話 |
| • Medan Hokkien | 棉兰福建话 | 棉蘭福建話 |
| • Burmese Hokkien | 缅甸福建话 | 緬甸福建話 |
| Teochew Min (Teo-Swa, Chaoshan) | 潮汕方言 | 潮汕方言 |
| • Teochew dialect (Chaozhou) | 潮州话 | 潮州話 |
| • Shantou dialect (Swatow) | 汕头话 | 汕頭話 |
| • Jieyang dialect | 揭阳话 | 揭陽話 |
| • Chaoyang dialect | 潮阳话 | 潮陽話 |
| • Puning dialect | 普宁话 | 普寧話 |
| • Huilai dialect | 惠来话 | 惠來話 |
| • Hailufeng dialect | 海陆丰话 | 海陸豐話 |
| • Bangkok Teochew | 曼谷潮州话 | 曼谷潮州話 |
| Longyan Min | 龙岩片 | 龍巖片 |
| Zhenan Min | 浙南片 | 浙南片 |
| Datian Min (disputed: separate Min branch) |
大田片 | 大田片 |
| Zhongshan Min (disputed:separate Min branch) |
中山闽方言 | 中山閩方言 |
| • Longdu dialect | 隆都话 | 隆都話 |
| • Nanlang dialect | 南朗话 | 南朗話 |
| • Sanxiang dialect | 三乡话 | 三鄉話 |
| • Zhangjiabian dialect | 张家边话 | 張家邊話 |
| Leizhou Min (disputed: separate Min branch) |
雷州片 | 雷州片 |
| • Haikang dialect | 海康话 | 海康話 |
| • Zhanjiang dialect | 湛江话 | 湛江話 |
| Qiong Wen (Hainanese) (disputed: separate Min branch) |
海南话（琼文片） | 海南話（瓊文片） |
| • Wenchang dialect | 文昌话 | 文昌話 |
| • Haikou dialect | 海口话 | 海口話 |
| Eastern Min | 闽东语 | 閩東語 |
| • Fuzhou dialect | 福州话 | 福州話 |
| • Fu'an dialect | 福安话 | 福安話 |
| • Fuding dialect | 福鼎話 | 福鼎話 |
| • Xiapu dialect | 霞浦话 | 霞浦話 |
| • Shouning dialect | 寿宁话 | 壽寧話 |
| • Zhouning dialect | 周宁话 | 周寧話 |
| • Ningde dialect | 宁德话 | 寧德話 |
| • Zherong dialect | 柘荣话 | 柘榮話 |
| • Minhou dialect | 闽侯话 | 閩侯話 |
| • Yongtai dialect | 永泰话 | 永泰話 |
| • Minqing dialect | 闽清话 | 閩清話 |
| • Changle dialect | 长乐话 | 長樂話 |
| • Luoyuan dialect | 罗源话 | 羅源話 |
| • Lianjiang dialect | 连江话 | 連江話 |
| • Fuqing dialect | 福清话 | 福清話 |
| • Pingtan dialect | 平潭话 | 平潭話 |
| • Pingnan dialect | 屏南话 | 屏南話 |
| • Gutian dialect | 古田话 | 古田話 |
| Northern Min | 闽北语 | 閩北語 |
| • Jian'ou dialect | 建瓯话 | 建甌話 |
| Shao–Jiang Min | 邵将语 | 邵將語 |
| Central Min | 闽中语 | 閩中語 |
| • Yong'an dialect | 永安话 | 永安話 |
| • Sanming dialect | 三明话 | 三明話 |
| • Sha dialect | 沙县话 | 沙縣話 |
| Pu–Xian Min | 莆仙话 | 莆仙話 |
| • Putian dialect | 莆田话 | 莆田話 |
| • Xianyou dialect | 仙游话 | 仙遊話 |
Wu
[edit]- 吴语/吳語
Xiang
[edit]- 湘语/湘語
New Xiang is orange, Old Xiang yellow, and Chen-Xu Xiang red. Non-Xiang languages are (clockwise from top right) Gan (purple), Hakka (pink along the right), Xiangnan Tuhua (dark green), Waxianghua (dark blue on the left), and Southwestern Mandarin (light blue, medium blue, light green on the left; part of dark green).
| Chang–Yi Xiang (New Xiang) | 长益片 | 長益片 |
| • Changsha dialect | 长沙话 | 長沙話 |
| • Zhuzhou dialect | 株洲话 | 株洲話 |
| • Xiangtan dialect | 湘潭话 | 湘潭話 |
| • Ningxiang dialect | 宁乡话 | 寧鄉話 |
| • Yiyang dialect | 益阳话 | 益陽話 |
| • Xiangyin dialect | 湘阴话 | 湘陰話 |
| • Miluo dialect | 汨罗话 | 汨羅話 |
| • Yueyang dialect | 岳阳话 | 岳陽話 |
| Hengzhou Xiang (Hengzhou Xiang) | 衡州片 | 衡州片 |
| • Hengyang dialect | 衡阳话 | 衡陽話 |
| • Hengshan dialect | 衡山话 | 衡山話 |
| • Hengdong dialect | 衡东话 | 衡東話 |
| Lou–Shao Xiang (Old Xiang) | 娄邵片 | 婁邵片 |
| • Loudi dialect | 娄底话 | 婁底話 |
| • Shuangfeng dialect | 双峰话 | 雙峰話 |
| • Xinhua dialect | 新化话 | 新化話 |
| • Xiangxiang dialect | 湘乡话 | 湘鄉話 |
| • Shaoyang dialect | 邵阳话 | 邵陽話 |
| • Shaodong dialect | 邵东话 | 邵東話 |
| • Wugang dialect | 武冈话 | 武岡話 |
| • Qidong dialect | 祁东话 | 祁東話 |
| • Qiyang dialect | 祁阳话 | 祁陽話 |
| Chen–Xu Xiang (Chen-Xu Xiang) | 辰溆片 | 辰漵片 |
| • Chenxi dialect | 辰溪话 | 辰溪話 |
| • Xupu dialect | 溆浦话 | 漵浦話 |
| • Luxi dialect | 泸溪话 | 瀘溪話 |
| Yongquan Xiang (Yong-Quan Xiang) | 永全片 | 永全片 |
| • Yongzhou dialect | 永州话 | 永州話 |
| • Quanzhouxian dialect | 全州话 | 全州話 |
Yue
[edit]- 粤语/粵語
Distribution of Pinghua and Yue dialect groups in Guangxi and Guangdong[6]
|
Pinghua
[edit]- 平话/平話
| Guibei Pinghua (Northern Ping) | 桂北平话 | 桂北平話 |
| • Tongdao Pinghua | 通道平话 | 通道平話 |
| Guinan Pinghua (Southern Ping) | 桂南平话 | 桂南平話 |
Ba-Shu
[edit]- 巴蜀语/巴蜀語
| Ba-Shu Chinese | 巴蜀语 | 巴蜀語 |
|
岷江话 | 岷江話 |
Other
[edit]The non-Min dialects of Hainan were once considered Yue, but are now left unclassified:
| Hainan "Yue" | 海南方言 | |
| • Danzhou dialect | 儋州话 | 儋州話 |
| • Mai dialect | 迈话 | 邁話 |
Mixed languages
[edit]In addition to the varieties within the Sinitic branch of Sino-Tibetan, a number of mixed languages also exist that comprise elements of one or more Chinese varieties with other languages.
| Linghua | 伶话 | 伶話 | A Mandarin Chinese and Miao mixed language |
| Maojia | 猫家话 | 貓家話 | A Qo-Xiong Miao and Chinese dialects mixed language |
| Shaozhou Tuhua | 韶州土话 | 韶州土話 | A group of distinctive Chinese dialects in South China, including Yuebei Tuhua and Xiangnan Tuhua. It incorporates several Chinese dialects, as well as Yao languages. |
| Tangwang | 唐汪话 | 唐汪話 | A Mandarin Chinese and Dongxiang mixed language |
| Waxiang | 瓦乡话 | 瓦鄉話 | An independent Chinese language variety |
| Wutun | 五屯话 | 五屯話 | A Mandarin Chinese, Tibetan and Mongolian mixed language |
List in the Atlas
[edit]The extensive 1987 Language Atlas of China groups Chinese local varieties into the following units:[7]
- Supergroup (大区 dàqū), of which there are but two: Mandarin and Min
- Group (区 qū), corresponding to the varieties of Chinese of the ISO standard
- Subgroup (片 piàn), which may be mutually unintelligible with other subgroups[note 3]
- Cluster (小片 xiǎopiàn), which may be mutually unintelligible with other clusters
- Local dialect (点 diǎn), which are the dialects sampled by the Atlas
In the list below,[8] local dialects are not listed. Groups are in bold, subgroups are numbered, and clusters are bulleted.
- Jishen
- Jiaoning
- Tongxi
- Yanji
- Hafu
- Zhaofu
- Changjin
- Heisong
- Nenke
- Jiafu
- Zhanhua
- Baotang
- Laifu
- Dingba
- Tianjin
- Jizun
- Luanchang
- Fulong
- Shiji
- Zhaoshen
- Xingheng
- Liaotai
- Canghui
- Huangle
- Yangshou
- Juzhao
- Zhanghuan
- Jingshi
- Huaicheng
- Chaofeng
- Shike
- Qingzhou
- Denglian
- Gaihuan
- Zhengcao
- Cailu
- Luoxu
- Xinbeng
- Fenhe
- Pingyang
- Jiangzhou
- Xiezhou
- Guanzhong
- Qinlong
- Longzhong
- Nanjiang
- Jincheng
- Yinwu
- Hexi
- Tami
- Chengyu
- Dianxi
- Yaoli
- Baolu
- Qianbei
- Kungui
- Guanchi
- Minjiang
- Renfu
- Yamian
- Lichuan
- Ebei
- Wutian
- Cenjiang
- Qiannan
- Xiangnan
- Guiliu
- Changhe
- Hongchao
- Tairu
- Huangxiao
- (unclassified Mandarin)
- Bingzhou
- Lüliang
- Fenzhou
- Xingxi
- Shangdang
- Wutai
- Dabao
- Zhanghu
- Hanxin
- Cizhang
- Huoji
- Zhiyan
- Taihu
- Piling
- Suhujia
- Tiaoxi
- Hangzhou
- Linshao
- Yongjiang
- Taizhou
- Oujiang
- Wuzhou
- Chuqu
- Chuzhou
- Longqu
- Xuanzhou
- Tongjin
- Taigao
- Shiling
- Jishe
- Xiuyi
- Qide
- Yanzhou
- Jingzhan
- Changjing
- Yiliu
- Jicha
- Fuguang
- Yingyi
- Datong
- Leizi
- Dongsui
- Huaiyue
- Changyi
- Loushao
- Jixu
- Guangfu
- Yongxun
- Gaoyang
- Siyi
- Goulou
- Wuhua
- Qinlian
- Guibei
- Guinan
- Yuetai
- Jiaying
- Xinghua
- Xinhui
- Shaonan
- Yuezhong
- Huizhou
- Yuebei
- Tingzhou
- Ninglong
- Yugui
- Tonggu
- Zaytonese (Quanzhang / Hokkien / Taiwanese / Minnan)
- Hinghua (Puxian / Putianese)
- Beitou (Quanpu / Zuanpo)
- Liong-na (Longyan)
- Datian (Duacan / Qianluhua)
- Taoyuan
- Teochew (Chaoshan / Chaozhou)
- Sanxiang (Zhongshan Minnan)
- Luichow (Leizhou)
- Hainanese (Qiongwen)
- Fuqing (S. Houguan)
- Foochow (C. Houguan)
- Kutien (Gutian / N. Houguan)
- Songkou (Yangzhong / W. Houguan / S. Minqing / W. Yongtai)
- Ningde (S. Funing)
- Fu'an (C. Funing)
- Xiapu (E. Funing)
- Fuding (N. Funing)
- Taishun (Manjiang)
- Cangnan (Manhua)
- Longtu (Longdu)
- Nanlang
- Jianzhou (Jianou / Nanping / Minbei)
- Shaojiang
- Yongan (Minzhong)
- Xinqiao (Chitian / Houluhua / Wenjiang)
- Youxi (Chengguan)
- Xibin
- Zhongxian (Jihua)
- Unclassified topolects
- She (the Chinese variety now spoken by the She people)
- Danzhou dialect
- Xianghua
- Shaoguan Tuhua
- Southern Hunan Tuhua
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ The official sanction of Mandarin as an official language has given rise to the following varieties of Standard Mandarin in areas that did not originally speak any dialect of the Mandarin group:
- ^ Includes:
- Central Taiwanese
- Northeastern coastal Taiwanese
- Northern Taiwanese
- Southern Taiwanese
- ^ For example, though the Southwestern Mandarin of Chengdu is intelligible to speakers of Standard Chinese, other local variants of Southwestern Mandarin may not be mutually intelligible to each other.
References
[edit]- ^ Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (2012), Zhōngguó yǔyán dìtú jí (dì 2 bǎn): Hànyǔ fāngyán juǎn 中国语言地图集(第2版):汉语方言卷 [Language Atlas of China (2nd edition): Chinese dialect volume], Beijing: The Commercial Press, pp. 3, 125, ISBN 978-7-100-07054-6.
- ^ "Home". ethnologue.com.
- ^ "Glottolog 4.5 -".
- ^ "Chinese".
- ^ "Chinese".
- ^ Wurm, Stephen Adolphe; Li, Rong; Baumann, Theo; Lee, Mei W. (1987), Language Atlas of China, Longman, ISBN 978-962-359-085-3.
- ^ Kurpaska, Maria (2010). Chinese Language(s): A Look Through the Prism of "The Great Dictionary of Modern Chinese Dialects". Walter de Gruyter. p. 63. ISBN 978-3-11-021914-2.
- ^ Kurpaska (2010), pp. 64–73.
| Major groups |  | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard forms | |||||||||
| Phonology | |||||||||
| Grammar | |||||||||
| Idioms | |||||||||
| Input | |||||||||
| History | |||||||||
| Literary forms |
| ||||||||
| Scripts |
| ||||||||
Sino-Tibetan branches | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Himalayas (Himachal, Uttarakhand, Nepal, Sikkim) |
|  | |||
| Eastern Himalayas (Tibet, Bhutan, Arunachal) | |||||
| Myanmar and Indo- Burmese border |
| ||||
| East and Southeast Asia |
| ||||
| Dubious (possible isolates) (Arunachal) |
| ||||
| Proposed groupings | |||||
| Proto-languages | |||||
Italics indicates single languages that are also considered to be separate branches. | |||||