Standard Mandarin, is the most widely used spoken version of the Chinese languages, also known as Standard Spoken Chinese. It is the official modern Chinese spoken language for Singapore, China and Taiwan. It is the official spoken language because it enables the speakers of a group of Han Chinese languages to communicate with each other as these languages are mutually unintelligible. However there are many different dialects for both Mandarin and Cantonese Chinese and most people who speak the standard form will classify themselves as a Mandarin speaker as well as naming the precise dialect they use.
Mandarin Chinese did not originate so long ago despite the Chinese Civilisations stretching back thousands of years, because of the regional variations and process of development. In earlier times Archaic Chinese (old Chinese) or Proto-Sino-Tibetan was used but these languages are poorly recorded and all but lost and the language evolved into regional dialects. The official language did not come into practice until the Republic of China was established in 1912. Before the twentieth century there was no official language everyone could speak and just regional dialects were used. The creation of the Republic enabled the standardisation of Mandarin creating a cohesive for all the different regions. Mandarin, itself, was used as far back as the nineteenth century in court and by the upper classes and was concentrated mainly in Beijing. The basic vocabulary and grammatical structure is the same as the historical Mandarin but the modern language has less formal terms although China still retains a far more formal language and culture than Western languages.
Standard Mandarin is now taught in schools although a different dialect might be spoken in some homes. Chinese people are increasingly aware of the need to know Mandarin as the Mandarin Level Evaluation Exam qualification is required for many jobs or study opportunities in cities where work is increasingly concentrated (as opposed to rural areas). The majority of Chinese people understand and speak this language with the exception of Hong Kong where English and Cantonese are the most widely spoken languages because of its British history. It has not been part of China long enough to fully absorb and practice the Mandarin language. China is such a vast area that the development of regional divisions and language was a natural form of progression. However the standardising of Mandarin means that today, regardless of to which area of China a British visitor travels they should be able to communicate using Mandarin phrases, except in Hong Kong where they might just as easily use English.
Communicating in Mandarin
A few simple Mandarin phrases will be useful in almost all parts of China and other Chinese speaking countries. You can say 'ni hio' (hello), 'ni hio ma' (how are you?) and reply, 'wi hen hio ni ne' (I'm fine thanks, and you). A few other greetings include 'zioan', 'wian' and 'winan' (good morning, good afternoon and good night) and end the conversation with 'zaijain' or 'baibai' (goodbye). Other frequently used words to use may include, 'duibuqi' or 'baoqian' (sorry) and 'feichang ginxie (ni)' (thank you).
When meeting new people you could ask 'ni huibuhui jiing guoyu/huaya/putonghua?' (do you speak Mandarin?) and then say, 'wi hen gaoxing gen ni jianmian' (pleased to meet you) and ask a few simple questions such as, 'Ni guixing daming?' (what's your name?) and be told 'wi xing.' or 'wi jiao.' (my name is.). Or you could ask 'ni shi cong ni/nir lai de?' (where are you from?). You could always ask, 'ni ming bai ma?' to check the other person has understood your Mandarin phrasing and also ask them to make allowances by saying, 'wi tingbuding' ( I don't understand), 'mafan ni zai shuo yici hio ma' (please can you say that again?) or 'mafan ni jiing man yidin' (please speak more slowly).
Other useful questions might include, 'cesui zai ni?' (where is the toilet?). Or if you are in a shop you could ask, 'Zhege duoshio qian?' (How much is this?). In an emergency useful words might also include 'jiuming a!' (help!), 'hui a' (fire!) 'ting che' (when in a car) 'Zhanzhu'(to someone on foot) or 'ting!' (stop!) and 'Jiao jingcha!' (Call the police!).
Mandarin Culture
China is famous for its culture of the Arts and its famous sites reflect this. There are a lot of famous places of wonder to visit in China, including the Silk Merchants, Olympic Site, Imperial Gardens of Tsinghua, Lao She Teahouse and Llama Temple.
While the arts are reflected in places of wonder they are also reflected in lifestyle , cultural and religious beliefs. The principles of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism are the dominant belief systems in China. Buddhism follows the spiritual disciplines and beliefs developed from the following of Buddha. Taoism is also spiritual and looks at the balance of nature and energy. Human energy is drawn from 'Chi' (breath) which fits into the natural order of this balance. The purpose of Taoism is to strive towards immortality. This does not mean believers assume they will live forever indeed death is accepted as part of the natural order (it is simply the process of yang to yin). Instead immortality might refer to prolonged life for example, which can be achieved by concentrating the powers of Chi or praying amongst other guidelines as set out by Taoism. Confucianism is similarly spiritual and is closely related to Taoism. It follows the philosophy of Confucius who was a master of the six arts of archery, arithmetic, charactering, rituals, music, Art and calligraphy and became an inspirational teacher. The mastery of such arts is held in high esteem and the arts and spirituality are influential forces within Mandarin culture.
In business culture there are a few other points to observe that are not connected to these traditions. Understanding mandarin is a huge advantage now as increasingly international businesses are hiring Chinese MBA graduates as opposed to English graduates who do not speak Mandarin, therefore even a little knowledge is useful for communicating in business and is appreciated by the Chinese, particularly as they like to get to know their associates by asking personal questions such as when you were born, your marital status and interests which can be answered without the comprehensive knowledge of a native speaker.
Understanding Mandarin is useful because it is widely spoken in the world, the number of speakers is growing and it is an increasingly important business skill
Further Mandarin Language references
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