List of varieties of Chinese
The following is a list of Chinese varieties, many of which are mutually unintelligible.
Classification
Linguists classify these varieties as the Sinitic branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family. Within this broad classification, there are between seven and fourteen subgroups, depending on the classification.
Traditional classification
Traditional Chinese classification lists seven groups, comprising:
| • Gan | (Jiangxinese) |
| • Guan | (Mandarin or Beifanghua) |
| • Kejia | (Hakka) |
| • Min | (including the Hokkien and Taiwanese variants) |
| • Wu | (including the Shanghainese variant) |
| • Xiang | (Hunanese) |
| • Yue | (including the Cantonese and Taishanese variants) |
(shown here with the romanized Standard Chinese names of the categories, ordered alphabetically).
Modern linguistic classification
James Matisoff's classification is as follows:
Matisoff's list uses the common English names of the groups, ordered by decreasing number of speakers of languages within the group.
Distinction between dialects and languages
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.
List of dialects and languages
Gan
- 赣语/贛語
| • Dongkou dialect | 洞口话 | 洞口話 |
| • Huaining dialect | 怀宁话 | 懷寧話 |
| • Fuzhou (Jiangxi) dialect | 抚州话 | 撫州話 |
| • Ji'an (Jiangxi) dialect | 吉安话 | 吉安話 |
| • Leiyang dialect | 耒阳话 | 耒陽話 |
| • Nanchang dialect | 南昌话 | 南昌話 |
| • Xianning dialect | 咸宁话 | 鹹寧話 |
| • Yichun dialect | 宜春话 | 宜春話 |
| • Yingtan dialect | 鹰潭话 | 鷹潭話 |
Mandarin
- 官话/官話
Hui
- 徽语/徽語
Sometimes subcategory of Wu.
| • Jixi (Anhui) dialect | 绩溪话 | 績溪話 |
| • Shexian (Anhui) dialect | 歙县话 | 歙縣話 |
| • Tunxi dialect | 屯溪话 | 屯溪話 |
| • Yixian (Anhui) dialect | 黟县话 | 黟縣話 |
Jin
- 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
- 客家话/客家話
| • Huizhou Chinese | 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
- 闽语/閩語
| Min Bei (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 |
| Min Dong (Eastern Min) | 闽东语 | 閩東語 |
| • 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 |
| • Fuzhou dialect (Hók-ciŭ-uâ) | 福州话 | 福州話 |
| • 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 (Hók-chiăng-uâ) | 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 |
| Min Nan (Southern Min) | 闽南语 | 閩南語 |
| • Hokkien (Mintai division) | 福建话（闽台片） | 福建話 (閩台片) |
| • Quanzhou dialect | 泉州话 | 泉州話 |
| • Amoy | 厦门话 | 廈門話 |
| • Taiwanese (see regional variations) [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) |
| • Zhangzhou dialect | 漳州话 | 漳州話 |
| • 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 |
| • Zhenan division | 浙南片 | 浙南片 |
| • 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 |
| • Teochew (Chaoshan division) | 潮汕方言 | 潮汕方言 |
| • Chaozhou dialect | 潮州话 | 潮州話 |
| • Shantou dialect (Swatow) | 汕头话 | 汕頭話 |
| • 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 |
| • Zhongshan Min division | 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 |
| Min Zhong (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 |
| Qiong Wen | 琼文片 | 瓊文片 |
| • Hainan dialect (Hainanese) | 海南话 | 海南話 |
| Leizhou | 雷语 | 雷語 |
| • Leizhou dialect | 雷州话 | 雷州話 |
| • Zhanjiang dialect | 湛江话 | 湛江話 |
Wu
- 吴语/吳語
Xiang
- 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 dialects (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 |
| • 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 dialects (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 dialects (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 dialects (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
- 粤语/粵語
Distribution of Pinghua and Yue dialect groups in Guangxi and Guangdong[3]
|
Pinghua
- 平话/平話
| Pinghua | 平话 | 平話 |
| • Guibei Pinghua | 桂北平话 | 桂北平話 |
| • Bendihua | 本地话 | 本地話 |
| • Guinan Pinghua | 桂南平话 | 桂南平話 |
Ba-Shu
- 巴蜀语/巴蜀語
| Ba-Shu Chinese | 巴蜀语 | 巴蜀語 |
Other
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
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 dialect. It incorporates Chen-Xu Xiang and Qo-Xiong Miao languages. |
| Wutun | 五屯话 | 五屯話 | A Mandarin Chinese, Tibetan and Mongolian mixed language |
List in the Atlas
The extensive 1987 Language Atlas of China groups Chinese topolects (geographical varieties) as follows. Units are:
- Supergroup (dàqū), of which there are but two: Mandarin and Min
- Group (qū), corresponding to the varieties of Chinese of the ISO standard
- Subgroup (piàn), which may be mutually unintelligible with other subgroups[4]
- Cluster (xiǎopiànn), which may be mutually unintelligible with other clusters
- Local dialect (diǎn), which are the dialects sampled by the Atlas
In the list below,[5] local dialects are not listed. Groups are in bold, subgroups are numbered, and clusters are bulleted.
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- Unclassified topolects
- Shehua (the Chinese variety now spoken by the She people)
- Danzhou dialect
- Xianghua
- Shaoguan Tuhua
- Southern Hunan Tuhua
See also
- Chinese language
- Chinese spoken language
- Chinese written language
- Dialects of Mandarin
- Dialect (discussion of "dialect" or "language")
- Identification of the varieties of Chinese
Notes and references
- ^ 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
- ^ Wurm et al. (1987).
- ^ 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.
- ^ Maria Kurpaska (2010) Chinese Language(s): A look through the prism of The Great Dictionary of Chinese Dialects
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| Literary forms |
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| Scripts |
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Sino-Tibetan branches | |||||
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| Western Himalayas (Himachal, Uttarakhand, Nepal, Sikkim) |
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| Eastern Himalayas (Tibet, Bhutan, Arunachal) | |||||
| Myanmar and Indo- Burmese border |
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| East and Southeast Asia |
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| Dubious (possible isolates) (Arunachal) |
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| Proposed groupings | |||||
| Proto-languages | |||||
Italics indicates single languages that are also considered to be separate branches. | |||||