Chinese –-> Mandarin – Cantonese – Simplified Chinese script – Traditional Chinese Script ?

Chinese –-> Mandarin – Cantonese – Simplified Chinese script – Traditional Chinese Script ?

We recently completed a translation project for Chinese language for the Hong Kong market.. and it was pretty evident that the client needed guidance about which language and script to select for Hong Kong specifically!

Isn’t the language spoken in China known as Chinese?

What then is Mandarin and Cantonese?

Well the official language of Mainland China and Taiwan is Mandarin. There are between 7-13 dialects in Mainland China, but Mandarin is a standardised form of the language spoken in the Beijing area.It is also one of the official languages of Singapore and Taiwan.

Though when it comes to written language, Mandarin is written in Simplified Chinese script in Mainland China. Simplified character forms were created by reducing the number of strokes and simplifying the forms of Chinese characters since 1950.

For Mandarin spoken in Taiwan, Traditional Chinese script is used as the written form.

Cantonese is a variety of Chinese and is the dominant and regional language of Hong Kong and Macau including many Southern regions of China like Guangdong and Guangxi, and Singapore, Malaysia and many other countries. It is the spoken language in Hong Kong but when it comes to the written form, it is written in Traditional Chinesescript.

Therefore, to reach out to Chinese language speakers, the handy grid below will simplify the right choice of language and script

For any queries or your projects, do get in touch with us!

Devaki Datar Kunte