About the Standard Chinese Language
        The Chinese language (zhōng wén, huá yǔ or pǔ tōng huà) is the chief language of China, and also one of the most popular and developed languages in the world.
        China is a country consisting of 56 nationalities，and has a population of l.3 billion. Before China opened its door to the outside world in the late l 970s, many people in the West believed (some still believe today) that Chinese is one language or Chinese language is Cantonese. In fact, Chinese is not just one language, but a family of languages and Cantonese is just one of the seven major dialects of the Chinese language. Although different dialects differ immensely in pronunciation, they share the same written form. The seven modern languages of China known as dialects are growing on the branches of the Chinese family cultural tree deeply rooted in the land of Confucius. They share as strong a family resemblance as do English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and are about as different from on another.
          The Standard Chinese spoken nationally is based on the pronunciation of the Northern dialect which is spoken by over 70 percent of the population. It is known as pǔ tōng huà(普通话), which literally means Common Speech in the People's Republic of China; guó yǔ(国语)or huá yǔ(华语), which literally means National Language in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and other overseas Chinese communities, and Mandarin Chinese in English speaking countries. Many Chinese use the term to describe the Chinese language as zhōng wén (Chinese 中文) or hàn yǔ(hàn language 汉语- hàn is the largest of the 56 nationalities in China consisting of more than 90 percent of the population) Both zhōng wén and hàn yǔare literarily interchangeable and are more often used by native Chinese speakers than Putonghua or Mandarin when they ask non-native speakers if they speak Chinese. Putonghua, based primarily on the Beijing dialect but takes elements from other Chinese languages, is taught in schools and spoken by television and radio broadcasters throughout China, and it is the spoken language which is most understood by Chinese speakers. However, it is often spoken with some concessions to local speech and accent, particularly in pronunciation.
Compared to the other six Chinese languages, Putonghua has fewer tones and fewer final consonants (Cantonese has 8 tones compared to only 4 in Standard Chinese Putonghua). These six Chinese languages, known as six major Chinese dialects, are mainly used in regions south of the Yangtze River valley. They are, the wú language (吴语)which includes the Shanghai dialect; Hunanese which is officially known as xiāng language (湘语); the gàn language (赣语)which is mainly spoken in Jiangxi Province; Cantonese/ guǎng dōng language (粤语)which is the language of Guangdong Province, Hong Kong, Macau and also is widely spoken in Chinese communities in the United States, Europe and other Asian and Southeast Asian countries; Fujianese dialect, which is officially known as mǐn language (闽语)and is spoken by people of Fujian Province and Taiwan (in Fujian it is called Fujian dialect, in Taiwan, it is called Taiwan dialect, both from the same Min dialect); and Hakka/kè jiā (客家语), which is officially known as kè jiā dialect and is spoken by people living in a region north and northwest of Guangdong Province as well as by a minority in Taiwan. The last three mentioned dialects, Cantonese, mǐn nán and kè jiā, are all widely spoken throughout Southeast Asia.
           Apart from these seven major Chinese languages, there are also some non-Chinese languages spoken by Chinese ethnic minorities, e.g. Tibetan, Mongolian, which do not belong to the Chinese language family and are not related to the seven Chinese languages discussed above.

                        guān yú biāo zhǔn hàn yǔ
                       关　于　标　 准　汉　语
           hàn yǔ （zhōng wén, huá yǔ　huò zhě　pǔ tōng huà） shì zhōng guó de
           汉　语 （zhōng wén, huá yǔ　或　者　 pǔ tōng huà） 是　中　 国　的
zhǔ yào yǔ yán ，yě shì shì jiè shàng zuì liú xíng zuì chéng shú de yǔ yán zhī yī 。 主　要　语 言，也 是　世　界　上　最　流　行　 最　成　熟的 语 言　之一 。
　　　zhōng guó yōng yǒu 56 gè mín zú ，13 yì rén kǒu 。zài 20 shì jì 70 nián
　　　中　国　 拥　有　56 个 民　族 ，13 亿 人　口　。在20 世　纪 70　年
dài mò ，zhōng guó xiàng shì jiè dǎ kāi guó mén zhī qián ，xǔ duō xī fāng rén
代　末 ，　中　国　向　世　界　打 开　国　门　之　前，许 多　西　方　人
xiāng xìn （ yǒu xiē zhì jīn réng rán xiāng xìn ） zhōng wén zhǐ yǒu yī zhǒng
相　 信　（有　些　至　今　仍　然　相　信） 　中　文　只　有　一 　种
yǔ yán huò zhě zhōng wén jiù shì yuè yǔ 。shì shí shàng ，zhōng wén bù jǐn
语 言　或　者　中　文　就　是　粤　语 。事 实　上　， 中　文　不 仅
zhǐ yǒu yī zhǒng yǔ yán ，ér shì yí gè yǔ yán dà jiā zú ，yuè yǔ zhǐ shì zhōng guó
只　有　一 种　语 言，而 是　一 个 语 言　大 家　族，粤　语 只　是　中　国
qī dà fāng yán zhī yī 。jǐn guǎn měi gè fāng yán zài fā yīn shàng dà xiāng jìng
七 大　方　言之一 。尽　管　每　个　方　言 在 发 音　上　大 　相　 径
tíng ，dàn tā men zài shū xiě fāng miàn shì yī zhì de 。zài kǒng fū zǐ suǒ chàng
庭　，但　他 们　在　书　写　方　面　是　一 致的 。在　孔　夫 子所　倡
dǎo de zhōng guó jiā zú wén huà sī xiǎng de gēn jī shàng ，zhōng guó qī dà
导　的 　中　国　 家　族 文 化　思 想　的 根　基 上，　中　国　七 大
fāng yán xiàn yǐ fā zhǎn de zhī fán yè mào 。zhèng rú yīng yǔ 、dé yǔ 、fǎ
方　言　 现　已 发　展　得 枝　繁　叶 茂。正　如　英　语 、德 语 、法
yǔ 、xī bān yá yǔ 、yì dà lì yǔ 、pú táo yá yǔ yí yàng ，qī dà fāng yán yǒu
语、西 班　牙 语、意 大 利 语、葡 萄　牙 语 一　样，七 大　方　言　有
zhe qiáng liè de jiā zú xiāng sì xìng ，dàn yòu bù jìn xiàng tóng 。
着　强　烈　的 家　族 相　似　性，但　又　不 尽　相　同　。
　　　quán guó tōng yòng de biāo zhǔn zhōng wén shì yǐ zhōng guó běi fāng
　　　全　国　 通　 用　的　标　 准　中　 文　是　以 中　国　北　方
kǒu yīn wéi jī chǔ ，zhōng guó yǒu qī chéng de rén kǒu shǐ yòng de biāo zhǔn
口　音　为　基 础，中　国　有　七 　成　的 人　口　使　用　的　标　准
yǔ yán ，tōng cháng chēng zhī wéi pǔ tōng huà ，zì miàn yì yì wéi zhōng
语 言　， 通　 常　　称　之　为　普　通　话，字　面　意 义 为　中　
huá rén mín gòng hé guó pǔ tōng yòng yǔ ： guó yǔ huò huá yǔ 。bāo kuò
华　人　民　 共　和 国　普　通　用　语 ： 国　语 或　华　语。包　括
zài tái wān 、xiāng gǎng 、xīn jiā pō yǐ jí qí tā hǎi wài huá rén tuán tǐ shǐ yòng
在　台　湾、香　 港 、新　加坡 以 及其 他 海外华　人　团　体 使 用
de tōng yòng yǔ yán 。xǔ duō zhōng guó rén xí guàn chēng zhōng guó yǔ
的　通　 用　语 言 。许 多　 中　国　人　习　惯　　称　中　国　语
yán wéi zhōng wén huò zhě hàn yǔ （ hàn zú shì zhōng guó 56 gè mín zú
言　为　 中　文　或　者　汉　语 （ 汉　族 是　中　国　56 个 民　族
zhōng rén kǒu zuì duō de mín zú ，zhàn jù zhōng guó jiǔ chéng rén kǒu ）。
中　人　口　最　多　的 民　族 ， 占　据 　中　国　九　 成　人　口）。
zhōng wén hé hàn yǔ liǎng cí de zì miàn yì sī shì yí yàng de ，dāng zhōng
中　文　和 汉　语 两　词 的 字 面　意 思 是　一　样　的 ， 当　中
guó rén wèn wài guó rén shì fǒu huì shuō zhōng guó yǔ yán shí ，tā men
国　人　问　外　国　人　是　否　会　 说　中　国　语 言　时，他 们
yòng zhè liǎng gè cí de pín lǜ yě bǐ pǔ tōng huà yào gāo 。pǔ tōng huà，
用　这　两　 个 词 的 频　率也 比 普　通　话　要　高。普　通　话，
yǐ běi jīng fāng yán wéi jī chǔ ，jié hé zhōng guó qí tā fāng yán yuán sù ，
以 北　京　方　言　为　基 础，结　合 中　国　其 他 方　言 元　素 ，
zài zhōng guó guǎng fàn shǐ yòng 。xué xiào lǐ lǎo shī jiào de 、diàn shì
在　中　国　广　泛　使　用。学　校　里 老　师　 教　的 、 电　视
guǎng bō lǐ shǐ yòng de dōu shì pǔ tōng huà 。rán ér ，bù tóng dì qū
广　播 里 使　用　 的 都　是　普　通　话。然　而 ，不　同　地 区
de rén zài shuō pǔ tōng huà shí nán miǎn shòu běn dì fāng yán de yǐng
的 人　在　说　普　通　话　时　难　免　受　本　地　方　言　的　影　
xiǎng ，yóu qí shì zài fā yīn fā miàn 。bǐ qǐ qí tā liù zhǒng zhōng guó  fāng
响　，尤　其 是　在　发 音　发　面。比 起 其 他 六　种　中　国　方
yán ，pǔ tōng huà méi yǒu nà me duō de shēng tiáo hé wěi yīn (yuè yǔ yǒu
言　，普　通　话　没　有　那 么 多　的 声　 调　和 尾　音(粤　语 有　
bā zhǒng shēng diào ，ér pǔ tōng huà zhǐ yǒu sì zhǒng ）。 zhè liù zhǒng
八 　种　　声　 调　，而 普　通　话　只　有　四 种）。 这　六　种
zhōng guó zhǔ yào fāng yán tōng cháng zài yáng zǐ jiāng yǐ nán dì qū shǐ
中　国　主　要　 方　言　 通　常　在　 扬　子 　江　以 南　地 区 使
yòng 。tā men fēn bié shì ：wú yǔ （bāo kuò shàng hǎi fāng yán zài nèi ），
用　。它 们　分　别　是： 吴 语 （ 包　括　上　海　 方　言　在　内），　
xiāng yǔ （ hú nán fāng yán ），gàn yǔ （ jiāng xī fāng yán ），yuè yǔ
湘　语 （ 湖 南　 方　言　），赣　语 （ 　江　西　方　言），粤　语
（ duō yòng yú guǎng dōng shěng 、xiāng gǎng 、ào mén yǐ jí zài měi
（ 多　 用　于 　广　 东　　省　、　香　 港　、澳 门　以 及 在　美
guó 、ōu zhōu hé qí tā yà zhōu 、nán yà guó jiā de huá rén tuán tǐ ）,mǐn yǔ
国　、欧　洲　和 其 他 亚　洲、南　亚 国　家　的 华人　团　体）,闽　语
（ duō yòng yú fú jiàn hé tái wān ，dàn zài fú jiàn bèi chēng wéi fú jiàn
（ 多　用　于 福　建　和 台　湾，但　在福　建　被　称　为　福　建 
huà ，zài tái wān chēng wéi tái yǔ ，ér tā men tóng shǔ mǐn yǔ ），kè jiā
话　，在　台　 湾　称　为台　语 ，而 他 们　 同　属　闽　语），客 家　
yǔ （ duō yòng yú shēng huó zài guǎng dōng shěng běi bù hé xī běi dì qū
语 （ 多　 用　于 　生　活　在　　广　 东　省　北　部 和 西 北地 区
yǐ jí tái wān zhǔ yào dì qū rén qún ）。yuè yǔ 、mǐn yǔ 、kè jiā yǔ yě zài
以 及 台湾　主　要　地 区 人群）。粤　语 、闽　语 、客 家　语 也 在
dōng nán yà guǎng fàn shǐ yòng 。
东　南　亚 　广　泛　使　 用　。
         chú le zhè qī zhǒng zhōng guó zhǔ yào fāng yán zhī wài ，hái yǒu yī xiē
         除　了 这　七 　种　中　国　主　要　方　言　之　外，还　有　一 些
shǎo shù mín zú shǐ yòng fēi zhōng guó yǔ yán 。bǐ rú ，xī zàng yǔ  hé měng
少　数　民　族 使　 用　非　中　国　语 言。比 如 ，西　藏　语 和　蒙
gǔ yǔ bù shǔ yú zhōng guó yǔ yán jiā zú ，yě yǔ shàng wén suǒ  shù zhōng
古 语 不 属　于 中　国　 语 言　家　族 ，也 与 　上　文　所　述　中
guó qī dà fāng yán háo wú guān lián 。
国　七 大　方　 言　毫　无　关 联　。