| Chinese & Its Dialects | |
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| Mar 22, 2006 19:33 |   |
 | As we know China is a huge country. Beside the minority groups, the Han Chinese are scattered all over the country. As such, residents of each part of the country has developed its own dialects. The writings remain common but the spoken version can be very different. I don't know how many dialects there are in China. I speak quite a few southern Chinese dialects. I have difficulty understanding other dialects unless they are spoken very slowly. Dialects are very interesting and colourful. I have been to Korea and Japan on many times. Recently I began to spend more attention to their languages esp via TV dramas. It seems to me that both Japanese & esp Korean languages are quite related to the Chinese language. It seems to me that they are a Chinese dialect too. What do you think ? |
| Mar 22, 2006 19:39 | #1 |
| I don't think so:) I took Japanese for about two years, except the writing system, there is nothing similar between the two languages. But my experience is Japanese is easier to learn than English for me-native Chinese speaker:-) I know nothing about Korean language, but some of my classmates in high school spoke the language, I could hear some slightly similar pronunciations btw the two languages. |
| Mar 22, 2006 19:41 | #2 |
| Some dialects in China are more than just 'dialects', except the differences in pronunciations, there are something different in grammar, like Cantonese and Hakka language, etc... |
| Mar 22, 2006 19:59 | #3 |
| I've learnt Japanese for two years, too. I think there are similarities btw the two languages, especiall btw Japanese and Xian dialect. Such as De Si Ga (Really?) in Japanese and De Si Di/De Si(Really?)in Xian dialect. Sounds really alike! In fact, Japanese learnt a lot when they sent students & monks to Chang'an during the Tang Dynasty. Not only language, but also culture, art, architecture,etiquette and even costume.  |
| Mar 22, 2006 20:19 | #4 |
| The Japanese "he fu" has been based on China's Qin Dynasty' period and has remained unchanged over the last 2000 yrs ; even their hairstyle, make-up - esp the gals'. China on the other hand has theirs changed/updated over the various dynasties. Korean - (a) Qian wan - "qian mun" (b) xue sheng - "hak sen" (c) zheng zhi - "zongji" Very similar in pronouonciation to Min Nan hua !! I am able to relate some of the Japanese/Korean pronunciation to southern Chinese dialect. And Japanese understand our Chinese writing. Incidentally, the manner that Hainanese speaks is quite similar to that of the Vietnamese (I don't undertand Vietnamese at all) ! |
| Mar 22, 2006 20:26 | #5 |
| It's normal for neighbouring countries sharing some similarities in languages IN PRONUNCIATIONS, it's hard to say on whole, one language is SIMILAR to another. Such as Japanese and Chinese, on the first sight, they are so close to each other, but learning it deeper and deeper, you will find, they are totally different. Actually, the two languages are belong to differnt language systems. YOu take as much time as you learn any other foreign languages. |
| Mar 22, 2006 20:29 | #6 |
| China influenced neighbouring countries a lot. Yes, Rita, you are right. They are two different system. But there are still some similarities in pronunciation. |
| Mar 22, 2006 20:45 | #7 |
| Quite true, Rita. But I think that's because the neighbouring countries originated from the same sources more or less. I believe Russian language has no similarity to Chinese at all. So are the Indian languages. If we go back time, say about 2000 yrs ago - imagine the Japanese islands and Korean peninsular were inhabited with people who might have no language of their own. Then there came the Chinese who taught them language, culture,etc. Over times, these were adapted to suit their own tastes/ requirement but some of the basics were retained. The Middle-east, Indians & later Europens came to China with their own cultures, languages, etc. They came at a time when China was basking in its glory - a very advanced country at that time. So the languages, cultures of these foreigners were not adopted, even partially, by the Chinese as a rule because the Chinese already have their very own. Probably it was the other way around - they came, learnt & brought them back to their own lands & some may have been absorbed into their systems. On the other hand, Mongolia and later Manchuria ruled China for some time. As such, quite sure some of their languages, culture infiltrated into the later Chinese language. Make sense ?! |
| Mar 22, 2006 20:52 | #8 |
| Hi,guys Japanese and korean both have relative with chinese,I can understand the meaning when I read japanese.And so words in Korean is like a dialects in China. In japanese,there was 5000 chinese character,and 70% korean was chinese words,but different from writing. |
| Mar 22, 2006 20:53 | #9 |
| QUOTE: If we go back time, say about 2000 yrs ago - imagine the Japanese islands and Korean peninsular were inhabited with people who might have no language of their own. unquote At least that's not the case for Japanese, they had their own language, even dating back to more than 2000 years:)), but only spoken language- totally different from the Chinese then. They borrowed[never return, haha] the writing system from China and at the same time learning something new, including something they hadn't had originally. Later, they kept learning from Chinese, cultures, clothes, and architectures, etc... almost everything they didn't have. They are good learners and keep what they learned very well. Imagine, if the Japanese had their writting system of their own at that time, what can we see today? Of course that won't happen. |
| Mar 22, 2006 20:56 | #10 |
| Hmmm, Rita. I think u are right here. They must have language even in those days - else how did they communicate !! |
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