What are the different types of spoken and written Chinese?
There are two written forms – Traditional and Simplified Chinese Simplified characters are used in the Peoples’ Republic of China and Singapore. Traditional Chinese characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. Although simplified and traditional Chinese are only variations of written Chinese, it is not unusual to find that those who read only traditional Chinese cannot understand simplified Chinese, and vice versa. Therefore, it is important in Chinese translation to determine whether simplified or traditional Chinese should be used for a particular target market. There are two predominant spoken forms of Chinese, but many other dialects. Mandarin is the main spoken Chinese language. Cantonese is one of the Chinese dialects. In mainland China and Taiwan, most people can speak Mandarin, while Cantonese is only spoken in China’s Guangdong Province and Hong Kong. Cantonese is more popular among overseas Chinese because most Chinese immigrants in the UK and Europe come from Guan
