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  • Dialects

    Hey! I heard some weeks ago that i have to speak mandarin with a henan dialect to perfectly understand people in the Henan province. Well I know I can speak english at the most of the gong fu schools but i want to learn chinese. I started Mandarin but dont understand what is the henan dialect. The guy who told about a henan dialect is wrong or there is really some differences. What are they?
    =========
    Peace out!
    ....................

  • #2
    There are different dialects all throughout China. You can identify what part of China people have grown up in, Henan people can identifiy Beijingers, etc. The Henan dialect is heavy on the "r's". But, generally, there is a significant degree of understanding between most of the people throughout China.

    Think of it as we do in America. You can usually identify a New Yorker, a Texan, a southerner, a dude from California, a New Jersey person, by their accents. It's not something to worry about. Learning Mandarin is going to be hard enough, don't worry about dialects.
    Experienced Community organizer. Yeah, let's choose him to run the free world. It will be historic. What could possibly go wrong...

    "You're just a jaded cynical mother****er...." Jeffpeg

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    • #3
      Hey Guys!

      Don't know if anyone of you remember me -- been gone a while. Living in Taiwan now studying Chinese. Anyhow, hope everyone is healthy and well.

      As for the Henan provincial dialect, like doc said it's not something to worry about. I managed to live in Shandong for a year and have traveled through quite a few provinces without any trouble. Although some words and expressions vary from one place to the next, if you're studying Beijing hua no one should have trouble understanding you, that is being that your pronunciation is accurate.

      Before I moved to Taiwan many people mentioned that I'd have a hard time because the dialect is more closely related to the Mandarin spoken in Fujian. But I had been there too and was fine, so again it's not a big deal. Of course if your trying to speak to a person in Shanghai who speaks Shanghainese, that's another story entirely. It's a completely different language, like that of Hakka or Guangdong hua. And then again, well, if you're hanging out with locals in pretty much any province, your going to find their Chinese is usually somewhat different from the norm.

      Actually the Chinese spoken in Mainland as compared to what's spoken in Taiwan is really interesting. The tonal range in Mainland is greater, with a strong emphasis on the "r" sound, which you probably are aware of, but the use and pronunciation of the tones varies as well. People can immediately distinguish if you've studied in Mainland just by the way you say, "yes," for example, and whether or not you add an "r" sound. Though some respect it, a lot of Taiwanese like to goof on those who have a Mainland accent. Mainlanders may do the opposite.

      Basically the closer you get to Beijing, the closer you get to Beijing hua.

      I think the guy just told you this since it seems talking about some of the differences is kind of a little ritual Chinese have. Sure some of the words are said a little differently, yet in my experience people generally understand each other. When there are differences, people can also typically distinguish where the differences are derived from, whether it be Henan, Shandong, guangdong, etc. and you will too after being around a while.

      Enjoy,
      G
      ZhongwenMovies.com

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      • #4
        Thanks A lot! Im dont going to worry about it and travel someday to learn the differences! In my studying book that talk often about the "r" i wanted to know if there is other differences.
        =========
        Peace out!
        ....................

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        • #5
          I've studied some Mandarin from a Taiwanese teacher in the US. Other than the fact that the Taiwanese still use traditional Mandarin, as G said, mainland "Simple" mandarin is heavier on the "r's". (even more so in Henan). The way my US teacher pronounced things, and the way I've heard it in Henan, in some instances, are distinctly different things, even to my completely Mandarin ignorant ears.
          Experienced Community organizer. Yeah, let's choose him to run the free world. It will be historic. What could possibly go wrong...

          "You're just a jaded cynical mother****er...." Jeffpeg

          (more comments in my User Profile)
          russbo.com


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