[XI_YAN]

putonghua / cantonese / both?

[XI_YAN]

lol ok having beaten all records for succinctness let me explain -

I am learning putonghua as it seemed easier and more widely spoken than cantonese but as I will be residing in HK should I learn cantonese instead / as well. I have been advised putonghua is better but . . . . . . what do you guys think?

[smelly]

I posted this elsewhere, but it is my feelings on the subject:

"Before I came to HK everyone I spoke with told me to learn Mandarin. When I got here people told me to learn Mandarin.

Now after taking many Mandarin courses and self study I find it almost impossible to progress much further. I hear Canto everyday all the time yet I am learning Mandarin? I find it frustrating not being able to speak w/ coworkers and friends when they launch into Cantonese. So I am now turning my full attention to Cantonese.

If you are going to be here a long time and don't have mainland China ambitions then I say learn Cantonese. It will help immensely here."

It is in this thread that you may want to take a look at.

[agnesscope]

Hi,
If you are staying in Hong Kong for some time you should pick up Cantonese. It's tricky, esp. the tones will drive you crazy. But if you manage to learn and remember at least 1000 words/ characters and you'll survive, and when you have learned 2000 words you can read local newspapers, appreciate the fun of Cantonese metaphors, and learn some colloquial Cantonese expressions! It's an eye-opening experience!
Agnes

[XI_YAN]

thanks for the info! I guess it's got to be both then! SIGH! Hard work ahead!

[geo-seb]

While learning Cantonese and Mandarin at the same time as an absolute beginner is possible, it is not the most efficient approach, because beginners easily confuse the tones and sounds of both dialects. It easier to focus on one dialect fist, get down the basics, and then start with the other one.

[geo-seb]

I think there is no good answer to the question which dialect to learn (first). Outside Hong Kong (and the overseas Chinese communities), Cantonese is not very useful anymore. But for long term Hong Kong expats, Cantonese is really an asset. On the other hand, nowadays it is "in" to learn Mandarin so everyone and their grandmother are starting to study it (no matter they need it or not). In my opinion Mandarin is mostly useful for those who have Mandarin speaking partners / family / friends and those who have to spend most of their time in Mainland China for business or work.

[XI_YAN]

lol yes I'm learning mandarin at present - it seemed easier and as I will be traveling quite a bit in the mainland I'll need it. Cantonese will have to wait! I just hope the mandarin will make it easier to learn later.

xie xie / ngoi everyone