89.5% of the population in Hong Kong speak Cantonese. Besides, Cantonese is spoken in large parts of Southern China, not only Hong Kong. That’s why many people will recommend you learn Cantonese if you plan to stay in Hong Kong for a long time.If you want to be more widely understood, you should learn Mandarin.
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Contents
Can you live in Hong Kong without knowing Chinese?
You don’t need Cantonese or Mandarin to live and work in Hong Kong in most cases.However, if you want to know the place you call home and interact with the people that share it with you, then you should learn Cantonese, at the very least. Perhaps focus on Mandarin if you go to the Mainland for business.
Is Mandarin mandatory in Hong Kong?
Since the turnover, an average of 150 Chinese mainlanders have immigrated to Hong Kong each day, and with the mainland’s large economy and huge population, being able to speak Mandarin has all but become a requirement for any job involving finance, trade and tourism.
Do Hong Kongers learn Mandarin?
Mandarin is not just spoken on the mainland, but also in Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, and elsewhere throughout the world. It is now the lingua franca for the Chinese language globally. But most Hongkongers cannot speak Mandarin fluently.
Can you get a job in Hong Kong without speaking Chinese?
You do not need to speak Chinese to work in Hong Kong as it has long been an international trading hub and people of many nationalities live and work in Hong Kong.
Is English widely spoken in Hong Kong?
The proportion of the Hong Kong population who report using English (that is, all forms) as their “usual spoken language” increased from 2.8% in 2006 to 4.3% in 2016, while 51.1%, 63.5% and 65.6% respectively, reported being able to speak, write and read the language.
Can you live in Hong Kong without speaking Cantonese?
Sure, you can live here for many decades and never learn a word of Cantonese.You can live pretty much anywhere on Hong Kong island, and the need for Cantonese is virtually zero, so if you’re worried about that, don’t be. There are far more ex-pats who don’t speak Cantonese than ones that do.
Is it better to learn Cantonese or Mandarin?
Mandarin is easier to learn
Cantonese is seen to be more difficult because it has from 6 to 9 tones, each of which signify different things (while Mandarin only has 4 tones). In addition, because of its greater prevalence, it is easier to find Mandarin study materials than Cantonese study materials.
Do people in HK speak Mandarin?
Hong Kong’s recent census report states that Mandarin is the second language most spoken on the island following Cantonese.As for Mandarin, 48% of Hong Kong’s population can speak it, compared to 46% of population that can speak English.
Is it good to learn Mandarin?
Learning Mandarin gives you access to communicate with many people and connect on a deeper level, not just in Asia but across the world! Studies suggest that learning Chinese uses more parts of the brain than are required for other languages.
Should I learn Cantonese or Mandarin Hong Kong?
If you want to be more widely understood, you should learn Mandarin. Nowadays with more and more trade and communication between Hong Kong and mainland China, more and more Cantonese speakers are learning Mandarin. Of course, if you plan to travel or work in China in the future, you can learn Mandarin.
Do Hong Kong people know Chinese?
When Hong Kong was handed back from the UK to China in 1997, only a quarter of the population spoke any Mandarin.But even as people get better at communicating in Mandarin, also known as Putonghua, some in Hong Kong are losing interest, or even downright refusing to speak it.
Is it hard to find job in Hong Kong?
It is relatively hard to get a job in Hong Kong. The employers are picky when choosing foreign workers and fill visa application. The workers need to meet strict qualifications to land a job, and the employer needs to prove that they cannot pick a local resident for the job instead.
Is Hong Kong a good place to work?
High-skilled labour tends to pay quite well, which is another reason why it’s worth working in Hong Kong.Hong Kong also tends to offer good career prospects. If you are willing to learn a few words of Cantonese and adapt to a new way of working, it’s definitely worth working in Hong Kong.
Why do you love Hong Kong?
One thing I’ve always admired about Hong Kong is the efficiency and convenience of our public transport system. It’s affordable, on time, and clean. It also helps to reduce the number of people driving cars in the city, which is better for the environment and improves the air quality.
Can I drink the tap water in Hong Kong?
So as long as you maintain your plumbing in good condition, Hong Kong’s water is actually safe to drink from the tap without having to boil. If you are still unsure about drinking from your tap though, installing a filter is often an easy solution to ensuring the water quality you get from your tap.
How many Hong Kongers can speak English?
1. The results of the 2016 Population By-census showed that the proportion of the population aged 5 and over who reported that they could speak English, either as the usual spoken language or as another spoken language, increased from 43.9% in 2006 to 51.9% in 2016.
Is Mandarin and Cantonese the same?
Mandarin is the official state language of China and the most widely spoken Chinese dialect in the country.Mandarin is spoken widely in Singapore and Taiwan. Cantonese, however, is spoken largely in Hong Kong, as well as in Macau and the Guangdong province, including Guangzhou.
Can you learn Cantonese if you know Mandarin?
No, they are completely different languages. Although Cantonese and Mandarin have many similarities, they are not mutually intelligible. This means that, presuming one has no significant exposure or training, a speaker of Mandarin will understand little to nothing of Cantonese and vice-versa.
Why is Mandarin not called Cantonese?
Mandarin is spoken in Mainland China and Taiwan. Both languages are spoken in Malaysia and Singapore. Cantonese and Mandarin are written in the same way, though Cantonese favors traditional Chinese characters rather than simplified.Spoken Mandarin and Cantonese are not mutually intelligible.
Is Cantonese still worth learning?
Like Mandarin, Cantonese is spoken in 13 countries and has 73.4 million people who speak it as their first language.Many would think that it is better to learn Mandarin Chinese because it is easier to study than Cantonese. However, it is still a very important language that is worth learning, especially for business.
