FAQ - Language

Michael (revised by Alex C-G)

What Languages are Spoken in Shanghai?

Putonghua (Mandarin Chinese) is the official language and is the language used in schools all over China. Shanghaihua (Shanghainese) is largely spoken by the locals but isn't taught or broadcast in any way outside of a few pop songs. Most locals know both languages, though convenience store clerks will usually bombard you with rapid-fire Shanghainese.

Shanghainese isn't just an accent, but rather a dialect distinctly different from Mandarin. As a foreigner, if you know a bit of Mandarin, getting around will present no problem, though you'll score points if you pick up a few words of Shanghainese. After being here a bit, it's quite easy to recognize.

Day to day, English isn't really that common. Most of the younger generation can communicate with foreigners, though are sometimes reluctant to do so, since in Chinese schools the emphasis is on writing and grammar rather than conversation and speaking skills.

In general, the older generation don't know much English, other than "hello" and "goodbye," so learning some Mandarin really is essential for survival. Mandarin-English and English-Mandarin electronic dictionaries are available at department stores and many foreign bookshops, and some of the pricier ones include spoken output, aloowing you to hone your tones.

Finding information about learning Shanghainese and Mandarin is quite easy. Most of the expat magazines, such as That's Shanghai and City Weekend include listings for language schools, and there are also lots of people looking for "language exchange" in the classified ads section of this site. Bear in mind that "language exchange" is often quite a misleading description, and may entail other "duties," if you catch my drift...

Useful Links

• Zhongwen.com Mandarin Chinese Dictionary
• Conversational Shanghainese
• An Introduction to the Shanghai Dialect
• Shanghainese Introduction
• Marjorie Chan's ChinaLinks