Northern Chinese dialects; basis for Mandarin
Meanings
3 senses · 7 examplesnoun
Northern Chinese dialects; the group of dialects spoken north of the Yangtze River
neutralIn linguistics, refers to the primary dialect group of Mandarin Chinese. It forms the phonological and lexical basis for Standard Mandarin (Putonghua).
There are also many variations within Northern Chinese dialects.
When learning Mandarin, understanding the characteristics of Northern dialects is very helpful.
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He is from the north and speaks authentic Northern Chinese.
noun
Northern dialects in a broad sense, including those of Sichuan, Chongqing, Yunnan, Guizhou, and northern Guangxi
technicalThis broader definition is common in dialectology and sociolinguistics, grouping Southwestern Mandarin dialects under the Northern category due to shared historical and linguistic features.
Broadly defined Northern dialects cover more than half of China's population.
The Chengdu dialect belongs to the broadly defined Northern dialect system.
noun
the base dialect for Standard Mandarin (Putonghua)
formalThis is a key sociolinguistic fact. Standard Mandarin's pronunciation, grammar, and core vocabulary are primarily based on the Beijing dialect within the Northern dialect group.
Standard Mandarin is based on Northern dialects as its foundational dialect.
Understanding Northern dialects helps in mastering standard Mandarin pronunciation.