What language is mostly spoken in Hong Kong?

What language is mostly spoken in Hong Kong?

Cantonese
Cantonese remains dominant with 96% percent. As for Mandarin, 48% of Hong Kong’s population can speak it, compared to 46% of population that can speak English. Previously, English was the second most spoken language.

Does Hong Kong speak Cantonese or Mandarin?

The principal language of Hong Kong is standard Cantonese (粵語, 廣州話, 廣東話, 廣府話, 白話, 本地話), spoken by 88.9% of the population at home daily. As an official language, it is used in education, broadcasting, government administration, legislation and judiciary, as well as for daily communication.

Is Cantonese the same as Chinese?

Cantonese and Mandarin are dialects of the Chinese language and are both spoken in China. They share the same base alphabet, but as a spoken language they are distinct and not mutually intelligible.

Does China and Hong Kong speak the same language?

It is spoken in many of the largest cities in China, including Beijing and Shanghai. 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.

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.

How do you say hello in Hong Kong?

Neih hou (pronounced “nay-ho”) is used to say hello in Hong Kong. The pronunciation of hou is something between “ho” and “how.” But realistically, saying a simple hello (same as in English but with a little more “haaa-lo”) is extremely common for informal situations!

Should I 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 Hong Kong people know English?

Do you need to speak Chinese to live in Hong Kong?

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.

What do you call a person from Hong Kong?

Hongkongers (Chinese: 香港人), also known as Hong Kongers, Hong Kongese, Hongkongese, Hong Kong citizen and Hong Kong people, typically refers to legal residents of the city of Hong Kong; although may also refer to others who were born and/or raised in the city.

Which language do Hong Kong people speak better?

Hong Kongers are getting better at speaking Mandarin, but speaking the language is a taboo to many.

What language is primarily used in Hong Kong?

English is a major working language in Hong Kong, and is widely used in commercial activities and legal matters. Although the sovereignty of Hong Kong was transferred to the PRC by the United Kingdom in 1997, English remains one of the official languages of Hong Kong as enshrined in the Basic Law .

Do people in Hong Kong speak English?

Around 48 percent of Hong Kong residents speak Mandarin while 46 percent speak English. However, Cantonese is the most popular dialect as 96 percent of the population can speak it. English is an official language in Hong Kong so all official signs and announcements are in both Cantonese and English.

Can Hong Kong people speak the Hakka language?

Hakka is a language group of varieties of Chinese, spoken natively by the Hakka people throughout Southern China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and throughout the diaspora areas of East Asia, Southeast Asia and in overseas Chinese communities around the world.. Due to its primary usage in scattered isolated regions where communication is limited to the local area, Hakka has developed numerous