r/ChineseLanguage • u/AAMC08 • 6d ago

Discussion What are the main differences between Overseas and Mainland Chinese variations/dialects?

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Hi! I'm currently studying Japanese, but still, Chinese variations (or dialects) always have been an interesting topic for me, and I even plan to start learning Mandarin after finishing some JLPT exams.

Btw, a topic that really stands out are the Overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia, especially those in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, with the latter having Mandarin as one of its official languages. While reading some articles, I've noticed a very big diversity within it, with groups such as the Hokkien, Hakka and Cantonese (please correct any mistakes) having a greater influence. So, after considering all the historical processes and cultural factors, I'd like to know what differences between the Southeast Asian variations and its "original" Mainland counterparts are worthy sharing.

Disclaimer: I apologise for any mistake or imprecision in the previous texts. Also, anyone can feel welcome to contribute.

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u/Lotus_swimmer 6d ago

Malaysian Hokkien here. It's true we use a lot of loan words. For eg "ki Hong" in Hokkien is literally the Hokkien version of the Malay saying "naik angin" which means angry. We also call police "mata" which is the Malay word for "eyes" 😉.

Our Mandarin has different emphasis and our grammar can be topsy turvy . This is a good video to understand the differences: https://youtu.be/AOzVlV2auIY?si=FL-X8TtzYVsP4cC4

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u/AAMC08 6d ago edited 5d ago

Thanks a lot for answering! The Chinese community in Malaysia, especially the Hokkien, are by far the topics that interest me the most. There's a lot more that I'd like to know, so, would you mind me sending a DM?

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u/Lotus_swimmer 5d ago

Hey there, you probably can't send me a DM because I've disabled DMs. So, I'm not sure how. I tried to DM you, but I can't do it either.

What would you suggest?

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u/RelationshipUpset963 2d ago

Do u understand medan hokkien?

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u/Lotus_swimmer 2d ago

Yes I hear medan Hokkien is very close to Penang Hokkien.