Definitions

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  • noun Alternative capitalization of Putonghua

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Promotion of Mandarin known here as "putonghua," or "common tongue" began in the 1920s and became policy in 1955, six years after the communists seized power.

    languagehat.com: TOM & JERRY IN CHINESE. 2004

  • Teaching tends not to take this linguistic diversity into account: instruction mostly takes place in standard Mandarin putonghua/普通话, sometimes with intervention in the dominant local dialect, especially if it enjoys a certain prestige, such as Cantonese and Minnan.

    Ten Things I Think I Know (Part 1) « Ken Wilson's Blog 2010

  • Her brother in Taiwan accuses her of sounding like a mainlander now anyway, so it seems she's adapted to the putonghua dialect.

    Michael Standaert: No English 2008

  • Standard spoken Mandarin in China (putonghua, or "common tongue") is very similar to Mandarin spoken in Taiwan (Guoyu, or "national language") but Chinese use simplified characters (jiantizi) which impacts typing, search, software installation, Web design, and game design.

    May Guest Ian Lamont 2007

  • I believe this is so especially for the groups whose native dialect is not exactly close to putonghua--i.e., in the south.

    languagehat.com: CHINESE SWEARING. 2005

  • Incidentally, I've never heard "cao ni ma" in Singapore before, even among the putonghua we call it huayu speakers.

    languagehat.com: CHINESE SWEARING. 2005

  • In fact, that's where some of the most obvious differences between Mainland putonghua and Taiwan guoyu lie.

    languagehat.com: SHIH SHIH. 2004

  • There's an interesting thread at The Peking Duck that takes off from an article about "vanishing dialects and greater adoption of putonghua" and turns into a discussion of whether there is in fact a unified writing system in China.

    languagehat.com: CHINESE "DIALECTS" AND WRITING. 2004

  • They were frequently dismayed to be identified as beifangren ‘northerners’ when they spoke their southern dialect of the national language putonghua, or Mandarin rather than Cantonese.

    China’s Natural Mason-Dixon Line « Far Outliers 2004

  • I won't, but I get the feeling that a large part of the discussion has to do with the not-so-insignificant differences between Taiwan ‘guoyu' and Mainland ‘putonghua'.

    languagehat.com: CENSORSHIP IN CHINESE MSN SPACES. 2004

Comments

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  • Chinese name for Mandarin language = "ordinary language" - 普通�?

    June 18, 2008