Regional differences in the Chinese language
The Chinese language enjoys the status as official language in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and Taiwan. However, the language shows a high degree of regional variation among these territories.
The Chinese language currently has two written forms, namely the traditional Chinese characters and the simplified Chinese characters. Also, many spoken forms of the Chinese language are mutually unintelligible.
In addition to these differences, there are also many regional differences in vocabularies. In many cases, different words are used in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and Taiwan to express the same meaning. The article seeks to illustrate the regional differences in vocabularies by some selected examples.
Vocabulary differences
| Meaning |  China
|
 Hong Kong
|
 Macau
|
 Singapore
|
 Taiwan
| |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional | Simplified | Traditional | Simplified | Traditional | Simplified | Traditional | Simplified | Traditional | Simplified | |
| bus | 公交車／大巴 | 公交车／大巴 | 巴士 | 巴士 | 巴士 | 巴士 | 巴士 | 巴士 | 公車 | 公车 |
| taxi | 出租車 | 出租车 | 的士 | 的士 | 的士 | 的士 | 德士 | 德士 | 計程車 | 计程车 |
| police | 公安 | 公安 | 差人／警察 | 差人／警察 | 差人／治安警／司警 | 差人／治安警／司警 | 警察 | 警察 | 警察 | 警察 |
| town square | 廣場 | 广场 | 廣場 | 广场 | 前地 | 前地 | 廣場 | 广场 | 廣場 | 广场 |
| laser | 激光 | 激光 | 鐳射 | 镭射 | 鐳射 | 镭射 | 激光 | 激光 | 雷射 | 雷射 |
| rapid transit | 軌道交通／地鐵 | 轨道交通／地铁 | 地鐵 | 地铁 | 地鐵 | 地铁 | 捷運 | 捷运 | 捷運 | 捷运 |
| light rail | 輕軌 | 轻轨 | 輕鐵 | 轻铁 | 輕軌 | 轻轨 | 輕軌 | 轻轨 | 輕鐵 | 轻铁 |
| instant noodles | 方便麵 | 方便面 | 即食麵 | 即食面 | 即食麵 | 即食面 | 快熟麵 | 快熟面 | 速食麵 | 速食面 |
| Mandarin Chinese | 普通話 | 普通话 | 普通話／國語 | 普通话／国语 | 普通話 | 普通话 | 華語 | 华语 | 國語 | 国语 |
| potato | 土豆 | 土豆 | 薯仔 | 薯仔 | 薯仔 | 薯仔 | 馬鈴薯 | 马铃薯 | 馬鈴薯 | 马铃薯 |
| pineapple | 菠蘿 | 菠萝 | 菠蘿 | 菠萝 | 菠蘿 | 菠萝 | 黃梨 | 黄梨 | 鳳梨 | 凤梨 |
| lorry | 卡車 | 卡车 | 貨櫃車 | 货柜车 | 貨櫃車 | 货柜车 | 羅里 | 罗里 | 貨車 | 货车 |
| tights/pantyhose | 連褲襪 | 连裤袜 | 襪褲 | 袜裤 | 襪褲 | 袜裤 | 褲襪 | 裤袜 | 褲襪 | 裤袜 |
| lunch box/bento | 盒飯 | 盒饭 | 飯盒 | 饭盒 | 飯盒 | 饭盒 | 盒飯 | 盒饭 | 便當 | 便当 |
See also
- Regional variants of the Chinese language
- Regional differences in the English language
- Regional differences in the French language
- Regional differences in the Korean language
- Regional differences in the Portuguese language