Topolect

Chinese
Sinitic
Geographic distribution	Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore and other areas with historic immigration from China
Linguistic classification	Sino-Tibetan Sinitic Chinese
Early forms	Old Chinese Eastern Han Chinese
Subdivisions	Mandarin Jin Wu Hui Gan Xiang Min Hakka Yue Ping
ISO 639-2 / 5
Linguasphere	79-AAA
Glottolog	sini1245
Primary branches of Chinese according to the Language Atlas of China
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	漢語
Simplified Chinese	汉语
Hanyu Pinyin	Hànyǔ
Literal meaning	"Language of the Han"
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Hànyǔ Gwoyeu Romatzyh Hannyeu Wade–Giles Han4-yü3 IPA [xân.ỳ] Wu Romanization Huu nyy Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Hon-yúh Jyutping Hon3-jyu5 Southern Min Tâi-lô Hàn-gí

Chinese, also known as Sinitic, is a branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family consisting of hundreds of local language varieties, many of which are not mutually intelligible. The differences are similar to those within the Romance languages, with variation particularly strong in the more rugged southeast. These varieties, often called "dialects", have been classified into seven to ten groups, the largest being Mandarin (e.g. Beijing dialect), Wu (e.g. Shanghainese), Min (e.g. Taiwanese Hokkien), and Yue (e.g. Cantonese).

Chinese varieties differ most in their phonology, and to a lesser extent in vocabulary and syntax. Southern varieties tend to have fewer initial consonants than northern and central varieties, but more often preserve the Middle Chinese final consonants. All have phonemic tones, with northern varieties tending to have fewer distinctions than southern ones. Many have tone sandhi, with the most complex patterns in the coastal area from Zhejiang to eastern Guangdong.

Standard Chinese takes its phonology from the Beijing dialect, with vocabulary from the Mandarin group and grammar based on literature in the modern written vernacular. It is the sole official language of both China and Taiwan, one of the four official languages of Singapore, and one of the six official languages of the United Nations.