Mandarin Chinese

language · China · communication

Spoken by billions. Mandarin is the most widely spoken language in the world by number of native speakers. About 70 percent of all Chinese speakers use Mandarin as their native language.

Spreads across huge areas. Mandarin stretches from Yunnan in the southwest all the way to Xinjiang in the northwest and Heilongjiang in the northeast, covering most of northern China.

Easier travel helped it spread. Mandarin became so widespread partly because the North China Plain has flatter land, making it easier to travel and trade compared to the mountainous south.

Many different varieties exist. There are many Mandarin varieties across different regions, and some are so different that speakers of one variety cannot understand speakers of another variety, even though they are all called Mandarin.

Started in the north. Mandarin originated in North China and most Mandarin speakers live north of the Yangtze River, so it is sometimes called Northern Chinese.