ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Varieties of Chinese

Okay kiddo, so you know how there are lots of different languages in the world, like English, Spanish, French, and more? Well, in China, there are also different kinds of languages spoken, but they're all called "Chinese." It's kind of like how all dogs are still called "dogs," even though there are lots of different breeds, like Golden Retrievers, Poodles, and Bulldogs.

So, there are several different varieties of Chinese. The most common one is called Mandarin, and it's the official language of China. Mandarin is spoken by the most people in China, and it's also the language that you would study if you were learning Chinese in school. It's kind of like how English is the most common language in the United States, and it's what you would learn in school.

But there are also other varieties of Chinese, like Cantonese, Wu, Min, and more. These are all different from Mandarin, and they're spoken in different parts of China. It's kind of like how people in New York speak English, but they might have a different accent and different words than people in Texas who also speak English.

People who speak different varieties of Chinese can still understand each other somewhat, just like how someone from New York and someone from Texas can still understand each other even though they might speak a little differently. But sometimes it can be harder for people who speak different varieties of Chinese to communicate, especially if they have very different accents or use different words.

In summary, "Chinese" is actually a whole bunch of different languages, just like how there are different types of dogs. Mandarin is the most common variety of Chinese, but there are also other varieties spoken in different parts of China. People who speak different varieties of Chinese can still understand each other somewhat, but sometimes it can be harder to communicate if they speak very differently.