🇭🇰 What Language Do They Speak in Hong Kong?
The short answer
Hong Kong's official languages are Chinese and English, but the Chinese that fills its streets, films and dinner tables is Cantonese — spoken as a first language by around 90% of the population. Mandarin is increasingly understood, and English remains strong in business and law.
Worth knowing
- ●Cantonese has six to nine tones (depending on how you count) versus Mandarin's four
- ●Hong Kong writes with traditional characters, like Taiwan
- ●Cantonese cinema and Cantopop made the language famous far beyond the city
Going to Hong Kong? Say your first words before you land.
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