YUE ISO 639-3
Chinese, Yue
粵語 (Yueyu) Autonym
A language of China
- ISO 639
- yue
- Alternate Names
- Cantonese, Guangdong, Gwong Dung, Yue, Yueh, Yuet, Yuet Yue, Yueyu, Yuht Yúh
- Autonym
- 粵語 (Yueyu)
- Population
- 73,300,000 in China (2019). Total users in all countries: 85,576,570 (as L1: 85,174,570; as L2: 402,000).
- Location:
- Guangdong province: most except Hakka-speaking areas northeast, and Min Nan-speaking areas east; Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region: east; Hainan and Hunan provinces.
- Language Status
- 2 (Provincial). De facto provincial language in Guangdong Province. Language of recognized nationality: Han.
- Classification
- Sino-Tibetan, Chinese
- Dialects
- Siyi (Hoisan, Schleiyip, Seiyap, Taishan, Toisan), Gao-Yang (Gaolei), Qin-Lian, Guangfu (Shatou, Shiqi, Wenchang, Yuehai), Wu-Hua, Gou-Lou, Yong-Xun. The Guangzhou variety considered the standard. A member of macrolanguage Chinese [zho].
- Typology
- SVO; prepositions; genitives, relatives, adjectives, numerals before noun heads; noun classifiers; no articles; 18 consonants, 7 vowels; tonal (6 tones: 3 level, 3 contour).
- Language Use
- Second only to Mandarin [cmn] in use. All domains. Used by all. Positive attitudes. Also use Mandarin Chinese [cmn], which many understand, speaking it only with difficulty. Used as L2 by Biao [byk], Chadong [cdy], E [eee], Lianshan Zhuang [zln], Min Nan Chinese [nan], Vietnamese [vie], Yang Zhuang [zyg], Yongnan Zhuang [zyn], Zuojiang Zhuang [zzj].
- Language Development
- Literacy rate in L1: 91% (2000 census, Han nationality). Speakers are highly literate in Chinese. Taught in primary and secondary schools. Fully developed. Bible: 1894–1981.
- Language Resources
- OLAC resources in and about Chinese, Yue
- Writing
- Braille script [Brai], used in Hong Kong. Han script, Simplified variant [Hans]. Han script, Traditional variant [Hant], official usage in Hong Kong and Macau, also used elsewhere. Latin script [Latn], used since mid-19th century.
- Other Comments
- Many members of other nationalities in Guangxi, Guangdong and Hainan also speak Yue dialects.
Also Spoken in
- Location
- Major cities.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. Many Chinese people migrated to Australia during the 1850s gold rushes. View other languages of Australia
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
281,000 in Australia (2016 census).
- Location
- Major cities.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Brunei
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
5,760 in Brunei (2019).
- Location
- British Columbia: Vancouver area; Ontario: Toronto area.
- Dialects
- Vancouver Cantonese.
- Language Status
- 4 (Educational)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. Came to Canada several decades ago from Viet Nam, Guyana, or Cuba. View other languages of Canada
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
565,000 in Canada (2016 census).
- Location
- Guanacaste, Limón, Puntarenas, and San José provinces.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Costa Rica
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
4,500 in Costa Rica (2011 J. Leclerc).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of United Kingdom
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
44,400 in United Kingdom (2011 census). Ethnic population: 300,000 (2004).
- Location
- Widespread.
- Language Status
- 2 (Provincial) View other languages of China–Hong Kong
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
6,662,000 in China–Hong Kong, all users. L1 users: 6,260,000 in China–Hong Kong (2016 census). L2 users: 402,000 (2016 census).
- Location
- Tegucigalpa.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Honduras
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
1,000 in Honduras (1999).
- Location
- Jakarta Raya, Kalimantan, and central Sumatra: Scattered.
- Language Status
- 8a (Moribund)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Indonesia
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
182,000 in Indonesia (2005 J. Leclerc).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Japan
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
36,000 in Japan (Leclerc 2020b).
- Location
- Battambang and Kampong Cham provinces.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Cambodia
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
20,000 in Cambodia (2011 SIL).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Laos
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
18,000 in Laos (2018 J. Leclerc). , based on ethnicity.
- Location
- Widespread.
- Language Status
- 2 (Provincial) View other languages of China–Macao
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
507,000 in China–Macao (2016 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Mexico
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
26,000 in Mexico (2021 Joshua Project). , based on ethnicity.
- Location
- Johor: largest concentration.
- Dialects
- Cantonese, Toishanese.
- Language Status
- 2 (Provincial)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Malaysia
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
1,460,000 in Malaysia (2021 Joshua Project). , based on ethnicity. Ethnic population: 3,220,000 (2014).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Nigeria
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
9,400 in Nigeria (2021 Joshua Project). , based on ethnicity.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of New Zealand
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
44,600 in New Zealand (2013 census).
- Location
- Panamá City, Colón, larger towns of interior.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Panama
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
34,000 in Panama (2021 Joshua Project). , based on ethnicity.
- Location
- National Capital Region: Manila.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Philippines
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
9,780 in Philippines (2000).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Puerto Rico
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
1,680 in Puerto Rico (2020).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Réunion
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
14,000 in Réunion (2017).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Sweden
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
21,000 in Sweden (2020 Joshua Project). , based on ethnicity.
- Location
- Scattered.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Singapore
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
227,000 in Singapore (2015 World Factbook). Ethnic population: 409,000 (2010 census).
- Location
- Para, Paramaribo, and Wanica districts.
- Language Status
- 7 (Shifting)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Suriname
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
6,700 in Suriname (2018).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of El Salvador
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
1,500 in El Salvador (2021 Joshua Project). , based on ethnicity.
- Location
- Scattered in Suphan Buri province.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Thailand
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
40,000 in Thailand (Leclerc 2019a). , based on ethnicity.
- Location
- California: Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Jose areas; Illinois: Chicago area; Massachusetts: Boston area; New York: New York City area; Texas: Dallas and Houston areas; Washington: Seattle area.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of United States
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
1,290,000 in United States (2015 census). United States Census figure for all Chinese varieties: 2,900,000 (2015).
- Location
- Mekong river delta area, Soc Trang, Can Tho, Vinh Long, Tra Vinh, Dong Nai, and Kien Giang provinces; Ho Chi Minh, Ha Noi, and Hai Phong cities; north Viet Nam-China border regions.
- Language Status
- 6b (Threatened)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. Part of the official Hoa 823,071 (2009 census) ethnic community. Renowned fighters. Came from Canton, China as railroad workers and soldiers several decades ago. Distinct from Nung in the Tai family or Tibeto-Burman Nung (Nu) of China and Myanmar. Daoist, Christian. View other languages of Vietnam
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
749,000 in Viet Nam (2019 census). , based on ethnicity.
- Location
- KwaZulu-Natal coast.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of South Africa
Language Name
Chinese, Yue
User Population
15,000 in South Africa (1993).
Map
Location: Guangdong province: most except Hakka-speaking areas northeast, and Min Nan-speaking areas east; Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region: east; Hainan and Hunan provinces.
Size and Vitality
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