Chinese

Noun

普通話

1. common language
2. (chiefly mainland China, recently in Hong Kong) Standard Mandarin Chinese; standard Chinese

   你會說普通話嗎？ / 你会说普通话吗？  ―  Nǐ huì shuō pǔtōnghuà ma?  ―  Can you speak Mandarin?

3. (usually in contrast with 國語) mainland Chinese Mandarin; Putonghua

Synonyms

Hypernyms

• 官話／官话 (Guānhuà), 北方話／北方话 (běifānghuà): Guanhua, a group of Northern Chinese dialects including Putonghua

See also

• 漢語／汉语 (Hànyǔ), 中國話／中国话 (zhōngguóhuà), 中文 (zhōngwén): the Chinese language

Japanese

Etymology

From Mandarin 普通話／普通话 (pǔtōnghuà, “common speech”).

Noun

普通話 ‎(hiragana ふつうわ, romaji futsūwa, alternative reading プートンファ, romaji pūtonfa, alternative reading プートンホワ, romaji pūtonhowa)

1. The Mandarin Chinese language, Putonghua

Synonyms

• 北京語 (ペキンご) ‎(pekingo)

Usage notes

• This official term is a borrowing from Mandarin, but is not often used in speech as it sounds like 普通は ‎(futsū wa, “normally, usually”). Consequently, 北京語 ‎(pekingo) is more commonly used instead, which also has the meaning of “Beijing language/dialect”. Alternatively, approximations of Mandarin pronunciations are used, e.g. プートンファ ‎(pūtonfa) or プートンホワ ‎(pūtonhowa).

Korean

Noun

普通話 • ‎(botonghwa) ‎(hangeul 보통화)

1. Hanja form^? of 보통화, “Mandarin, Putonghua”.

Vietnamese

Noun

普通話

1. Hán tự form of phổ thông thoại, “Mandarin, Putonghua”