All these dialects!! Will I survive?

[dynaemu]

Hello everyone, I am learning the standard mandarin known as Putonghua....

But the problem is, theres a different dialect, I was wondering if Shenzhen and Shanghai spoke Putonghua more?

Also, what is the difference between Chengduhua and Nanjinghua?

Any other answers about dialects are appreciated, thank you!

[gougou]

Did you try searching? Or just browsing this "Non-Mandarin Chinese" forum, you should be able to find plenty of relevant posts. This, for example, is still on the first page.

[muddy]

easily speaking,mandarin can use everywhere,dialect is just used in certain areas.

the main differences of different dialects is their pronounce and slang.

[asheh]

it really depends why you need each dialect. Speaking Mandarin will usually suffice anywhere in China and now more and more overseas. It used to be mostly Cantonese abroad.

If you plan to stay in one region, you might want to learn the dialect but once you are outside, it is safer to speak Mandarin. Over than that, u won't use the dialect much.... unless u marry someone from a region and want to speak to the family directly

[zozzen]

If you only take it as a communication tool, then mandarin is always good everywhere in China. But learning dialects is of big benefit.

When i go back to China, I'm always surprised about the popularity of standard putonghua. It's been promoted for a few decades, but no matter you're in Shenzhen, Henan, Hainan, Yunnan, Sichuan, Guangzhou or Hanzhou, you'll always hear a mutated mandarin with a variation of heavy accents, weird tones and regional vocab.

When I was in Wubei, some of my friends who speak better putonghua than me often can't understand local "putonghua", but it's amazing that i can always "translate" it. Not because i can speak Wunanese, but because i can speak Cantonese and I share hundreds of common spoken "putonghua" mistakes with them.