Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Beijing dialect

Beijing dialect

8.9
A variety of Chinese spoken in Beijing that forms the basis of Standard Mandarin
  • noun
  • /beɪˈdʒɪŋ ˈdaɪəˌlɛkt/
translation icon : dialecto de Pekín
  • The Beijing dialect is considered the standard for Mandarin pronunciation in China.

Examples

  • Many television programs in China use the Beijing dialect for their broadcasts.

  • Linguists often study the Beijing dialect to better understand the development of modern Standard Chinese.

  • I love the Beijing dialect for its unique tones.

  • Many people in China speak the Beijing dialect as their first language.

  • Linguists often study the Beijing dialect to better understand the development of modern Standard Chinese.

  • The Beijing dialect is considered the standard for Mandarin pronunciation in China.

  • Many television programs in China use the Beijing dialect for their broadcasts.

Surface Forms

Beijing dialect singular
Beijing dialects plural

Morphology

Beijing + dialect

The meaning is directly compositional: combining the place name 'Beijing' with 'dialect' yields 'the variety of language spoken in Beijing.' This place + dialect pattern is cross-linguistically common and follows a straightforward noun modification structure that a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer.

Etymology

Beijing dialect gets its name from the way people in Beijing speak. Because Beijing was the country's capital, rulers, officials, and later radio and TV used this speech. That's why the city's speech became the base for the country's 'Standard Mandarin', and the phrase now means that official form of Chinese.