Modern Standard Chinese

Modern Standard Chinese, often called Mandarin, is the official language of China and Taiwan, and one of the six official languages of the United Nations. It is based on the Beijing dialect and used in government, education, media, and formal communication. It features a standardized pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary, making it a common linguistic foundation across Chinese-speaking regions. While many people speak local dialects, like Cantonese or Shanghainese, they often learn and use Modern Standard Chinese for interregional communication. It is written using simplified Chinese characters in mainland China and traditional characters in Taiwan and Hong Kong.