Why Chinese Language is Called Mandarin: A Historical Insight

Published on May 22, 2025

2 min read

By Mandarin Mandarin Team

The term 'Mandarin' is widely used to refer to the standard form of the Chinese language, spoken by over a billion people. But why is the Chinese language called Mandarin?

The Origin of the Term 'Mandarin'

The word 'Mandarin' comes from the Portuguese 'mandarim,' which itself derives from the Malay 'menteri' and Sanskrit 'mantrin,' meaning 'minister' or 'counselor.' In the 16th century, Portuguese traders in the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) encountered Chinese officials who spoke a standardized northern dialect known as 'guānhuà' (official speech). These officials were dubbed 'mandarins' by the Portuguese, and the term was extended to the language they used, which was based on the Beijing dialect. This marked the beginning of 'Mandarin' as a linguistic term in the West.

Guānhuà: The Language of the Elite

In imperial China, guānhuà was the common language of the bureaucracy, used to unify communication across a vast empire with diverse dialects like Cantonese and Wu. Spoken primarily in the northern capital of Beijing, it became the standard for officials during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1644–1912). Over time, guānhuà evolved into modern Standard Chinese, known as 'pǔtōnghuà' (common speech) in mainland China, 'guóyǔ' (national language) in Taiwan, and 'huáyǔ' (Chinese language) in Singapore. The term 'Mandarin' stuck in English due to its early use by Western traders.

Why 'Mandarin' Instead of Just 'Chinese'?

The term 'Mandarin' distinguishes the standardized Beijing-based dialect from other Chinese languages like Cantonese or Hokkien, which are not mutually intelligible. After 1949, the People’s Republic of China promoted pǔtōnghuà as the national standard, solidifying Mandarin’s role as the official language of education, media, and government. Today, Mandarin is the world’s most spoken language, with over 900 million native speakers, making the term a specific reference to this standard dialect.

The Cultural Weight of 'Mandarin'

The name 'Mandarin' carries the legacy of China’s imperial bureaucracy, where mastering guānhuà was a mark of prestige. It also reflects centuries of cultural exchange, as the term traveled from Sanskrit to Malay, Portuguese, and English. For learners, understanding this history adds depth to phrases like 'nǐ hǎo' (hello) or 'Wǒ ài xué Hànyǔ' (I love learning Chinese), connecting them to a language shaped by emperors and scholars.

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