Wu Chinese (Shanghainese)

Sino-Tibetan81 million nativeChinese characters

RegionChina (Shanghai)

FamilySino-Tibetan

Speakers81 million native

ScriptChinese characters

TypeLogographic

About Wu Chinese (Shanghainese)

Spoken in Shanghai and surrounding region. Has more tones than Mandarin, with 8-10 tone categories. Not mutually intelligible with Mandarin. Often considered a separate language rather than a dialect. The economic powerhouse of China speaks Wu at home.

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