北京語
Pekin-go[pe̞kʲĩŋɡo̞]
In Japanese, the English phrase 'mandarin' is referred to as 北京語 (Pekin-go). Wiktionary also lists 普通話 (Futsūwa) and 国語 (Kokugo).
Meaning: Standard Mandarin (name)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 北京語 | Pekin-go | [pe̞kʲĩŋɡo̞] (narrow) |
| 普通話 | Futsūwa | [ɸɯ̟t͡sɨːβ̞a̠] (narrow) |
| 国語 | Kokugo | [ko̞kɯ̟ɡo̞] (narrow) |
| 華語 | Kago | [ka̠ɡo̞] (narrow) |
| 北京官話 | Pekin-kanwa | [pe̞kʲiŋ kã̠ɰ̃β̞a̠] (narrow) |
| 標準中国語 | hyōjun Chūgokugo |
Japanese has several ways to refer to Mandarin. In everyday Japanese conversation, people are more likely to use the general term 中国語 to refer to Mandarin unless they are specifically distinguishing it from other dialects like Cantonese. The word for Mandarin in Standard Japanese is マンダリン.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 北京語 literally means 'Beijing language'.
Which one should you use?
While 北京語 specifically refers to Mandarin, 中国語 is the general term used for the Chinese language as a whole. Other specific forms include 普通話, 国語, 華語, 北京官話 and 標準中国語.
How do you pronounce it?
Pekin-go
Did you know?
- The word 北京官話 contains the character 官, which refers to 'government officials', reflecting the history of Mandarin as the language of the imperial bureaucracy.
- The Japanese word 国語 normally means 'national language' and refers to Japanese itself, but in the context of Chinese, it specifically refers to Mandarin due to Taiwanese influence.
- While 北京語 refers to the language of Beijing, using the term 国語 to mean 'Mandarin' is actually an imported concept from Taiwan rather than a native Japanese naming convention.
Examples in context
- 広東語と北京語って何が違うのかな？What's the difference between Cantonese and Mandarin?This sentence is useful for asking about the difference between Cantonese and 北京語.Tatoeba #10080125 by small_snow, translation #2734808 by Hybrid
- 「ねぇ、第二外国語は何にする？」「中国語かな。ドイツ語とかフランス語は難しそうだよね」"Hey, what language do you want to take?" "I think Mandarin. German and French seem difficult."This sentence shows the use of 国語 when discussing a second foreign language.Tatoeba #9210674 by small_snow, translation #9299897 by DJ_Saidez
- 台湾華語Taiwanese MandarinThis sentence shows the use of 華語 in the context of Taiwanese Mandarin.
- 中国語話せる？Can you speak Mandarin?
Example conversation
Hime and Kenta are discussing their language studies at school.
- 陽葵 Himari健太くんは、北京語を勉強しているの？Kenta-kun wa, Pekin-go o benkyō shite iru no?Kenta, are you studying Mandarin?
- 健太 Kentaうん、でも発音がすごく難しいよ。Un, demo hatsuon ga sugoku muzukashii yo.Yeah, but the pronunciation is very difficult.
- 陽葵 Himariやっぱり北京語はトーンが大切だよね。Yappari Pekin-go wa tōn ga taisetsu da yo ne.Tones are really important in Mandarin, aren't they?
- 健太 Kentaそうなんだ。毎日練習しているよ。Sō nanda. Mainichi renshū shite iru yo.That's right. I'm practicing every day.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mandarin” translations and entries 北京語, 普通話, 国語, 華語, 北京官話, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 北京語, 国語, 普通話, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
