Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • proper noun Putonghua (Pǔtōnghuà); the official language of the People's Republic of China; the common national speech of Han nationality using Beijing pronunciation as the standard pronunciation, using Beijing speech as the basic dialect, and using the model writing of the modern vernacular prose as the norm of grammar, is called Putonghua

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Mandarin pǔtōnghuà (literally, common language ) : pǔtōng, common (Mandarin , general, widespread from Middle Chinese phuə̆´ + Mandarin tōng, through, from Middle Chinese thəwŋ) + huà, speech, language (from Middle Chinese xɦwaʽj`, of Proto-Sino-Tibetan origin; akin to Tibetan gros).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Mandarin trad. 普通話, simpl. 普通话 (pinyin: Pǔtōnghuà) (common speech)

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Examples

  • Eddie Deng read him his rights — in English, Putonghua and Minnanhua.

    The Stone Monkey Deaver, Jeffery 2002

  • The Chinese take their "Putonghua" - aka Chinese Mandarin - pretty seriously.

    languagehat.com: CHINA BIGS NIX SLANG. 2005

  • “What’s ‘anchor baby’ in Putonghua?” jiangluosan haizi – parachute child

    Matthew Yglesias » Going Back 2010

  • Eddie Deng read him his rights—in English, Putonghua and Minnanhua.

    The Stone Monkey Jeffery Deaver 2002

  • Eddie Deng read him his rights—in English, Putonghua and Minnanhua.

    The Stone Monkey Jeffery Deaver 2002

  • Eddie Deng read him his rights—in English, Putonghua and Minnanhua.

    The Stone Monkey Jeffery Deaver 2002

  • Eddie Deng read him his rights—in English, Putonghua and Minnanhua.

    A Lincoln Rhyme eBook Boxed Set Jeffery Deaver 2001

  • Adopting China's official language, also known as Putonghua, would promote unity, "forge a good language environment" and cater to non-Cantonese-speaking Chinese visitors at the huge sporting event, authorities were quoted as saying.

    Latest News - Yahoo!7 News 2010

  • Adopting China's official language, also known as Putonghua, would promote unity, "forge a good language environment" and cater to non-Cantonese-speaking Chinese visitors at the huge sporting event, authorities were quoted as saying.

    Yahoo! News: Business - Opinion 2010

  • In China, Mandarin Chinese is officially known as Putonghua

    Conservapedia - Recent changes [en] 2009

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