Is Chinglish a language?

Chinglish is slang for spoken or written English language that is either influenced by a Chinese language, or is poorly translated. In Hong Kong, Macau, Guangdong and Guangxi, the term “Chinglish” refers mainly to Cantonese-influenced English.

What is Hong Kong language?

Chinese
English
Hong Kong/Official languages
Cantonese remains dominant with 96% percent. As for Mandarin, 48% of Hong Kong’s population can speak it, compared to 46% of population that can speak English. Previously, English was the second most spoken language.

Is the term Chinglish offensive?

When somebody speak (s) Chinglish, it is always because they learned poor English grammar, such as “give me” (instead of) “give it to me” or “how to do” (instead of) “how to do it”. Therefore “Chinglish” is not an offensive word for foreigners to use, because we broke (English grammar) rules first.”

Do you need to speak Cantonese to work in Hong Kong?

You don’t need Cantonese or Mandarin to live and work in Hong Kong in most cases. However, if you want to know the place you call home and interact with the people that share it with you, then you should learn Cantonese, at the very least. Perhaps focus on Mandarin if you go to the Mainland for business.

Is Hong Kong English only in Hong Kong?

Hong Kong English. Overall, it is primarily spoken by native Hong Kong language (Cantonese) speakers. Therefore, although it is called Hong Kong English, it is not only spoken in Hong Kong. People who come from Macau, Guangzhou, or whose first language is Cantonese speak it.

Why do Hong Kongers love to speak Kongish?

“Using Kongish is like a badge of identity,” Lim says. “Hong Kong people are taking ownership of their multilingual language resources and are using them in a creative way to express their identity as a Cantonese and English speaker, who is not the same as somebody from China.

Is Hong Kong English a distinct variety?

In the literature examining the existence of Hong Kong English as a distinct variety, scholars have sought evidence of expression of the variant which may be classified according to the following criteria: Standard and recognisable accent; research has demonstrated the existence of, and local preference for, a local Hong Kong English accent

What is the history of Hong Kong English?

History; a continuous link can be drawn between Hong Kong English and early pidgin forms used to communicate between traders in Canton before the establishment of Hong Kong as a colony. Literature using the variant; there is a growing corpus of literature produced in English which is meant for local consumption, such as the work of Nury Vittachi.