A comprehensive, up-to-date Cantonese reference for students and
travelers from a trusted name in foreign language study.
Spoken by nearly 60 million people, Cantonese rivals Mandarin as the
lingua franca of both south China and of the worldwide Chinese diaspora
population. Unique among all the Chinese dialects, Cantonese also has a
writing system that is distinct from Mandarin Chinese and makes use of
characters generally not understood by non-Cantonese speakers. The
Cantonese Practical Dictionary includes over 14,000 entries, providing
students and travelers with a portable, yet comprehensive resource for
everyday use.
Cantonese is an official language of Hong Kong and Macau, and written
Cantonese is commonly found on street signs in Hong Kong as well as in
newspapers and novels. The spoken language also exerts a strong cultural
influence on East Asia, due to the prominence of Hong Kong's film and
music industries. This is also a useful guide for Cantonese heritage
speakers, or as English-Cantonese resource for ESL students.