Mandarin Chinese

British  

noun

1. the official language of China since 1917; the form of Chinese spoken by about two thirds of the population and taught in schools throughout China See also Chinese Pekingese

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Example Sentences

In one U.S. example, former Central Intelligence Agency officer Kevin Mallory, a military veteran who spoke Mandarin Chinese, was convicted in 2018 of selling U.S. government secrets to China.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

"Taiwan Travelogue" is the first book translated from Mandarin Chinese to win the award, and Yang, born in 1984, is the first Taiwanese winner of the prize, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

A tale about forbidden love and Taiwanese food has won the International Booker Prize, becoming the first novel translated from Mandarin Chinese to win the prestigious award.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

Program administrators hope to add Mandarin Chinese and Thai.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2025

Somewhat analogous to Urdu, in that it is a literary language used by the educated classes for intercommunication throughout a polygot empire, is the Mandarin Chinese.

From International Language Past, Present and Future: With Specimens of Esperanto and Grammar by Clark, Walter John