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The principal vernacular language of Hong Kong is standard Cantonese (Chinese: 粵語, 廣州話, 廣東話, 廣府話, 白話, 本地話), [9] spoken by 88.9% of the population. It is used as a colloquial language in all areas of daily life, government, and administration.
During the colonial period and up to 1974, English was the official language and language of business in Hong Kong. Today, approximately 3% of the population write and speak fluent English while almost 38% have basic conversational English skills.
Across Hong Kong, Cantonese is the most commonly spoken language, with 96% of the population speaking it. Mandarin comes next at 48% and English at 46%. This makes the vast majority of Hong Kong's population bilingual. Because Hong Kong is a real mix of ethnicities and nationalities, you'll hear dozens of languages spoken on the streets.
Given the traditional predominance of Cantonese within Hong Kong, it is the de facto official spoken form of the Chinese language used in the Hong Kong Government and all courts and tribunals. It is also used as the medium of instruction in schools, alongside English.
Today, the Basic Law of Hong Kong states that English and Chinese are the two official languages of Hong Kong. [1] . All roads and government signs are bilingual, and both languages are used in academia, business and the courts, as well as in most government materials today.
Chinese and English are the official languages of Hong Kong. English is widely used in the Government and by the legal, professional and business sectors. Trilingual professionals who speak English, Cantonese and Putonghua play a vital role in the numerous enterprises trading in Hong Kong or doing business with mainland China and Taiwan.
The Hong Kong language, often referred to as “Cantonese,” is more than just a dialect; it’s a unique linguistic blend that has evolved over centuries, influenced by a myriad of cultural, historical, and political factors.
The principal vernacular language of Hong Kong is standard Cantonese (Chinese: 粵語, 廣州話, 廣東話, 廣府話, 白話, 本地話), [9] spoken by 88.9% of the population. It is used as a colloquial language in all areas of daily life, government, and administration.
According to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, initiated in 1990 and officiated in 1997, English and Mandarin are the official languages of the country.
Though not the most widely spoken language in Hong Kong, English, as the language of the British colonizers, was the de facto official language of Hong Kong. In 1911, the first population census of Hong Kong, the population was 456,739.