Chinese and Japanese languages share some similarities due to the proximity of the two cultures and their coexisting natures. However, over the years, they have evolved greatly, resulting in significant differences that make them uniquely distinct from each other. While certain words may have similar pronunciation and written form, there are numerous other differences that set them apart.
Chinese Language
Chinese is primarily spoken by people living in China and has several dialects spoken within mainland China. It is estimated that over one fifth of the world’s population are native speakers of some variety of Chinese. There are 7 to 13 main regional groups of the Chinese language, with about 850 million people speaking Mandarin, 90 million speaking Wu, 70 million speaking Cantonese, and 50 million speaking Min. These languages are considered extremely difficult to understand and sometimes barely intelligible.
Japanese Language
Japanese is spoken by approximately 125 million speakers, primarily in Japan. It is an eastern language that belongs to the Japonic language family. The exact dates of the formation of the Japanese language are unknown, but some Japanese characters have appeared in Chinese writing during the 3rd century. The Chinese had a significant influence on the vocabulary and phonology of Old Japanese during the Heian period (794–1185), which later evolved into the modern Japanese used today.
Key Takeaways
- Chinese is the older of the two languages, as Japanese was originally derived from Chinese.
- Japanese pronunciation is easier than Chinese pronunciation.
- Chinese has more speakers worldwide than Japanese, but both languages have distinct qualities in writing and speaking that set them apart from each other.
