Definition
国语 literally means 'national language'. In practice, it refers to Mandarin Chinese, but its usage carries political and cultural weight. In Taiwan, 国语 is the standard term for Mandarin (equivalent to 普通话 in mainland China). Historically, 国语 was used in mainland China before the adoption of 普通话 in the 1950s, and it still appears in older texts and set phrases. Be aware that mainland Chinese speakers typically use 普通话 instead.
n.
Mandarin (standard Chinese, especially as used in Taiwan)(historical) national language
Examples
- 国语，。Tā zài Táiwān xué le guó yǔ, suǒyǐ kǒuyīn bú tài yíyàng.He learned Mandarin in Taiwan, so his accent is a bit different.
- ，国语。Mínguó shíqī, zhèngfǔ tuīguǎng guó yǔ zuòwéi quánguó tōngyòngyǔ.During the Republican period, the government promoted the national language as the common language for the whole country.
- 国语国语。Xiànzài Zhōngguó dàlù shuō de Pǔtōnghuà hé Táiwān de guó yǔ yǒuxiē chāyì.There are some differences between the Mandarin spoken in mainland China and the national language in Taiwan.
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