When I started learning Cantonese, I often encountered the question, “Why not Mandarin?” At first glance, it’s understandable. Mandarin boasts over a billion speakers, dwarfing Cantonese with its roughly 60 million. Logically, you’re statistically more likely to encounter Mandarin speakers. However, this line of reasoning reveals a common misconception about language learning – and perhaps about choices in life in general.
To me, asking why Cantonese over Mandarin, while often well-intentioned, feels akin to questioning, “Why did you marry your wife instead of that woman?”. My choice wasn’t made by comparing a list of potential languages and picking the most ‘useful’ one. There was no calculated comparison. It was a personal connection. Just as I didn’t choose my wife based on a comparative analysis of all women, my decision to learn Cantonese was deeply personal.
My language choice, like many people’s, was fundamentally emotional. Unless dictated by professional, academic, or familial obligations – even those often carry emotional weight – language learning is rarely purely logical.
For someone like me, a Scandinavian who initially only spoke Swedish, English, and Norwegian, embarking on learning a language as distinct as Cantonese required a powerful “why.” Superficial reasons, like “it’s the most spoken language,” simply lack the necessary fuel to sustain the demanding journey of mastering a Chinese language.
I’m convinced that had I chosen Mandarin solely based on logical practicality, my language learning journey would have stalled long ago. This isn’t to say I oppose Mandarin, and I remain open to learning it in the future. In fact, learning Cantonese first provides a significant advantage should I decide to pursue Mandarin later. Similar to how Spanish fluency greatly eases the path to learning French or Italian, the foundational knowledge from Cantonese will be invaluable.
Therefore, in retrospect, starting with Cantonese – a language that ignited a genuine passion within me – was arguably the most logical first step for me, even if my ultimate goal were to learn both languages. The passion for the language itself is the most crucial ingredient for success in language learning. Choosing between Mandarin and Cantonese shouldn’t be about numbers, but about what truly resonates with you.
