Mandarin / mandarin
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Mandarin
The official standard language of China, spoken as a native language by the largest number of people worldwide. It is one of the official languages of the United Nations.
Er lernt seit einem Jahr Mandarin, um in China studieren zu können.
He has been learning Mandarin for a year so that he can study in China.
mandarin
A high-ranking official in imperial China. This position was attained by passing a series of demanding state examinations.
Die Verwaltung des alten Kaiserreichs lag in den Händen der Mandarine.
The administration of the old empire was in the hands of the mandarins.
The context makes clear which meaning is intended. Verbs like 'lernen' (to learn), 'sprechen' (to speak), or 'verstehen' (to understand) point to the language. A historical connection with imperial China points to the official.
Sie möchte Mandarin lernen, um die Kultur besser zu verstehen.
She wants to learn Mandarin in order to understand the culture better.
When 'Mandarin' refers to the language, it is often combined with verbs of speaking and learning. Typical phrases are 'Mandarin sprechen' (to speak Mandarin), 'Mandarin lernen' (to learn Mandarin), or to say something 'auf Mandarin' (in Mandarin).
Im Kurs lernen wir, einfache Sätze auf Mandarin zu bilden.
In the course, we are learning to form simple sentences in Mandarin.
The meaning 'Beamter' (official) is used almost exclusively in historical texts about ancient China. A clear signal for this meaning is also the plural form 'die Mandarine' (the mandarins), since the language has no plural.
Die Mandarine mussten komplexe Prüfungen bestehen, um ihr Amt zu erhalten.
The mandarins had to pass complex examinations in order to obtain their office.
Chinese
Both words can refer to the Chinese language. “Chinesisch” is the general term and can refer to different Chinese language varieties. “Der Mandarin,” on the other hand, refers to the specific standard Chinese language. Use “chinesisch” when referring to the language in general, and “Mandarin” for this particular language form.
Für seine Reise nach China lernt er der Mandarin.
For his trip to China, he is learning Mandarin.
In unserem Kurs lernen wir chinesisch, ohne uns schon auf eine bestimmte Sprachform festzulegen.
In our course, we are learning Chinese without committing to a particular language variety yet.
