John Smith and Li Wei are talking about foreign languages used in China.
John Smith
在中国, 除了汉语以外,还有别的语言吗?Zài Zhōngguó, chúle Hànyǔ yǐwài, hái yǒu bié de yǔyán ma? TranslateIn China are there other languages besides Chinese?
Li Wei
还有很多。 中国有50多个民族, 每个民族都有自己的语言。Hái yǒu hěn duō. Zhōngguó yǒu wǔ shí duō ge mínzú, měi ge mínzú dōu yǒu zìjǐ de yǔyán. TranslateThere are a lot. There are more than 50 nationalities in China, and each nationality has its own language.
John Smith
看来, 中国的语言情况也很复杂。Kàn lái , Zhōngguó de yǔyán qíngkuàng yě hěn fùzá. TranslateIt looks that the language situation in China is also very complicated.
Li Wei
是的。在中国说得最多的是汉语普通话。Shì de. Zài Zhōngguó shuō de zuì duō de shì Pǔtōnghuà. TranslateYes. In China the most widely spoken language is Mandarin.
John Smith
为什么说普通话的人那么多?Wèishénme shuō Pǔtōnghuà de rén nàme duō? TranslateWhy is Mandarin so popular?
Li Wei
因为普通话是官方语言, 学校都教普通话。Yīnwèi Pǔtōnghuà shì guānfāng yǔyán, xuéxiào dōu jiāo Pǔtōnghuà. TranslateBecause it is the official language, and it is taught in all schools.
John Smith
那文字呢?Nà wénzì ne? TranslateWhat about the written language?
Li Wei
有的民族有自己的文字, 但是使用得最多的还是汉字。 Yǒu de mínzú yǒu zìjǐ de wénzì, dànshì shǐyòng de zuì duō de hái shì Hànzì. TranslateSome nationalities have their own written languages, but the most widely used are Chinese characters.
John Smith
在中国什么外语最流行?Zài Zhōngguó shénme wàiyǔ zuì liúxíng? TranslateWhich is the most popular foreign language in China?
Li Wei
当然是英语了。在中国,会说英语的人越来越多了。 Dāngrán shì Yīngyǔ le. Zài Zhōngguó, huì shuō Yīngyǔ de rén yuè lái yuè duō le. TranslateIt is English, of course. In China there are increasingly more people who can speak English.
John Smith
是吗?在欧洲, 学中文的人越来越多了。 Shì ma? Zài ōuzhōu, xué Zhōngwén de rén yuè lái yuè duō le. TranslateReally? In Europe there are increasingly more people who are learning Chinese.