Countries
China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Taiwan
  
Malaysia, Mauritius, Puducherry, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu
  
National Language
China, Taiwan
  
Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu
  
Second Language
Republic of Brazil
  
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, kerala, Puducherry
  
Speaking Continents
Asia
  
Asia
  
Minority Language
Indonesia, Malaysia
  
Canada, Malaysia, Mauritius, Reunion, Seychelles
  
Regulated By
Chinese Language Standardization Council, National Commission on Language and Script Work, Promote Mandarin Council
  
Official language Commission of Government of Tamil Nadu, Thanjavur Tamil University
  
Interesting Facts
- Chinese language is tonal, since meaning of a word changes according to its tone.
- In Chinese language, there is no grammatical distinction between singular or plural, no declination of verbs according to tense, mood and aspect.
  
- Tamil is the oldest language in the world. Tamil was spoken in South India more than 5000 years ago.
- The first legally recognized Classical Language of India is Tamil.
Similar To
Not Available
  
Malayalam
  
Derived From
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Alphabets in
Chinese.jpg#200
  
Tamil-Alphabets.jpg#200
  
Phonology
  
  
Scripts
Chinese Characters and derivatives
  
Tamil
  
Writing Direction
Left-To-Right, Horizontal, Top-To-Bottom
  
Left-To-Right, Horizontal
  
Hard to Learn
  
  
Hello
您好 (Nín hǎo)
  
வணக்கம் (Vanakkam)
  
Thank You
谢谢 (Xièxiè)
  
நன்றி (Naṉṟi)
  
How Are You?
你好吗? (Nǐ hǎo ma?)
  
நீங்கள் எப்படி இருக்கிறீர்கள்? (Nīṅkaḷ eppaṭi irukkiṟīrkaḷ?)
  
Good Night
晚安 (Wǎn'ān)
  
நல்ல இரவு (Good night) / irravu vanakkam (Good night)
  
Good Evening
晚上好 (Wǎnshàng hǎo)
  
நல்ல மாலை (Nalla mālai)/ மாலை (irravu vanakkam)
  
Good Afternoon
下午好 (Xiàwǔ hǎo)
  
பிற்பகல் வணக்கம் (perpagal vanakkam)
  
Good Morning
早安 (Zǎo ān)
  
காலை வணக்கம் (Kaalai Vanakkam)
  
Please
请 (Qǐng)
  
தயவு (Tayavu)
  
Sorry
遗憾 (Yíhàn)
  
மன்னிக்கவும் (Maṉṉikkavum)
  
Bye
再见 (Zàijiàn)
  
சென்று வருகிறேன் (Sendru Varukiren)
  
I Love You
我爱你 (Wǒ ài nǐ)
  
நான் உன்னை காதலிக்கிறேன் (Naan Unnai Kadalikiren)
  
Excuse Me
劳驾 (Láojià)
  
என்னை மன்னியுங்கள் (Eṉṉai maṉṉiyuṅkaḷ)
  
Dialect 1
Mandarin
  
Kongu
  
Where They Speak
China, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan
  
Kongu
  
How Many People Speak
960,000,000.00
  
1
Not Available
  
Dialect 2
Wu
  
Madurai Tamil
  
Where They Speak
China, United States of America
  
Madurai, South Tamil Nadu
  
How Many People Speak
80,000,000.00
  
1
Not Available
  
Dialect 3
Yue
  
Tirunelveli Tamil
  
Where They Speak
China, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam
  
South Tamil Nadu, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli
  
How Many People Speak
60,000,000.00
  
2
Not Available
  
How Many People Speak?
1,051.00 million
  
2
78.00 million
  
21
Native Speakers
873.00 million
  
1
70.00 million
  
15
Second Language Speakers
178.00 million
  
3
8.00 million
  
24
Native Name
中文 (zhōngwén)
  
தமிழ்
  
Alternative Names
Not Available
  
Damulian, Tamal, Tamalsan, Tambul, Tamili
  
French Name
chinois
  
tamoul
  
German Name
Chinesisch
  
Tamil
  
Pronunciation
Not Available
  
[t̪ɐmɨɻ]
  
Ethnicity
Han
  
Tamil people or Tamilans
  
Origin
1250 BC
  
300 BC
  
Language Family
Sino-Tibetan Family
  
Dravidian Family
  
Subgroup
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Branch
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Language Forms
  
  
Early Forms
No early forms
  
Old Tamil and Middle Tamil
  
Standard Forms
Standard Chinese
  
Modern Tamil
  
Signed Forms
Wenfa Shouyu 文法手語 ("Grammatical Sign Language", Signed Mandarin (Taiwan))
  
Signed Tamil
  
Scope
Individual
  
Individual
  
ISO 639 1
zh
  
ta
  
ISO 639 2
  
  
ISO 639 2/T
zho
  
tam
  
ISO 639 2/B
chi
  
tam
  
ISO 639 3
zho
  
tam
  
ISO 639 6
Not Available
  
tam
  
Glottocode
sini1245
  
tami1289, oldt1248
  
Linguasphere
79-AAA
  
tami1289
  
Types of Language
  
  
Language Type
Living
  
Living
  
Language Linguistic Typology
Subject-Verb-Object
  
Subject-Object-Verb
  
Language Morphological Typology
Analytic, Isolating
  
Not Available