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