汉语 (Hànyǔ), also known as Chinese, is a group of related languages spoken primarily in China and among the Chinese diaspora worldwide. It is the most widely spoken language in the world, with over a billion native speakers. 汉语 is part of the Sino-Tibetan language family and has several dialects, including Mandarin, Cantonese, and Wu. 汉语 is characterized by its use of tones, where the meaning of a word can change based on its pitch. The writing system uses Chinese characters, which are logograms representing words or morphemes. Learning 汉语 can be challenging due to its complex grammar and vocabulary, but it is essential for understanding Chinese culture and communication.