The Chinese language is a group of related languages spoken primarily in China and by Chinese communities worldwide. The most widely spoken form is Mandarin, which serves as the official language of China and Taiwan. Other major dialects include Cantonese, Shanghainese, and Hokkien. Chinese is known for its unique writing system, which uses Chinese characters rather than an alphabet. Each character represents a syllable and often has its own meaning. The language is tonal, meaning that the pitch or intonation used can change the meaning of a word, making it distinct from many other languages.