Mandarin or Standard Mandarin is the official language of China, Taiwan, and one of the four official languages of Singapore. It is also one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Mandarin is a member of the Sino-Tibetan Language Family and is based on the Beijing dialect.
The term "Mandarin" comes from the Portuguese word mandarim, which was used to describe officials in the Chinese Imperial Court. Historically, the language evolved from the dialects spoken in the Northern China region. During the Ming Dynasty and later during the Qing Dynasty, Mandarin became the standard language for officials and scholars, which facilitated communication across different regions of China.
Mandarin is spoken by over 900 million people as a first language, making it the most widely spoken language in the world in terms of native speakers. It is the medium of instruction in schools, used in media, government, and business. Efforts to promote Mandarin globally include initiatives like Confucius Institutes, which teach Chinese language and culture worldwide.