Hainanese phrasebook

Hainanese (海南话 hai-nam-oe) is the local language of the island of Hainan, the most southerly part of China. It is also fairly common among overseas Chinese, especially in Southeast Asia.

Linguistically, Hainanese is closely related to Minnan Hua and Teochew, but it is not mutually intelligible with either of those or with any other Chinese dialect. Hainanese also has dialectal variation throughout the island, and it is not uncommon for people from different parts of Hainan to converse with each other in Mandarin instead. The dialect spoken in Wenchang is the prestige dialect and used in provincial news broadcasts, though the Qionghai dialect is typically used in Hainanese opera performances.

Hainanese speakers in China are usually also able to speak Mandarin, so learning Hainanese is not necessary to communicate, and foreigners living in the region usually choose to learn Mandarin instead. That said, locals are proud of their language, so attempts to speak Hainanese are certainly appreciated, and might even earn you preferential treatment in shops and restaurants.

See the Chinese phrasebook for reading most writing in Hainanese-speaking areas.