Chinese
Live sermon translation for Mandarin and Cantonese speakers
Chinese-speaking members of one church may come from mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia or Singapore. They usually read the same written Chinese, but speak Mandarin, Cantonese or another dialect at home, and some read Simplified characters while others read Traditional.
PewTranslate gives each person their own choice on their own phone, so a mixed Chinese congregation does not have to agree on a single option.
Mandarin or Cantonese?
| Listener option | What it gives | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese (Mandarin) · 中文 | Written Chinese text and a Mandarin voice | The most widely understood option for reading |
| Chinese (Cantonese) | Text and voice aimed at Cantonese speakers | Test it with your Cantonese readers; the voice depends on the phone's installed voices |
Many Cantonese speakers read standard written Chinese comfortably, so some will simply choose the Mandarin option for reading. A short test with a few of them shows which works better for your church.
Character set: before you announce translation, check in a test run whether the text appears in Simplified or Traditional characters, and tell readers who prefer the other set to expect it.
When the preacher speaks Chinese
The operator can choose Chinese (Mandarin, Mainland) or Cantonese (Hong Kong) as the speaker language. This is common in Chinese churches whose English-speaking youth and spouses want to follow the main service. For services that move between Mandarin and English, use Multi Language mode.
Reading comfort
- Characters at a small size are hard to read for many older listeners. The text size buttons in the listener settings make a real difference.
- Dark appearance helps in a dim sanctuary and is easier on the eyes for long sermons.
- "Show original" places the English sentence under the Chinese, which helps bilingual families follow together.
What to check in a test run
- Names of Bible books and well-known people, and whether they match the Chinese Bible your congregation uses.
- Your church's name and the names of ministries.
- Whether Cantonese listeners prefer the Cantonese option or simply read the Mandarin text.
Keep reading
- Sermon Translation in 106 LanguagesEvery language PewTranslate offers: 106 listener languages and regional variants, and 82 languages the preacher can speak.
- Korean–English Sermon Translation for ChurchesLive Korean and English sermon translation for Korean churches with English-speaking second generations, and for English churches with Korean members, using PewTranslate.
- Welcoming Visitors Who Speak Other LanguagesHow churches can welcome people who speak other languages: announcing translation, greeters, signage, follow-up with transcripts, and learning who is in the room.
- Live Sermon Translation: How It WorksHow live sermon translation turns a preacher's voice into translated text and speech, sentence by sentence, and what affects accuracy in a church setting.