Hong Kong mainly uses Cantonese in everyday life, and the official languages are Chinese (primarily Cantonese in practice) and English, with Mandarin also increasingly common.

Main languages

  • Cantonese is the dominant spoken language used at home, in shops, on the streets, and in local media.
  • Chinese and English are the two official languages for government, courts, and public signage, with Chinese usually appearing in Traditional characters.
  • Mandarin (Putonghua) is growing in use, especially in schools, cross‑border business, and among newer migrants from mainland China.

When you visit

  • For daily interactions (taxis, small restaurants, markets), Cantonese works best, though many people know some English.
  • In hotels, larger shops, and business settings, English is widely understood and often used as a working language.
  • Knowing a few simple Cantonese phrases is appreciated but not required, as signage and transport information are usually in both Chinese and English.

TL;DR: They mostly speak Cantonese, with Chinese and English as official languages, and Mandarin becoming more common.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.