Compared to Cantonese and Hokkien, why is the Wu dialect not so famous?

Compared to Cantonese and Hokkien, the Wu dialect is not particularly famous in modern times for three reasons. The first point is that there are many representative film and television works and songs in Cantonese and Hokkien. The second point is that the Wu dialect is difficult to learn and understand, and it is difficult to popularize it. The third point is that the Wu dialect does not meet the aesthetic requirements of modern people.

First, let’s talk about the first reason. Cantonese and Hokkien are more familiar than Wu dialects. The reason is that in the 1990s, many famous film and television works and songs were created in Cantonese and Hokkien. Especially Cantonese. Many classic film and television works in the 1990s had their original soundtracks in Cantonese, because those movies were all shot in Hong Kong, and the language spoken in Hong Kong is Cantonese. A large number of famous movie stars and singers were born in that era. , is very popular, and the representative figures include Leslie Cheung, Anita Mui, Stephen Chow and the Four Heavenly Kings. Of course, those popular Southern Fujian songs are also a hit. These people became the idols of most teenagers of that era. Their idols spoke Cantonese and Hokkien, and their works were all presented in Cantonese or Hokkien. Of course, it will also attract people to like and learn from it subtly.

The Wu dialect is different. The Wu dialect itself is very difficult to learn and understand. Typical Wu dialects include Shanghainese, Zhejiang, and Suzhou. Shanghainese is slightly better and you can still understand some if you listen carefully, but Zhejiang is really difficult to understand. If you are not a local, it is the first time you hear a Zhejiang person. Speaking, I have no idea what the Zhejiang people mean.

Secondly, the accent of the Wu dialect is not in line with modern people’s aesthetics. The Wu dialect has a characteristic, that is, it is soft and has a lot of tongue-sounding words, which is very different from the Mandarin promoted by the country. . It is difficult to understand and learn, and it is very different from what we usually speak. Therefore, it is not as famous as Cantonese and Hokkien.