Is Mandarin widely understood in Shanghai, China?

Mandarin is known as Putonghua, or standard language (or common language).

Putonghua is the official language of China and everyone should learn it at school, most TV shows and movies are in Mandarin. In Guangdong province Cantonese is widely used, but in other provinces it is almost exclusively Mandarin Chinese.

Shanghai people are usually from other places (as it is a growing city) and so most of them don't speak any Songhua (or shanghai language).

In addition the written language is exactly the same.

There are some minor differences, such as Beijing People saing Nar and Shanghai people saying Nali and the shanghai word for spoon in Mandarin Chinese is different from other parts of China, but really it doesn't matter.

You will find in most tourist spots people speak enough English for you to get buy.

Anyway, there is no reason to learn the Shanghai language.

Yes, Mandarin is widely known in Shanghai.

Yes,of course!

There's no need for you to worry about this,surely Mandarin is widely understood in Shanghai!

I'm native Chinese,

from MTC(Multi-language Translation Service) team in ebay.

Hope this helps!

Mandarin is the official language of china. you don;t have to worry about that. as your books that relate to English to Mandarin translation, you 'd better have some talk with Chinese before you set off as i read that kind of book, some of them are really strange after you understand the Mandarin later.

Is English widely understood in NYC, US?

Yes, the same way.

They tend to speak shanghainese but can also understand mandarin, or even englsih

Yes,Of course,don't worry,Most of the chiense people can speak madarin ,But I think you speak english in Shanghai is okay ,lot of people can speak simple english .I think .

I dont' understand the shanghai dialect also ...

haha.

Good luCK