To dictate in Chinese on a Mac, open System Settings → Keyboard, go to Dictation, click Edit next to Languages, and select the variant you speak: Mandarin (China mainland or Taiwan), Cantonese (China mainland or Hong Kong), or Shanghainese. Start Dictation and choose it from the language shown next to the cursor. Not every variant has the same features: Apple lists on-device dictation for mainland Mandarin and both Cantonese variants, but not for Mandarin (Taiwan) or Shanghainese.
The steps come from Apple's Dictate messages and documents on Mac in the Mac User Guide for macOS 27. If your screen differs, search System Settings for "Dictation" (听写 or 聽寫 on a Chinese-language Mac).
How do you set up Chinese dictation?
- Choose Apple menu → System Settings, then click Keyboard in the sidebar.
- Go to Dictation and turn it on.
- Click Edit next to Languages and select the Chinese variant and region you speak. You can select several, for example Mandarin and Cantonese.
- Stay online while the Mac sets it up. Apple's feature page says on-device dictation "Requires download of speech models."
- Start Dictation in a text field and check the language next to the cursor. Apple says languages appear "as abbreviations or characters that represent the language".
Which Chinese variants does Mac Dictation support?
From Apple's macOS feature availability page, checked on 1 October 2026, using Apple's own names:
| Variant | Dictation | On-device dictation |
|---|---|---|
| Mandarin Chinese (China mainland) | Yes | Yes |
| Mandarin (Taiwan) | Yes | Not listed |
| Cantonese (China mainland) | Yes | Yes, listed as "Cantonese (Simplified, China mainland)" |
| Cantonese (Hong Kong) | Yes | Yes |
| Shanghainese | Yes | Not listed |
For the other features, Apple uses different labels that do not line up one-to-one with the variants above:
- Auto-punctuation: Cantonese (China mainland), Cantonese (Taiwan), Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional) and Mandarin Chinese (Taiwan).
- Dictate emoji: Cantonese (China mainland), Chinese (China), Chinese (Simplified) and Chinese (Traditional).
- More advanced Dictation (Apple Intelligence): English regions only. No Chinese variant was listed.
Because the labels differ, the reliable check is your own Mac: dictate a few sentences with Auto-punctuation on (under Keyboard → Dictation) and see whether commas and full stops appear. Apple says the text below the Dictation switch tells you whether dictation is processed on your Mac. Is Mac Dictation private? explains what that covers.
How do you say punctuation in Chinese?
Apple publishes its command page in three Chinese editions, and the results differ. The mainland page, Mac 上听写文本的命令, shows full-width Chinese marks. The Taiwan page, Mac 上用於聽寫文字的指令, uses 「」 for quotation marks. The Hong Kong page, 在 Mac 上用於聽寫文字的指令, shows Western half-width marks.
| Mark | China mainland page | Taiwan page | Hong Kong page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full stop | 句点 / 点 / 圆点 / 句号 → 。 | 句號 / 點 → 。 | 句號 / 點 → . |
| Comma | 逗号 → ， | 逗號 → ， | 逗號 → , |
| Question mark | 问号 → ？ | 問號 → ？ | 問號 → ? |
| Exclamation | 感叹号 → ！ | 驚嘆號 → ！ | 感嘆號 → ! |
| Colon | 冒号 → ： | 冒號 → : | 冒號 → : |
| Quotation marks | 左引号 / 右引号 → “ ” | 上引號 / 下引號 → 「 」 | 引號 / 右引號 → “ ” |
| Parentheses | 左圆括号 / 右圆括号 → （ ） | 左括弧 / 右括弧 → （ ） | 左括號 / 右括號 → ( ) |
| New line | 换行 | 換行 | 換行 |
| New paragraph | 新段落 | 新增段落 | 新增段落 |
Apple does not say which page edition matches which dictation variant. Use the edition for your region as a guide, and dictate a test sentence to see which marks your Mac inserts.
Dictation language vs Chinese input source
Typing Chinese and dictating Chinese are separate settings. Apple's Set up a Chinese or Cantonese input source on Mac has you add input sources under Keyboard → Text Input → Edit, choosing "Chinese, Simplified", "Chinese, Traditional" or "Cantonese, Traditional", then a method such as Pinyin, Zhuyin, Cangjie or Handwriting. The Dictation language is chosen under Keyboard → Dictation → Languages.
Apple's Write in another language on Mac says adding an input source also adds its language to "your list of Dictation languages (if available)". The same page describes switching input sources with Control-Space, the Fn or Globe key, or the Caps Lock key or "中 / 英" key on Pinyin and Zhuyin keyboards. Those keys switch keyboards; the dictation language is switched from the menu next to the cursor.
How do you switch between simplified and traditional characters?
Apple's dictation lists do not state which script each variant produces, except the on-device label "Cantonese (Simplified, China mainland)". If dictated text comes out in the script you do not want, Apple's Convert Chinese or Latin characters on Mac gives a fix:
- Select the text.
- Choose Convert Text to Simplified Chinese or Convert Text to Traditional Chinese from the Input menu, or Control-click and choose Services and the same command.
- If the Services item is missing, turn it on under Services → Services Settings in the app menu.
Apple notes this works "in some apps".
Can you mix Chinese and English, or Mandarin and Cantonese?
You can set up several languages and switch while dictating: click the language next to the cursor, or press the Globe key and choose. Apple's Dictation guide, checked on 1 October 2026, describes choosing the language yourself and does not describe automatic detection of a language change. That applies to Mandarin and Cantonese too: they are separate dictation languages. Switch before you change language, and check English names inside Chinese sentences.
What about other dictation apps?
Apple's Dictation is free and lists five Chinese variants, so test it first.
SuprFlow's requirements page lists 19 languages, including Chinese, without naming Mandarin, Cantonese or a script. Its setup asks you to choose a speech-recognition language. We have not tested accuracy per language and make no accuracy claim for any Chinese variant. How to test SuprFlow with another language explains a short test. SuprFlow costs $125 once and has no free tier.
Questions people ask
How do I dictate in Cantonese on a Mac?
Add Cantonese (Hong Kong) or Cantonese (China mainland) under System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation → Languages → Edit, then choose it from the language shown next to the cursor. Apple lists both for on-device dictation.
Does Mac dictation support Taiwanese Mandarin?
Yes. Apple lists Mandarin (Taiwan) for Dictation and "Mandarin Chinese (Taiwan)" for auto-punctuation. It was not on the on-device list when we checked, so check Keyboard settings to see how your Mac processes it.
Why does Mac dictation give me simplified characters?
Apple does not state which script each variant produces. Check which variant is shown next to the cursor and try the one for your region, or convert the text with Convert Text to Traditional Chinese.
Can Mac dictation recognise Mandarin and English in one sentence?
Apple's guide describes switching languages by hand and does not describe automatic switching within a sentence.
Related guides
- How to use voice to text on a Mac
- Dictate in Japanese on a Mac
- Mac dictation commands and punctuation
- How to test SuprFlow with another language
- Is Mac Dictation private?
- Mac Dictation not working? Causes and fixes
Sources
- Apple — Dictate messages and documents on Mac
- Apple — macOS feature availability: Dictation
- Apple — Mac 上听写文本的命令
- Apple — Mac 上用於聽寫文字的指令
- Apple — 在 Mac 上用於聽寫文字的指令
- Apple — Set up a Chinese or Cantonese input source on Mac
- Apple — Convert Chinese or Latin characters on Mac
- Apple — Write in another language on Mac
- SuprFlow — System requirements