Cantonese is the main dialect in Guangdong, but not all Cantonese people can speak Cantonese. As northerners, some people not only don't understand it, but even have never heard of it, such as Ya dialect, Li dialect, Hai dialect, Yao dialect, Zhuang dialect, She dialect, Biao dialect, Leizhou dialect, Siyi dialect and so on. There are many dialects.
1. Cantonese is also spoken in different regions.
When I was a child, I watched Hong Kong films, actors used Cantonese, and Cantonese songs were all the rage. In the impression of many people, Guangdong and Hong Kong should both use Cantonese. In fact, this is because we know too little about Guangdong. In fact, Cantonese-speaking areas are basically in the Pearl River Delta, western Guangdong and northwestern Guangdong, but some Hakkas and Chaoshan people speak Cantonese, which may be due to their working relationship. Or live near Cantonese, so many Cantonese people can't speak Cantonese, and just like other parts of our country, although they are in the same area, their dialects are different, and the languages of some areas adjacent to other provinces are more influenced by neighboring areas. The so-called hundred miles are different. So is language. People like Meizhou and Chaoshan may understand it, but they can't speak Cantonese.
2. Actually, not many people speak Cantonese.
With the growth of the younger generation, Mandarin has become popular. Now many native Cantonese people can speak Cantonese, because most of them live in Mandarin, and many people come to Guangdong from other provinces. They may have lived in Guangdong for many years, and even their parents have been there. These are all Cantonese, but many of them can't speak Cantonese. For example, most people in Shenzhen and Dongguan speak Mandarin, and even primary and secondary schools explicitly require the use of Mandarin, not to mention universities.
3. The loss of mother tongue in Guangdong.
In the past, Cantonese people would argue with Hong Kong people about who had the right accent and who was the most orthodox. Old people will immediately see through certain terms. You are not a native Cantonese, and you can hear whether your accent is advanced enough, but this is the habit of the older generation. Few people in the younger generation can only speak Cantonese but not Mandarin. In recent years, the popularity of Putonghua is even higher than that of Cantonese, especially among school students. Less than half of them can speak Cantonese. Of course, this has a lot to do with the number of floating population in Guangdong. Marriage between many locals and mainlanders has become very common. As long as there is one person in the family who doesn't speak Cantonese, then the children basically can't speak Cantonese. The lack of language environment has also caused many Cantonese people not to speak Cantonese.
Cantonese is a Cantonese complex, and many Cantonese people are crazy about Cantonese. They like to use Cantonese on signs and product names, and go to KTV to sing a few Cantonese songs, but this does not mean that Cantonese people are exclusive. Actually, Guangdong is very inclusive. If there are people from other provinces present, they generally don't speak Cantonese, and they will take the initiative to speak Mandarin, but if you want to learn Cantonese, Cantonese will actively and enthusiastically correct your pronunciation. But really don't think that your Guangdong classmates can speak Cantonese and sing Cantonese songs!