Shanghai dialect, also known as Shanghai gossip (Wu dialect association pinyin: zaon he ghe gho), Shanghai Wu dialect, Wu dialect Shanghai dialect and Shanghai dialect, is a Wu dialect belonging to Sino-Tibetan language family-Chinese family-Wu dialect-Taihu Lake piece-Suhujia piece.

Shanghai dialect is an important foundation of Shanghai local culture. Shanghai dialect is an important representative of Wu dialect, which can basically communicate with other dialects in Taihu Lake area of Wu dialect and is an influential language in modern Wu dialect area. Shanghai dialect is a new type of urban Wu dialect, which is based on the original local dialect of Shanghai and naturally merged with the immigrant dialects from all parts of Wu dialect area after Shanghai opened to the outside world.

Shanghai dialect in the usual sense refers to the dialect of Shanghai downtown. Shanghai dialect in a broad sense also includes dialects in Shanghai suburbs, such as Pudong dialect, Songjiang dialect, Jiading dialect, Chongming dialect, Jinshan dialect, Qingpu dialect, Fengxian dialect and Baoshan dialect. Usually, the users of Shanghai urban dialect and suburban dialects except Shanghai county dialect do not agree that suburban dialects are Shanghai dialects. Suburban dialects other than Shanghai county dialect (old Shanghai dialect) are not so much Shanghai dialect in a broad sense as other dialects mistaken for Shanghai dialect by people from other provinces and cities. See related entries for details.