Here's why:
* Chinese is a language family: It's a broad term that encompasses various languages and dialects spoken in China and other parts of the world.
* Cantonese is a dialect: It's one of many dialects within the Chinese language family. Other major dialects include Mandarin, Shanghainese, Hokkien, and Hakka.
* Mutual intelligibility: While speakers of different Chinese dialects might understand some basic vocabulary, they often struggle to hold a conversation without effort. This is particularly true for Cantonese and Mandarin, which are considered distinct languages by many linguists.
Think of it like this: Imagine a large family with different branches. Chinese is the family name, and Cantonese is one of the branches.
So, while Cantonese is a part of Chinese, it's not the whole picture.