Is mandarin and standard Chinese the same thing?

Yes, Mandarin and Standard Chinese are essentially the same thing.

Here's why:

* Mandarin is a dialect group of Chinese. It's the most spoken dialect in China and is used as the standard language.

* Standard Chinese (also called Putonghua in China) is the official language of China. It's based on the Beijing dialect of Mandarin.

So, Standard Chinese is a standardized form of the Mandarin dialect.

However, it's worth noting that:

* Not all Mandarin speakers can understand Standard Chinese perfectly. There are regional variations within the Mandarin dialect group.

* Standard Chinese is considered "high-level" Mandarin. It's the language used in formal settings, education, and media.

Therefore, while they refer to the same language, Mandarin is a broader term encompassing various dialects, while Standard Chinese is a specific, standardized version of Mandarin.