A major dialect of the
Chinese language originating from southern China - Fujian province
Widely used among the Chinese population in Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan, in addition to Mandarin which is the common-tounge "dialect" for all Chinese over the world.
Hokkien is often associated with the working classes but is also the language of choice for many politicians from Taiwan - like the current president of
ROC, Chen
Shui Bian.
Hokkien is a very colourful and impactful dialect when used in the hands of the highly-skilled exponents of the dialect. A lot of swear words only attain their full impact when delivered in Hokkien.
Teocheow is considered the more-refined and scholarly cousin dialect - mainly in use by older Chinese in Thailand.