The Tibetan language belongs to the Tibeto-Burman language family, a branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages.
It is spoken primarily in Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, and parts of India [e.g., Ladakh and Sikkim] and China, and is the native language of approximately 6 to 8 million people.
Tibetan is written using its own script, which was developed in the 7th century from an Indian script.
There are several dialects. The most important ones are:
Central Tibetan forms the basis of the standard language.
These dialects can sometimes differ so much that their speakers have difficulty understanding one another.
Tibetan is the most important language of Tibetan Buddhism. Many religious texts are written in Classical Tibetan.
| Script | | | Alphabet |