Which language is a classic example of an isolating language?

Mandarin Chinese is a classic example of an isolating language. In an isolating language, words tend to contain a single morpheme and grammatical information is expressed less through inflection than through word order, particles, and context.

Mandarin verbs do not normally change form to mark tense, person, or number. Instead, words such as 了, 过, and 在 can indicate aspect or ongoing action, while time expressions and context help establish when an event occurs. Mandarin also relies heavily on relatively fixed word order to show grammatical relationships.

“Isolating” does not mean that the language has no grammar or that every word is always one morpheme. Mandarin includes compounds and other complex words, and its grammar uses function words and patterns extensively. Linguists also often discuss Mandarin as highly analytic, a closely related term that emphasizes the use of separate words rather than inflection.

Vietnamese is another frequently cited isolating language. Swahili and Turkish are more synthetic, while Latin uses extensive inflection.