Chinatown

American  

[chahy-nuh-toun] / ˈtʃaɪ nəˌtaʊn /

noun

1. the main Chinese district in any city outside China.

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Chinatown British  

/ ˈtʃaɪnəˌtaʊn /

noun

1. a quarter of any city or town outside China with a predominantly Chinese population

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Etymology

Origin of Chinatown

China + town

Example Sentences

To learn Hong Kong mahjong, I visited a warmly lit community space in Chinatown one Tuesday night.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

“I found a little place in Chinatown with no sign on the doors,” Ausman says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Torres, the Inside Safe participant now in a tent in Chinatown, experienced the difference.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

“It’s nobody’s fault but my own, but I just feel it’s unfair,” said Torres, who now lives in a tent in Chinatown.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

When they walked through Chinatown, the people must have said, “A boy—and another boy— and another boy!”

From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston