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

Videos of runway shows put on by the art-fashion collective Women’s History Museum reveal a series of unique venues—an abandoned Wall Street bank, an East Village church, a dying shopping mall in Chinatown.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

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

He eventually returned to Chinatown, setting up another tent.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

Chinatown in San Francisco had been like its own city.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu