Chinese

[chahy-neez, -nees]

noun

plural

Chinese 

1. the standard language of China, based on the speech of Beijing; Mandarin.

2. a group of languages of the Sino-Tibetan family, including standard Chinese and most of the other languages of China. Chin., Chin

3. any of the Chinese languages, which vary among themselves to the point of mutual unintelligibility.

4. Chinese food.

   We usually order Chinese from a place across the street.

5. Often Offensive.,  a native or descendant of a native of China.

adjective

1. of or relating to China, its inhabitants, or one of their languages.

2. noting or pertaining to the partly logographic, partly phonetic script used for the writing of Chinese, Japanese, and other languages, consisting of thousands of brushstroke characters written in vertical columns from right to left.

Chinese

/ tʃaɪˈniːz /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of China, its people, or their languages

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of China or a descendant of one

2. any of the languages of China belonging to the Sino-Tibetan family, sometimes regarded as dialects of one language. They share a single writing system that is not phonetic but ideographic. A phonetic system using the Roman alphabet was officially adopted by the Chinese government in 1966 See also Mandarin Chinese Pekingese Cantonese

Sensitive Note

In the past, the word Chinese has been used as a noun to describe a person or people (the CEO is a Chinese ). This usage is dated and almost always considered offensive today. The adjective Chinese is found in a few set phrases ( Chinese copy, Chinese fire drill, Chinese money, and Chinese tour ) in which it represents inferiority—implying that something is less good, useful, or effective, or that it is not authentic. In other set phrases ( Chinese checkers, Chinese tag ), the word represents that something is exotic or unusual. These uses are usually considered offensive.

Other Word Forms

• anti-Chinese adjective anti-Chinese
• non-Chinese adjective non-Chinese
• pro-Chinese adjective pro-Chinese
• pseudo-Chinese adjective pseudo-Chinese

Word History and Origins

Origin of Chinese¹

First recorded in 1570–80; Chin(a) + -ese

Example Sentences

The president says his administration is now considering ‘massive increases’ of tariffs on Chinese products coming into the U.S.

Read more on Barron's

They would require foreign companies to get approval for selling magnets that contain even minimal amounts of rare earth sourced from China, or produced or refined using Chinese technology.

Read more on Barron's

Rising competition from Chinese EV makers has also led to Japanese passenger cars making up a smaller share of the Thai market.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

U.S. officials are concerned about Russian threats to Greenland but also Chinese efforts to gain an economic foothold there.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

He also threatened a "massive" increase in tariffs on Chinese goods, indicating a return of renewed trade tensions between the two economic giants.

Read more on BBC