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

Chinese food cravings If this is a Pasadena day, it’s an opportunity to get Chinese food, which I crave on Sundays.

From Los Angeles Times

In August, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Delhi, where he said that India and China should see each other as "partners" rather than "adversaries".

From BBC

The combined Russian and Chinese fleet of satellites has increased by 70% over the past decade.

From BBC

“They even initiated mixed-race individuals and people of other backgrounds — Chinese migrants, white Cubans — because this was about survival. The goal was to preserve something, to create something powerful and shared.”

From Los Angeles Times

The Chinese national was handed one count of refusing to follow instructions from the French navy and told to attend a court hearing in the northern coastal city of Brest next February.

From BBC