Chinese

American  

[chahy-neez, -nees] / tʃaɪˈniz, -ˈnis /

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.

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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 British  

/ tʃaɪˈniːz /

adjective

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

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

Etymology

Origin of Chinese

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

Example Sentences

Pastor Ezra Jin was just finishing dinner with his elderly mother-in-law in the Chinese city of Beihai last October when more than a dozen police appeared at the door.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

In Beijing last week, Trump sought Chinese President Xi Jinping’s help to get Iran to the table, according to a U.S. official.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

Despite the camaraderie at the highest political levels, Charles Parton, a former British diplomat to China, is cynical about the natural cultural affinity between ordinary Chinese and Russians.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

Iranian officials said on Thursday that Chinese vessels had been allowed to transit, after a slowdown the previous week.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

“I’m sorry I’m so late, but there was Chinese school to finish up.”

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu