Chinese

[ chahy-neez, -nees ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

plural Chinese.

the standard language of China, based on the speech of Beijing; Mandarin.
a group of languages of the Sino-Tibetan family, including standard Chinese and most of the other languages of China. : Chin., Chin
any of the Chinese languages, which vary among themselves to the point of mutual unintelligibility.
Chinese food:
We usually order Chinese from a place across the street.
Often Offensive. a native or descendant of a native of China.

adjective

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

/ ��ʃ��ɪˈ�Ծ�ː�� /

adjective

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

noun

-nese a native or inhabitant of China or a descendant of one
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

Discover More

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.

Discover More

Other Word Forms

��·�پ�-��·�Ա�� adjective noun plural antiChinese
�Դǲ�-��·�Ա�� adjective noun plural nonChinese
��-��·�Ա�� adjective noun plural proChinese
��·��-��·�Ա�� adjective noun plural pseudoChinese

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of Chinese¹

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

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Vietnam was a French colony, a Chinese vassal and for 20 years, the proxy battlefield in America's bloody struggle to stop China spreading communism across South East Asia.

From

Trump placed tariffs of up to 145% on Chinese imports, a move that has prompted some merchants who sell goods made in China from providing discounts as part of Amazon Prime Day, Reuters reported.

From

I’m also preparing a new YouTube series called "Very Excellent Chinese Takeout Review."

From

Bringing back samples from the Red Planet would help us beat the Chinese, send humans into space and learn about how planets form.

From

In December, he said he "ceased all contact" with Yang Tengbo, who led the Chinese arm of Pitch@Palace, after receiving advice from the UK government which alleged that he was a spy.

From

Chinee Chinese artichoke

Browse