What does "chinese" mean?
A person from China or of Chinese descent.
Chinese
/ˌt͡ʃaɪˈniz/ adj, name, noun, slang
adj, name, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person from China or of Chinese descent.
- Grammar: chinese is listed as adj, name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: cathayan, cathayan, chinaman, chinean.
- Useful contrasts: foreign, foreign language, foreigner.
- Usage evidence: I started learning Chinese last week.
How to use "chinese"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "chinese" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "chinese" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "chinese" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "chinese" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "chinese" is acting as adj, name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "cathayan" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "chinese", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A person from China or of Chinese descent. countable, in-plural
"And the Iaponians, are longer liv’d, than the Chineſes; […]"
- 2 any of the Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in China; regarded as dialects of a single language (even though they are mutually unintelligible) because they share an ideographic writing system wordnet
- 3 Ellipsis of Chinese cuisine. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, uncountable
"Please don't eat the Chinese. I'm saving it for later."
- 4 a native or inhabitant of Communist China or of Nationalist China wordnet
- 5 Ellipsis of Chinese meal (“meal consisting of Chinese cuisine”). UK, abbreviation, alt-of, colloquial, countable, ellipsis
"We're going out tonight for a Chinese."
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- 6 Ellipsis of Chinese restaurant (“restaurant serving Chinese cuisine”). UK, abbreviation, alt-of, colloquial, countable, ellipsis
"Want to go to the Chinese after work?"
Adjective
- 1 Of, from, or related to China, particularly now the People's Republic of China. not-comparable, usually
"China has been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party since 1949."
- 2 Of, from, or related to the people of China, particularly the Han Chinese and their culture whether in China or overseas. not-comparable, usually
"Important Chinese holidays celebrated around the world include the Chinese New Year ("Spring Festival"), Tomb Sweeping Day, and the Mid-Autumn Festival."
- 3 Of, from, or related to a language native to Han Chinese persons, often used generally of Chinese characters or particularly to refer to Standard Mandarin. not-comparable, usually
"There are four Chinese tones... five, if you count the neutral one."
- 4 As exotic, unusual, backwards, or unorganized as someone or something from China. not-comparable, offensive, sometimes, usually
"It's all Chinese to me."
- 5 Used with a noun to indicate a referent different from, and seemingly more exotic or unusual than, the base noun's referent. not-comparable, offensive, sometimes, usually
"Chinese apple, Chinese checkers, Chinese snooker"
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- 6 Having barn doors with a horizontal orientation. dated, not-comparable, offensive, usually
Adjective
- 1 of or pertaining to China or its peoples or cultures wordnet
- 2 of or relating to or characteristic of the island republic on Taiwan or its residents or their language wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 The citizens of China, particularly citizens of the People's Republic of China. collective, uncountable
"The Chinese have an incredible history."
- 2 The Han Chinese, whether in China or overseas. collective, uncountable
"The Chinese are present in all parts of the world."
- 3 The Standard Chinese language, written in Chinese characters and spoken and spelled using Standard Mandarin pronunciation. uncountable
"你好 is read “Nǐ hǎo” and means “Hello” in Chinese."
- 4 The branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family including Mandarin, Cantonese, Shanghainese, Southern Min, and other closely related language varieties and dialects. uncountable
"Suzhounese and Hakka are lesser-known varieties of Chinese."
- 5 The logographic writing system shared by most Sinitic languages. uncountable
"Hong Kong still uses traditional Chinese."
Example
"I started learning Chinese last week."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "chinese"?
Common synonyms include: cathayan, cathayan, chinaman, chinean, chinee, chinese language.
How do you use "chinese" in a sentence?
I started learning Chinese last week.
How do you pronounce "chinese"?
Pronounced /ˌt͡ʃaɪˈniz/.
Etymology
From China + -ese under influence of Portuguese chinês, replacing older Chinish. Doublet of chinois. In its orientalist sense of "generically exotic, backwards, or poorly organized", sometimes a deliberate marketing strategy to increase sales, as with the German Chinese checkers. In its sense related to the orientation of stage lighting's barn doors, a reference to a supposed resemblance to East Asian eyes.