Chinese

PluralChinese, Chineses

1. 1
   adjective

   Of, from, or relating to China, or to its people and culture, whether in China or in communities overseas.

   Her grandparents still celebrate Chinese New Year with a big family dinner.

   Chinese manufacturing has expanded rapidly over the past two decades.

   UsageWritten with a capital C: Chinese food (not incorrect: chinese food).

2. 2
   proper noununcountable

   The language or group of related languages of the Chinese people, including Mandarin, Cantonese, and others, especially Standard Mandarin, China's official language.

   The conference offered translation into Chinese and Arabic.

   He wrote the entire report in Chinese.

   UsageUsually no the: speak Chinese, write in Chinese. To be exact, name the variety: Mandarin, Cantonese.

   Note

   The language a learner signs up for, and the one in translate it into Chinese: 你好 is read nǐ hǎo, with Standard Mandarin sounds. In technical writing, though, the word can also mean the whole family of varieties, with Cantonese and Shanghainese included. Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 4 facts

   • The Standard Mandarin Pinyin reading of 你好 is nǐ hǎo. en.wiktionary.org
   • Chinese can collectively denote a family of related language varieties. en.wikipedia.org
   • Cantonese is included among the varieties of Chinese. open.edu
   • Shanghainese is included among the varieties of Chinese. en.wikipedia.org
3. 3
   individual peoplenouncountableplural

   Someone with Chinese ancestry or with China as their country of origin.

   Like many overseas Chinese raised in Canada, she spoke English at school and Cantonese at home.

   Several Chinese were among the scientists awarded prizes that year.

   UsageMore than one person is also Chinese (not incorrect: Chineses). For one, a Chinese person is more usual than a Chinese.

   Note

   Two plurals with a history between them. William Rawley's 1638 translation of Francis Bacon writes Chineses, with an ending. Lydia Laube's Bound for Vietnam (1999) writes a family of four Chinese, with none. Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

   • William Rawley's English translation of Francis Bacon was published in 1638. test.celm.folger.edu
   • The translation uses the plural Chineses. en.wiktionary.org
   • Lydia Laube's Bound for Vietnam contains the phrase a family of four Chinese. en.wiktionary.org
4. 4
   proper nouncollectiveuncountable

   The people of China, or people of Chinese descent living in China or overseas, considered as a group.

   The Chinese have invested heavily in renewable energy projects nationwide.

   Trade negotiators reported that the Chinese were willing to lower tariffs.

   UsageUse the and a plural verb: the Chinese are. For individuals, say Chinese people or Chinese citizens.

   Note

   It works like the Russians or the French, and The North American Review set it beside exactly those in 1900. Because it treats a nation as one body, it suits history and policy writing. Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

   • The North American Review compared the Chinese with the Russians and the French in 1900. en.wiktionary.org
   • The comparison names both the Russians and the French. upload.wikimedia.org
5. 5
   adjective

   Of, from, or related to a language native to Han Chinese people, often used of Chinese characters generally or of Standard Mandarin specifically.

   The dictionary lists each Chinese character with its pronunciation.

   Many students find Chinese tones difficult to master at first.

   Note

   A language adjective that can point two ways. In Chinese tones it means Mandarin speech, with its four tones (five if you count the neutral one). In Chinese characters it means the script. Endymion Wilkinson's Chinese History: A New Manual (2012) shows where the two meet: Korean names written in characters are read in Chinese with Mandarin sounds. When precision matters, name the variety, or say characters. Source

   Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 4 facts

   • Mandarin has four tones, or five when the neutral tone is included. open.edu
   • Endymion Wilkinson wrote Chinese History: A New Manual. fairbank.fas.harvard.edu
   • The work appeared under the title Chinese History: A New Manual in 2012; 2013 dates refer to revised printings. en.wikipedia.org
   • Wilkinson illustrates Chinese readings of Korean names using Mandarin pronunciations. en.wiktionary.org
6. 6
   noununcountableabbreviationellipsis

   Short for Chinese cuisine: food cooked in any of the styles of China.

   We ordered Chinese and watched a movie.

   He cooks excellent Chinese at home.

   UsageUsually no article: order Chinese, eat Chinese, get Chinese for dinner.

   Note

   A cuisine named by its adjective alone. As the cuisine it is uncountable: eat Chinese, order Chinese, or "Do you like to eat Chinese?" in A.G. Yates's The Cold Dark Hours (1958). British speakers also get a Chinese, meaning one takeaway meal. Source

   Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

   • A.G. Yates wrote The Cold Dark Hours, published in 1958. library.unimelb.edu.au
   • The quoted question occurs in The Cold Dark Hours. en.wiktionary.org

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