Chinese

noun

Chi·nese chī-ˈnēz

-ˈnēs

plural Chinese

: a native or inhabitant of China

: a person of Chinese descent

: a group of related languages used by the people of China that are often mutually unintelligible in their spoken form but share a single system of writing and that constitute a branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family

especially : mandarin

Chinese adjective

Examples of Chinese in a Sentence

the customs of the Chinese He is learning to speak Chinese.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

One pole of the action is the Green Dolphin Hotel, where Hezekiah and Alec finally find a place to land, and where Hezekiah’s ability to speak Chinese, a legacy from a Chinese grandmother, endears him to the proprietor, Mr. Lao (Jason Tobin, quiet and wonderful); some Elephants are around as well. —

Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2025 And yet, record numbers of young Chinese are still competing for civil service positions. —

Vivian Wang, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025 During Thursday’s hearing, Patel said that the biggest threat to the U.S. would be to thwart terrorism and Chinese Communist Party espionage. —

Solcyré Burga, TIME, 20 Feb. 2025 The Australian Defense Ministry said a Chinese PLA fighter jet had released flares within 100 feet of the aircraft. —

Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 19 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for Chinese