Chinese

noun

Chi·​nese chī-ˈnēz  -ˈnēs 

plural Chinese

1

a

: a native or inhabitant of China

b

: a person of Chinese descent

2

: 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

Former player Fan Zhiyi, dubbed a trailblazer for being one of the first Chinese who played in the English leagues in the 1990s, said the loss was predictable, but not to that extent. —Chris Lau, CNN, 6 Sep. 2024

That’s meant affluent Chinese have long looked for alternative ways to grow wealth outside the country. —Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 6 Sep. 2024

Under the United Front’s control are a multitude of groups which serve to engage overseas Chinese under the guise of social or industry groups. —Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2024

See our analysis of Nio, Xpeng & Li Auto: How Do Chinese EV Stocks Compare? —Trefis Team, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing Chinese

• Chinese boxes
• Chinese cabbage
• Chinese checkers
• Chinese chestnut
• Chinese chive
• Chinese cinnamon
• Chinese copy
• Chinese crested
• Chinese gooseberry
• Chinese lantern
• Chinese money plant
• Chinese New Year
• Chinese parsley
• Chinese puzzle
• Chinese restaurant syndrome
• Chinese shar-pei
• Chinese wall
• Chinese whispers
• Chinese white
• Indo-Chinese
• the Chinese

Kids Definition

Chinese

noun

Chi·​nese chī-ˈnēz  -ˈnēs 

plural Chinese

1

a

: a person born or living in China

b

: a person of Chinese ancestry

2

: a group of related languages used in China

Chinese adjective