chinese
chinese Lexical Profile
chinese Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Of or relating to China, its people, its culture, or its languages.
"The museum is hosting a special exhibition on ancient Chinese calligraphy and porcelain."
• noun
The Sinitic group of languages native to China (within the Sino-Tibetan family), or specifically Standard Mandarin, the official language of China.
"She studied Chinese for four years at university before accepting a fellowship in Beijing."
A native or inhabitant of China, or a person of Chinese descent.
"Overseas Chinese have established vibrant cultural communities in major cities around the world."
British A meal of Chinese food, or a restaurant or takeaway serving Chinese cuisine.
"After a long week at work, they decided to stay in and order a Chinese for dinner."
Word Nuance & Usage
When referring to people, 'Chinese' is most naturally used in the plural ('the Chinese') or as an adjective ('a Chinese citizen') rather than as a singular countable noun ('a Chinese'). In linguistic contexts, 'Chinese' encompasses several related language varieties (such as Mandarin, Cantonese, and Wu), though in everyday usage it most often refers specifically to Standard Mandarin.
• Rhymes for chinese
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the late 16th century from 'China' plus the suffix '-ese' (influenced by Italian 'cinese' and French 'chinois'). The name 'China' entered European languages via Portuguese and Persian from Sanskrit 'Cīna', widely believed to derive from the Qin (Ch'in) dynasty that unified China in the 3rd century BCE.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.