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

Mahjong is played in several regional traditions, including Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, Filipino and American versions, each with distinct tiles, rules and rituals. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 24 June 2026

Beijing’s measures to expand AI adoption across consumer markets and plans to ease listing requirements for AI companies have fueled the rally in Chinese AI shares. — Tasneem Nashrulla, semafor.com, 24 June 2026

Part of the focus has been on providing training sessions in Chinese as well, including on freedom of association and collective bargaining. — Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 23 June 2026

The ambiguity of Chinese, the way meaning pools in the spaces between words, resists translation. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 June 2026

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

Rhymes for Chinese

• agrees
• appease
• bougies
• burmese
• chemise
• chickpeas
• cowpeas
• curies
• decrees
• degrees
• disease
• displease

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