Chinese

noun

Chi·​nese chī-ˈnēz How to pronounce Chinese (audio) -ˈnēs How to pronounce Chinese (audio)
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
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.
The charges also come after Reuters reported in late January that the U.S. Commerce Department is looking into whether Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has been using U.S. chips that are not allowed to be shipped to China. Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 4 Mar. 2025 For a detailed comparison of how Nio stock fares against its competitors Li Auto and Xpeng, see our analysis of Nio, Xpeng & Li Auto: How Do Chinese EV Stocks Compare?. Trefis Team, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025 Bengtsson said many of the factories in Vietnam are owned by Chinese. Arthur Zaczkiewicz, WWD, 3 Mar. 2025 Even then, however, only a nominal number of Chinese immigrants––a hundred and five––were permitted to enter the country each year. Michael Luo, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for Chinese

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of Chinese was in 1606

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Cite this Entry

“Chinese.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Chinese. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

Chinese

noun
Chi·​nese chī-ˈnēz How to pronounce Chinese (audio) -ˈnēs How to pronounce Chinese (audio)
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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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