Chinese

Adjective

1. Of, from, or related to China, particularly now the People's Republic of China.
   • China has been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party since 1949.
   • In this instance, when the Chairman of the "Accuracy in Media" spoke out strongly against the Chinese Communist system of "pin yin" spelling, he was not criticizing any bias or unreliability of news presentation but...
   • Experts told CNN it could take weeks to address the vulnerabilities and that suspected Chinese hackers are already attempting to exploit it. - 2021 December 13, Sean Lyngaas, “US warns hundreds of millions of devices at...
2. Of, from, or related to the people of China, particularly the Han Chinese and their culture whether in China or overseas.
   • Important Chinese holidays celebrated around the world include the Chinese New Year ("Spring Festival"), Tomb Sweeping Day, and the Mid-Autumn Festival.
   • In the early 1870’s anti-Chinese agitation in California became organized and focused under the leadership of Denis Kearney, who was, ironically, an immigrant from Ireland. A campaign of organized violence against...
3. Of, from, or related to a language native to Han Chinese persons, often used generally of Chinese characters or particularly to refer to Standard Mandarin.
   • There are four Chinese tones... five, if you count the neutral one.
   • The construction of a verbal system which is fairly regular and at the same time based on existing languages is a most difficult task, because in no other domain of the grammar do languages retain a greater number of...
   • The DPRK (Joseon Minjujui Inmin Konghuaguk 朝鮮民主主義人民共和國) is read in Chinese as Chaoxian minzhu zhuyi renmin gonghe guo, and its capital, Pyeonyang, is pronounced Pingrang 平壤. - 2012, Endymion Wilkinson, “Introduction”,...
4. As exotic, unusual, backwards, or unorganized as someone or something from China.
   • It's all Chinese to me.
5. Used with a noun to indicate a referent different from, and seemingly more exotic or unusual than, the base noun's referent.
   • Chinese apple, Chinese checkers, Chinese snooker
6. Having barn doors with a horizontal orientation.

   Coordinate Terms: English

Proper noun

1. The Standard Chinese language, written in Chinese characters and spoken and spelled using Standard Mandarin pronunciation.
   • 你好 is read “Nǐ hǎo” and means “Hello” in Chinese.
   • The resulting Belter creole is a crazy mix of English, Chinese, romance languages like French, German, Persian, Hebrew, Zulu, and a few other surprises. Farmer says he has over 1,000 Belter words in his personal...
2. The branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family including Mandarin, Cantonese, Shanghainese, Southern Min, and other closely related language varieties and dialects.
   • Suzhounese and Hakka are lesser-known varieties of Chinese.
3. The logographic writing system shared by most Sinitic languages.
   • Hong Kong still uses traditional Chinese.

Noun

1. A native, inhabitant, or citizen of China, particularly of the People's Republic of China.
   • The Chinese have an incredible history.
   • If the Chinese were a people like the Russians, the Germans or the French, we (I address chiefly American and British readers) would observe any marked increase in their industrial activity or in their national...
   • I have given these points to make it clear that the Chinese are a people of strong emotion; and that this emotion is highest and purest when running in the channels of filial piety and loyalty. - 1934, Chinese Affairs,...
2. A member of the Han Chinese ethnic group, whether in China or overseas.
   • The Chinese are present in all parts of the world.
   • And the Iaponians, are longer liv’d, than the Chineſes; […] - 1638, Francis [Bacon], translated by W[illiam] R[awley], “Length and Shortnesse of Life in Man. The Historie.”, in History Naturall and Experimentall, of...
   • If the Chineſe had Liberty to ſettle in Formoſa, ſeveral Families would gladly tranſplant themſelves thither ; but in order thereto they muſt obtain Paſsports from the Mandarins of China, who grant them with Difficulty,...
3. Ellipsis of Chinese cuisine.
   • Please don't eat the Chinese. I'm saving it for later.
   • "Do you like to eat Chinese? - 1958, A.G. Yates, The Cold Dark Hours, Sydney: Horwitz, published 1963, page 73:
   • I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand Walking through the streets of Soho in the rain He was looking for the place called Lee Ho Fook's Gonna get a big dish of beef chow mein. - 1978, “Werewolves of London”,...
4. Ellipsis of Chinese meal (“meal consisting of Chinese cuisine”).
   • We're going out tonight for a Chinese.
5. Ellipsis of Chinese restaurant (“restaurant serving Chinese cuisine”).
   • Want to go to the Chinese after work?

Wikipedia

Chinese