chinese

Word family

• China
  nounA1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Chinese is the broadest term, covering all spoken and written varieties of the language used by people in China. In everyday contexts — such as 'learning Chinese' or 'speaking Chinese' — it refers to Mandarin (Putonghua), the official spoken standard used in education and media across China and Taiwan. Mandarin is the form taught in most language courses worldwide. Cantonese is a separate major Chinese variety spoken in Hong Kong, Macau, and Guangdong province. Although Cantonese and Mandarin share the same writing system in formal texts, their spoken forms are not mutually intelligible. For example, if a friend says 'I am learning Chinese,' they almost certainly mean Mandarin; if they say 'I can understand Cantonese,' they are referring to a distinct spoken variety.

Common collocations

Etymology

The word 'Chinese' comes from 'China', which is thought to originate from the Sanskrit word 'Cīna' (चीन), referring to the Qin dynasty (221–206 BCE). The suffix '-ese' was added in English to form the adjective and noun meaning 'of or relating to China'. The name travelled through Latin and French before entering English.