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unshdnmmcc
17 Jun 2022

  • Vereinfachtes Chinesisch (China)
  • Traditionelles Chinesisch (Taiwan) Fast fließend
  • Englisch (US)
  • Deutsch
Frage über Englisch (US)

What does Chinese mean in most cases ? People from China or the ethinic/race Chinese?

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zhengdaoge
17 Jun 2022

  • Englisch (US)

Generally, in English Chinese means anything to do with China, but you have to modify it with a noun and provide proper context.

Some examples:

On Friday, let's eat Chinese food.

I like to drink Chinese tea.

My friend is Chinese. --- You can ask a follow-up question: Were they born in China or Taiwan? Or is their family originally from there?

My friend can speak five languages: English, Spanish, French, Italian, and interestingly, Chinese.

I think Chinese calligraphy and line paintings are very beautiful.

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unshdnmmcc
18 Jun 2022

  • Vereinfachtes Chinesisch (China)
  • Traditionelles Chinesisch (Taiwan) Fast fließend
@zhengdaoge My friend is Chinese. So in this sentence it doesn't mean that he may be a Chinese American,isn't it?
zhengdaoge
21 Jun 2022

  • Englisch (US)
It could mean that he's Chinese American. It depends on how specific the person is being. For example, during the 1800s millions of people from Ireland immigrated to the United States. Every year in the US, we celebrate St. Patrick's Day. People have parades, go out to parties, and wear green to show that they are "Irish". Are they Irish? Technically, they are Americans, but their great-great-great-grandparents were Irish. Since almost everybody in America is descended from immigrants (except for the Native Americans or First Nations people), it's relatively common to say, "Where was your family from before?" And someone might say, "Oh we're Irish and Italian and who knows what else." So if I say my friend is Chinese to my parents, they will not know specifically if I mean whether they were born in China or if their family was from China (one or many generations ago) unless they ask a follow-up question. Also, people are generally not so specific. We accept what people tell us at "face value" to be polite. If someone tells us their family is French, we wait for them to tell us whether they were born in France, their mother was born in France, or their great-grandparents were born in France. Other English speakers are welcome to share their thoughts. This is just generally how I and people in the families where I have lived approach this topic. These days people are very careful about these conversations. Because there are ways to do it that are kind, respectful, polite, and inclusive, and ways to ask these questions that will feel rude or divisive. So I would say this is definitely something to be aware of and careful about as you study English.

It could mean that he's Chinese American. It depends on how specific the person is being. For example, during the 1800s millions of people from Ireland immigrated to the United States. Every year in the US, we celebrate St. Patrick's Day. People have parades, go out to parties, and wear green to show that they are "Irish". Are they Irish? Technically, they are Americans, but their great-great-great-grandparents were Irish. Since almost everybody in America is descended from immigrants (except for the Native Americans or First Nations people), it's relatively common to say, "Where was your family from before?" And someone might say, "Oh we're Irish and Italian and who knows what else."

So if I say my friend is Chinese to my parents, they will not know specifically if I mean whether they were born in China or if their family was from China (one or many generations ago) unless they ask a follow-up question.

Also, people are generally not so specific. We accept what people tell us at "face value" to be polite. If someone tells us their family is French, we wait for them to tell us whether they were born in France, their mother was born in France, or their great-grandparents were born in France. Other English speakers are welcome to share their thoughts. This is just generally how I and people in the families where I have lived approach this topic.

These days people are very careful about these conversations. Because there are ways to do it that are kind, respectful, polite, and inclusive, and ways to ask these questions that will feel rude or divisive. So I would say this is definitely something to be aware of and careful about as you study English.

unshdnmmcc
23 Jun 2022

  • Vereinfachtes Chinesisch (China)
  • Traditionelles Chinesisch (Taiwan) Fast fließend
@zhengdaoge ok thank you a lot
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