唐人街
tángrénjiē
In Chinese, the term for Chinatown is 唐人街 (tángrénjiē). Wiktionary also lists 華埠 / 华埠 (huábù) and 中國城 / 中国城 (zhōngguóchéng).
Meaning: a Chinese district outside China (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 唐人街 | tángrénjiē |
| 華埠 / 华埠 | huábù |
| 中國城 / 中国城 | zhōngguóchéng |
| 牛車水 / 牛车水 | in Singapore |
The term 唐人街 is the standard term used by most Chinese speakers to refer to a Chinatown in any major city worldwide.
What does it mean word for word?
唐人街 (tángrénjiē) literally means 'Street of the Tang people'. In this context, 'Tang' refers to the Tang Dynasty, which is a historical way of referring to Chinese people.
Which one should you use?
While 唐人街 is the most common colloquial term, 华埠 is a more formal or written term often used in news or official contexts. Another option is 中國城 (zhōngguóchéng), which literally means 'China City'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Singapore, the specific name used for Chinatown is 牛车水 (niúchēshuǐ), which literally means 'Ox Cart Water'.
How do you pronounce it?
tángrénjiē
Did you know?
- The term 中國城 is a linguistic calque, meaning it was constructed by following the grammatical structure of the English 'Chinatown' rather than using traditional Chinese naming conventions.
- The term 唐人 was historically used by overseas Chinese to identify one another in foreign lands before the modern name 'China' became the global standard.
- The term 华埠 (huábù) uses the character 埠 (bù), which is a classical way to describe a commercial port or a trading hub.
Examples in context
- 我該怎麼去唐人街？How do I get to Chinatown?This sentence is useful for asking for directions to 唐人街.Tatoeba #848586 by Martha, translation #40204 by CK
- 朋友，我請你去唐人街逛逛怎麼樣？Friend, how about we stroll through the Chinatown?This sentence is useful for suggesting a stroll through 唐人街.Tatoeba #10457260 by DaoSeng, translation #12080391 by FishlandicFishy
- 唐人街有很多好吃的餐廳。Tángrénjiē yǒu hěnduō hǎochī de cāntīng.There are many delicious restaurants in Chinatown.
Example conversation
Jun杰 and Jiayi are deciding where to eat lunch.
- 俊杰 Junjie佳怡，我們今天去唐人街吃飯吧。Jiāyí, wǒmen jīntiān qù Tángrénjiē chīfàn ba.Jiayi, let's go to Chinatown to eat today.
- 佳怡 Jiayi好主意，我想吃點道地的點心。Hǎo zhǔyì, wǒ xiǎng chī diǎn dàodì de diǎnxīn.Good idea, I want to eat some authentic dim sum.
- 俊杰 Junjie我知道一家很棒的店。Wǒ zhīdào yī jiā hěn bàng de diàn.I know a great shop.
- 佳怡 Jiayi太好了，俊杰，那我們快走吧。Tài hǎole, Jùnjié, nà wǒmen kuài zǒu ba.Great, Junjie, let's go now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chinatown” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 中國城, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
