chica china
/t͡ʃika t͡ʃina/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'chinese girl' is translated into Spanish as chica china.
The phrase is used to refer to a girl or a young woman who is from China or of Chinese descent.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, you might hear chinita instead of chica china.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective china must agree in gender with the noun chica. If you are referring to a group of Chinese women, you can use the plural form chinas.
How do you pronounce it?
/tʃika tʃina/
Did you know?
- Etymologically, the word china is linked to the Quechua word for 'woman'. This suggests that the Spanish term for Chinese people may have been influenced by indigenous South American languages.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, the diminutive chinita is used as a term of endearment for anyone with small or almond-shaped eyes, regardless of whether they are actually of Chinese descent.
- If you are describing an orange in Spanish, you might call it a china, because the fruit is named after its historical Asian origins.
Examples in context
- La chica que conocí en la conferencia es de origen chino.The girl I met at the conference is of Chinese origin.
- La muchacha china que trabaja en la tienda de comestibles es muy amable.The Chinese girl who works at the grocery store is very kind.
- La china que conocí en la fiesta es muy divertida.The Chinese girl I met at the party is very funny.
- Esa chica china es muy amable.That Chinese girl is very kind.
- Vi a una chica china en el museo.I saw a Chinese girl at the museum.
- Ella es una chica china muy inteligente.She is a very intelligent Chinese girl.
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are talking about a new student at school.
- SofíaMira, hay una chica china nueva en la escuela.Look, there is a new Chinese girl at school.
- MateoEs verdad, no la había visto antes.It's true, I hadn't seen her before.
- SofíaCreo que la chica china se llama Mei.I think the Chinese girl is named Mei.
- MateoVamos a saludarla ahora mismo.Let's go say hello to her right now.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries china, CC BY-SA 4.0.
