Chinesisch
/çiˈneːzɪʃ/neuter
In German, 'chinese' can be translated as Chinesisch. Wiktionary also lists chinesische Sprache.
Meaning: the standard language of China (name)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Chinesisch | /çiˈneːzɪʃ/ | neuter |
| chinesische Sprache | neuter |
The term refers to the standard language of China. You can use the noun Chinesisch or the phrase chinesische Sprache to denote the language itself.
Which one should you use?
The capitalized noun Chinesisch refers to the language, whereas the lowercase adjective chinesisch refers to things of Chinese origin, such as food or culture.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as an adjective to describe food or cuisine, the word is often written in lowercase.
How do you pronounce it?
/çiˈneːzɪʃ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly capitalize the adjective chinesisch in German, but unlike English, German adjectives are generally lowercase unless they are part of a proper name or at the start of a sentence.
Did you know?
- In German, the phrase das ist Chinesisch für mich is used idiomatically to mean that something is completely incomprehensible, similar to the English 'it's Greek to me'.
- A German speaker might refer to Hochchinesisch to describe the formal standard language, but the word is also used as a slang term for overly complex or jargon-heavy speech.
- When describing Chinese food, Germans use chinesisch as an adjective, but they often use the compound noun China-Imbiss to refer to a quick-service Chinese snack shop.
Examples in context
- Er kann gut Chinesisch.He's good at speaking Chinese.This sentence shows how to express proficiency in the language using Chinesisch.Tatoeba #13235005 by Waldelfe, translation #12920546 by Conjuice
- Isst du gern chinesisch?Do you like Chinese cuisine?This example uses chinesisch as an adjective to refer to cuisine.Tatoeba #12139259 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #3429406 by esso
- Denn ich kann Chinesisch.The reason is because I can speak Chinese.This sentence uses Chinesisch to indicate the ability to speak the language.Tatoeba #966078 by Sudajaengi, translation #24654 by Objectivesea
- Die chinesische Kultur ist faszinierend.The Chinese culture is fascinating.
- 397 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sarah and Lukas are discussing their language learning hobbies.
- SarahLernst du gerade Chinesisch?Are you learning Chinese right now?
- LukasJa, Chinesisch ist sehr schwer.Yes, Chinese is very difficult.
- SarahDas verstehe ich, Lukas.I understand that, Lukas.
- LukasAber es macht viel Spaß.But it is a lot of fun.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chinese” translations and entries Chinesisch, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
