cinese
/t͡ʃiˈne.ze/masculine
cinese is the Italian word for Chinese.
The word cinese refers to the standard language of China. It is also used as an adjective to describe anything relating to China, its people or its culture. For example, you can use cibo cinese to refer to Chinese food.
Meaning: the standard language of China (name)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using cinese as a noun to refer to a person, it is typically used with an article, such as il cinese for a Chinese man or la cinese for a Chinese woman. You may also encounter the term Il dialetto cinese when referring to regional Chinese dialects.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable: /tʃiˈne.ze/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Unlike English, where adjectives for nationalities are capitalized, you should not capitalize cinese in Italian unless it is the first word of a sentence.
Did you know?
- While cinese refers to the language, Italians often use the word mandarino specifically when discussing the linguistic features of Mandarin as opposed to other regional varieties.
- The suffix '-ese' in cinese is a linguistic relative of the English suffix '-ese' found in words like 'Japanese' or 'Portuguese'.
- In a formal context, if you refer to 'the Chinese' as a group, you must use the plural masculine i cinesi, even if the group contains women.
Examples in context
- È un nome cinese.It's a Chinese name.This sentence shows how to use cinese to describe a name.Tatoeba #5927245 by Guybrush88, translation #5927082 by mailohilohi
- Mia moglie è cinese.My wife is Chinese.This sentence uses cinese to describe a person's nationality.Tatoeba #379139 by Pharamp, translation #250912 by CN
- Liu Xiaobo è cinese.Liu Xiaobo is Chinese.Tatoeba #826741 by Guybrush88, translation #826728 by CN
- Sto imparando la lingua cineseI am learning the Chinese language
- Puoi parlare la lingua mandarina?Can you speak Mandarin?
- Sto imparando il cineseI am learning Chinese
- Conosci il mandarino?Do you know Mandarin?
- Vorrei ordinare un piatto di cibo cinese, per favore.I would like to order a Chinese dish, please.
- Sai parlare il cinese? Ho bisogno di aiuto con la mia lezione di mandarino.Can you speak Chinese? I need help with my Mandarin lesson.
- La lingua cinese è considerata una delle più difficili al mondo.The Chinese language is considered one of the most challenging in the world.
- 454 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Chiara are discussing a book in a cafe.
- MatteoQuesto libro è in cinese?Is this book in Chinese?
- ChiaraSì, è un testo cinese molto antico.Yes, it is a very ancient Chinese text.
- MatteoIl cinese sembra una lingua difficile.Chinese seems like a difficult language.
- ChiaraSì, ma è affascinante.Yes, but it is fascinating.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chinese” translations and entries cinese, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cinese, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
