Soy chino
/soi t͡ʃino/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I am chinese" is translated into Spanish as Soy chino.
This phrase is used to identify one's nationality or ethnic origin as being from China.
Which one should you use?
While Soy chino describes your nationality, you can also use Soy de China to say "I am from China", which focuses more on your country of origin.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word chino must agree in gender with the person speaking. If the speaker is female, the adjective changes to china.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying Soy un chino to mean "I am Chinese".
Did you know?
- In certain Latin American dialects, calling someone chino can be a nickname for someone with curly hair, regardless of their heritage.
- In certain South American dialects, the word china has historically been used to refer to a 'servant girl' or 'young woman' via Kichwa/Quechua roots.
- While Soy chino identifies a person, the Spanish word for 'Chinese' is also used as a generic term for any East Asian person, regardless of their actual country.
Examples in context
- Soy chino.I am Chinese.Tatoeba #791807 by Shishir, translation #335138 by CN
- Soy chino y amo a China.I am Chinese and I love China.Tatoeba #12996315 by XZJqz, translation #12996328 by XZJqz
- Soy china de corazón, aunque nací aquí.I am Chinese at heart, even though I was born here.
- Soy chino, pero vivo en Madrid.I am Chinese, but I live in Madrid.
Example conversation
Two people are meeting at an international student party.
- SofíaHola, me llamo Sofía. ¿De dónde eres?Hello, my name is Sofía. Where are you from?
- DanielHola, soy Daniel. Soy chino.Hello, I am Daniel. I am Chinese.
- Sofía¡Qué bien! Bienvenido a la fiesta, Daniel.That's great! Welcome to the party, Daniel.
- DanielMuchas gracias, Sofía.Thank you very much, Sofía.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chino, soy, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
