白人
bái rén/paɪ̯³⁵ ɻən³⁵/
The English phrase "white guy" can be translated into Chinese as 白人 (bái rén).
白人 is used to refer to a white person. In contrast, the informal term 鬼佬 can be used to mean "foreigner" or "foreign devil", while 白鬼 literally means "white ghost".
How does it change in a sentence?
The term 白人 is gender-neutral and can refer to either a white man or a white woman.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is bái rén. The IPA is /paɪ̯³⁵ ɻən³⁵/.
Did you know?
- In modern internet slang, 白 is used in terms like 小白 'little white' to describe a complete beginner or a 'noob' in a game or hobby, unrelated to ethnicity.
- While 白人 is the standard term, Chinese has a specific concept called 洋人 'ocean person' used in historical texts to describe Westerners before the modern racial categories were adopted.
- In traditional Chinese beauty standards, 白 'white' is associated with high social status and elegance, making the descriptor in 白人 carry an unintentionally positive connotation of purity and nobility.
Examples in context
- 那个白人看起来很友好。Nàge báirén kàn qǐlái hěn yǒuhǎo.That white guy looks very friendly.
- 我见过很多白人住在这里。Wǒ jiànguò hěnduō báirén zhù zài zhèlǐ.I have seen many white guys living here.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a new neighbor.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你看，那个新搬来的邻居是白人。Nǐ kàn, nàgè xīn bān lái de línjū shì báirén.Look, the new neighbor who moved in is a white guy.
- 俊杰 Junjie是对的，他看起来很年轻。Shì duì de, tā kàn qǐlái hěn niánqīng.That's right, he looks very young.
- 佳怡 Jiayi他是不是在说英语？Tā shì bù shì zài shuō yīngyǔ?Is he speaking English?
- 俊杰 Junjie应该是的，毕竟他是白人。Yīnggāi shì de, bìjìng tā shì báirén.He should be, after all, he is a white guy.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 白人, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
