01
der Chinese
Chinese man
A male person who comes from China or has Chinese citizenship.
example
Unser neuer Geschäftspartner ist ein Chinese aus Shanghai.
Our new business partner is a Chinese man from Shanghai.
der Chinese
Chinese man / Chinese restaurant
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Common mistake: N-declension
'Der Chinese' (the Chinese man) belongs to the N-declension. This means that the word takes the ending '-n' in all cases except the nominative singular. A common mistake is to forget this ending.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe gestern einen Chinesen kennengelernt.
I met a Chinese man yesterday.
Context clue
Whether a person or a restaurant is meant can often be recognized from the preposition. 'Zum Chinesen gehen' (to go to the Chinese restaurant) means to go to a Chinese restaurant. 'Mit einem Chinesen sprechen' (to speak with a Chinese man) refers to a person.
EXAMPLE
Lass uns heute Abend zum Chinesen gehen.
Let's go to the Chinese restaurant tonight.
Register: Colloquial speech
The term 'der Chinese' (the Chinese restaurant) for a restaurant is colloquial. In a more formal context, you would say 'chinesisches Restaurant' (Chinese restaurant).
EXAMPLE
Der Chinese um die Ecke macht super Nudelsuppen.
The Chinese restaurant around the corner makes amazing noodle soups.
Compare with
Chinese vs Asiate
Asian
'der Chinese' and 'der Asiate' can both refer to a male person from Asia. The difference is precision: 'der Chinese' means a man from China or with Chinese citizenship. 'der Asiate' is much more general and can mean a man from any country in Asia. Learners may confuse the words because China is in Asia. If the country China is important, 'Chinese' fits. If only the continent or a general origin from Asia is meant, 'Asiate' fits.
Chinese
Der neue Kollege ist Chinese und kommt aus Shanghai.
The new colleague is Chinese and comes from Shanghai.
Asiate
Im Kurs erzählt ein Asiate von seinem Leben in verschiedenen Ländern.
In the course, an Asian man talks about his life in different countries.
In real life
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