chinesisch
Chinese
Relates to China, its inhabitants, its culture, or its origin.
EXAMPLE
Die chinesische Mauer ist ein beeindruckendes Bauwerk.
The Great Wall of China is an impressive structure.
chinesisch
Chinese
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Meanings
chinesisch
Chinese
Relates to the Chinese language. It can also be used as a noun in German as 'das Chinesische' (Chinese).
EXAMPLE
Sie lernt seit zwei Jahren chinesisch.
She has been learning Chinese for two years.
Das kommt mir chinesisch vor
It's all Greek to me
A colloquial idiom that expresses that you do not understand something at all, as if it were in a foreign language.
EXAMPLE
Diese mathematische Formel kommt mir chinesisch vor.
This mathematical formula is all Greek to me.
Usage tips
Word formation
The adjective 'chinesisch' (Chinese) is formed from the country name 'China' with the ending '-isch' (-ish). This pattern is used for many adjectives that refer to countries or regions.
EXAMPLE
Ich interessiere mich sehr für die chinesische Kultur.
I am very interested in Chinese culture.
Capitalization
As an adjective before a noun, 'chinesisch' (Chinese) is written in lowercase. When it stands alone as the name of the language, it is treated as a noun and capitalized: 'Chinesisch' (Chinese).
EXAMPLE
Er liest gerne chinesische Gedichte.
He likes reading Chinese poems.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'Das kommt mir chinesisch vor' (it's all Greek to me) means that you do not understand something at all. It is used colloquially when something seems very complicated or incomprehensible.
EXAMPLE
Die Bedienungsanleitung für das neue Gerät kommt mir völlig chinesisch vor.
The user manual for the new device is completely all Greek to me.
Compare with
chinesisch vs Mandarin
Mandarin / mandarin
Both words can refer to the Chinese language. “Chinesisch” is the general term and can refer to different Chinese language varieties. “Der Mandarin,” on the other hand, refers to the specific standard Chinese language. Use “chinesisch” when referring to the language in general, and “Mandarin” for this particular language form.
chinesisch
In unserem Kurs lernen wir chinesisch, ohne uns schon auf eine bestimmte Sprachform festzulegen.
In our course, we are learning Chinese without committing to a particular language variety yet.
Mandarin
Für seine Reise nach China lernt er der Mandarin.
For his trip to China, he is learning Mandarin.
In real life
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