Chinese (original) (raw)
simple:Chinese When used as an adjective, Chinese refers to anything that is originated from China, e.g., Chinese cuisine.
When the word is used as a noun, it means either:
- the Chinese language
- Zhongguo ren (中國人 or 中国人): which is Chinese in a political sense and includes a person from the People's Republic of China. Whether or not the term includes a person from the Republic of China on Taiwan is a controversial topic and depends on one's political beliefs.
- Hua ren (華人 or 华人): a descendant of Zhongguo ren, including people of any nationality (e.g., Chinese Americans). See ethnic Chinese.
The terms Hua ren and Zhongguo ren are generally used interchangeably within the People's Republic of China and among overseas Chinese in North America. Overseas Chinese in southeast Asia (particularly in Malaysia and Singapore) and supporters of Taiwanese independence within Taiwan make a clear distinction between Hua ren (Chinese in the ethnic sense) and Zhongguo ren (Chinese in the political sense).
When used by non-Chinese, the term has also been used synonymously with the Han Chinese, which is the majority ethnicity (>92%) within China. Some Chinese reject this usage, and conflicts over this particular usage tend to come up in discussions about ethnic minorities.
See also: List of Chinese ethnic groups, List of Chinese people
Other meaning:
- Chinese room, a computer theoretic experiment
- Grauman's Chinese Theater