[General] I am Chinese. vs I am a Chinese.

[TheParser]

NOT A TEACHER


Hello, TaiwanPofLee:

Here in the United States, the following sentences sound mildly offensive to many people:


"He is a Chinese."
"She is a black."
"He is a gay."

Some people theorize that the indefinite article seems to make them appear to be things rather than persons.

 

[J&K Tutoring]

Is the 'Two Chinese' in post #13 natural?

I think the difficulty is in that the plural Chinese and the adjective Chinese are the same. So what?

Two Englishmen are walking with each other- they are English. Two Iraqis are walking with each other- they are Iraqi. Two Russians are walking with each other- they are Russian. Two Thais are walking with each other- they are Thai. In each example, we drop the 's' for the adjective. But wait! Two Swiss are walking with each other- they are Swiss.

We have no problem with Swiss, so why the issue with Chinese?

 

[Matthew Wai]

This Chinese finds it confusing.

 

[coolfool]

First, p349, Practical English Usage, 2nd ed. by Michael Swan, 1996:


Second, p341, Practical English Usage 3rd ed. by Micheal Swan, 2005:


Third, p422, English Usage - Helping learners with real English, Collins COBUILD, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 1992:
country: China
adjective: Chinese
person: a Chinese
people: the Chinese

Fourth, web statistics:


Last but not least, OED:
Chinese: n. A native of China
1878 J. H. Gray China xiv, If a Chinese feared or expected something from a foreigner.

Just wondering if facts speak volumes?

 

[Matthew Wai]

It is difficult to prove it ungrammatical, but native speakers find it unnatural.

 

[GoesStation]

Just wondering if facts speak volumes?

We native speakers find the use of a Chinese unnatural. I'd say that references you supplied are out of date with current usage.

 

[TaiwanPofLee]

Hello TheParser:
Thank you for your practical answer.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Here in the United States, the following sentences sound mildly offensive to many people:

"He is a Chinese."

'He is a Chinese who can speak fluent English.'

I consider it complimentary rather than offensive.

 

[GoesStation]

'He is a Chinese man/boy who can speak fluent English.'

I consider it complimentary rather than offensive.

I can't see it as offensive without "man". It's just not what a native speaker would be likely to say.

 

[Tdol]

Just wondering if facts speak volumes?

Facts also don't speak in a vacuum and times do change. I think that the underlying issue is that Chinese can be used as a nationality and an ethnicity. Today is a time of great sensitivity for such issues and some speakers will avoid it, while others will use it.

 

[coolfool]

2000s: 89,221
1990s: 59,734
1980s: 41,628
1970s: 44,478
1960s: 43,360
...
...

Perhaps I ought to ask myself if I'd place my fragile trust in vivid personal experience or in black and white, hard evidence, and cold data?

 

[Tarheel]

It's up to you.

 

[GoesStation]

The phrase a Chinese is entirely natural when it's followed by a noun. In that case, "Chinese" is an adjective. The phrase a Chinese, with "Chinese" as a demonym, is not. The statistics you've cited from "the web" don't tell us the word that follows "Chinese", so they don't support the contention that a Chinese is an appropriate way to say "a Chinese person".

You're free to use it that way, though. You'll be readily understood.

[EDIT] And, if you're a non-native Anglophone speaking to a native speaker, your use of the phrase will be passed off as a minor example of incomplete fluency.

 

[Tdol]

Perhaps I ought to ask myself if I'd place my fragile trust in vivid personal experience or in black and white, hard evidence, and cold data?

That is your business, but don't expect all native speakers to be following your lead, and I speak as one who sees nothing wrong with the form a Chinese. You are free to make your own choices, just like other speakers. However, is your search sufficiently honed to prove a point? If it doesn't include the period at the end, then it isn't.

 

[coolfool]

Your opinions are highly appreciated.

I never believe I'm able to lead a horse to water, much more to make him drink.

Your doubts are justified. The figures found on the website, of course, aren't precise to the point. Fortunately, they, give or take some, still prove the point to some extent, to say nothing of the growing trend. Somehow, I figure, a little better than the ones without the burden of proof, in my humble book.

As non-native English speaker living outside the English-speaking world, I, for one, would, for the safer reason, prefer to choose to run along the beaten track, if there're no special reasons.

 

[GoesStation]

As non-native English speaker living outside the English-speaking world, I, for one, would, for the safer reason, prefer to choose to run along the beaten track, if there're no special reasons.

In that case, I recommend that you refer to yourself as ​a Chinese person/man/woman.