Inklingo
← Dictionary

chinos

/CHEE-nohs/

Chinese people

A diverse group of four smiling adults wearing simple traditional Chinese attire, standing side by side.

Chinos can refer to Chinese people.

chinos(noun)

mA1

Chinese people

?

as a collective noun referring to the inhabitants of China

Also:

Chinese (plural)

?

used as an adjective describing things or people from China

📝 In Action

Los chinos celebran el Año Nuevo Lunar con grandes fiestas.

A1

The Chinese celebrate the Lunar New Year with big parties.

Esta tienda vende productos chinos tradicionales.

A2

This store sells traditional Chinese products.

Hay dos estudiantes chinos nuevos en mi clase.

A1

There are two new Chinese students in my class.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • asiáticos (Asians)

Common Collocations

  • cultura china – Chinese culture

💡 Grammar Points

Nationality Nouns

In Spanish, the name of a nationality (like 'chino') can stand alone as a noun to refer to the people, and it must match the number (plural) and gender of the group.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Capitalization Error

Mistake: "Using 'Chinos' with a capital 'C'."

Correction: In Spanish, nationalities and languages are written in lowercase unless they start a sentence. Write 'chinos'.

A close-up illustration of a person's head showing a mass of thick, small, bouncy, tight curls of dark hair.

In Spanish, chinos means small, tight curls in hair.

chinos(noun)

mA2

curls

?

small, tight curls in hair

Also:

curly hair

?

often used in the phrase 'tener chinos'

📝 In Action

Ella tiene el pelo lleno de chinos naturales.

A2

She has hair full of natural curls.

Me gusta cómo te quedan esos chinos grandes.

B1

I like how those big curls look on you.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • rizos (curls)
  • crespos (kinks/curls (Latin America))

Antonyms

  • liso (straight (hair))

Common Collocations

  • hacerse chinos – to get a perm/to curl one's hair

💡 Grammar Points

Using 'Chinos' for Hair

Even when referring to a person's entire head of curly hair, 'chinos' is usually used in the plural, often with the verb 'tener' (to have).

A simple pair of neatly folded khaki cotton chino trousers resting on a surface.

Chinos also refers to a type of casual cotton trousers.

chinos(noun)

mB1

chinos

?

type of casual cotton trousers, khakis

Also:

khaki pants

?

casual trousers

📝 In Action

Compré unos chinos de color azul marino.

B1

I bought some navy blue chinos.

Los chinos son más elegantes que los vaqueros.

B1

Chinos are dressier than jeans.

Word Connections

Synonyms

💡 Grammar Points

Borrowed Term

This meaning is a direct borrowing from English, referring to the style of trousers originally associated with military uniforms (made from Chinese cotton twill).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: chinos

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'chinos' to mean 'curls'?

📚 More Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

¿Por qué 'chinos' significa tanto 'Chinese people' como 'curls'?

These two meanings are related, but the connection is historical. While the primary meaning is the nationality, 'chinos' became a common informal way to describe curly hair, likely due to historical associations with certain hair textures. Think of it as two separate vocabulary words that happen to share the same spelling.