चीनी (chiinii)
noun/adjective
Two distinct everyday senses live under this one spelling: the noun for 'sugar' and the adjective/noun meaning 'Chinese.' They are unrelated in origin and meaning, so treat them as separate words that happen to sound alike.
Sense
1
:
sugar
noun, feminine
Synonyms: शक्कर (shakkar), शक्र (shakr, rare)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In a Delhi-NCR household, offering chai you will almost always be asked कितनी चीनी (kitnii chiinii, 'how much sugar')? -- and answering कम चीनी (kam chiinii, 'less sugar') is such a common health-conscious reply these days that it has become a small social ritual in itself.
Common Mistakes: 1) Do not confuse with चाय (chaay, 'tea') when ordering -- चीनी (chiinii) is the sweetener you add, not a drink. 2) Learners sometimes use बर्फ़ (barf, 'ice/frost') by mistake for sugar because both can look white and granular in casual description -- they are unrelated words.
Sample Sentences:
चाय में कितनी चीनी डालूँ?
How much sugar should I put in the tea?
(chaay men kitnii chiinii daaloon?)
मुझे कम चीनी वाली चाय पसंद है।
I like tea with less sugar.
(mujhe kam chiinii vaalii chaay pasand hai।)
डिब्बे में चीनी खत्म हो गई है।
The sugar in the container has run out.
(dibbe men chiinii khatm ho gaii hai।)
कृपया बाज़ार से एक किलो चीनी ले आइए।
Please bring a kilo of sugar from the market.
(kripyaa baazaar se ek kilo chiinii le aaie।)
अगर घर में चीनी होती, तो मैं हलवा बना लेता।
If there were sugar at home, I would have made halwa.
(agar ghar men chiinii hotii, to main halvaa banaa letaa।)
डॉक्टर ने कहा है कि चीनी कम खाई जाए।
The doctor has said that sugar should be eaten less.
(doktar ne kahaa hai ki chiinii kam khaaii jaae।)
चीनी की कीमतें इस महीने फिर बढ़ गईं।
Sugar prices went up again this month.
(chiinii kii kiimten is mahiine phir badh gaiin।)
मेरी दादी हमेशा कहती हैं, "बेटा, ज़्यादा चीनी सेहत के लिए ठीक नहीं।"
My grandmother always says, "Son, too much sugar isn't good for your health."
(merii daadii hameshaa kahtii hain, "betaa, zyaadaa chiinii sehat ke lie thiik nahiin।")
मेहमान से पूछा गया, "कितनी चीनी?"
The guest was asked, "How much sugar?"
(mehmaan se poochhaa gayaa, "kitnii chiinii?")
इस मिठाई में चीनी बिल्कुल नहीं डाली जाती।
No sugar at all is added to this sweet.
(is mithaaii men chiinii bilkul nahiin daalii jaatii।)
चीनी की थैली रखते समय ढक्कन ज़रूर बंद रखना।
While putting away the sugar bag, do keep the lid closed.
(chiinii kii thailii rakhte samay dhakkan zaroor band rakhnaa।)
Sense
2
:
Chinese (relating to China)
adjective Functions as an invariant adjective describing nationality or origin, e.g. चीनी खाना (chiinii khaanaa, 'Chinese food'), चीनी भाषा (chiinii bhaashaa, 'Chinese language').
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: चीनी खाना (chiinii khaanaa, 'Chinese food') is everywhere in Indian cities as its own hybridized cuisine (chilli chicken, Manchurian, hakka noodles) -- so when someone says चीनी खाना खाते हैं (chiinii khaanaa khaate hain, 'let's eat Chinese food'), they usually mean the Indian-Chinese version, not authentic Chinese cooking.
Common Mistakes: 1) Unlike most nationality words, चीनी (chiinii) does not change form for gender or number -- चीनी लड़की (chiinii ladkii) and चीनी लड़के (chiinii ladke) both keep the same spelling.
Sample Sentences:
आज रात चीनी खाना खाते हैं।
Let's eat Chinese food tonight.
(aaj raat chiinii khaanaa khaate hain।)
मुझे चीनी भाषा सीखनी है।
I want to learn the Chinese language.
(mujhe chiinii bhaashaa siikhnii hai।)
यह चीनी कंपनी भारत में बहुत बड़ा निवेश कर रही है।
This Chinese company is making a very large investment in India.
(yah chiinii kampnii bhaarat men bahut badaa nivesh kar rahii hai।)
उसने चीनी दीवार की तस्वीरें दिखाई।
He showed pictures of the Chinese wall.
(usne chiinii diivaar kii tasviiren dikhaaii।)
अगर मैं चीनी संस्कृति के बारे में पढ़ता तो शायद बीजिंग जाता।
If I had studied Chinese culture, I might have gone to Beijing.
(agar main chiinii sanskriti ke baare men padhtaa to shaayad biijing jaataa।)
चीनी सामान बाज़ार में सबसे सस्ता मिलता है।
Chinese goods are found the cheapest in the market.
(chiinii saamaan baazaar men sabse sastaa miltaa hai।)
कृपया चीनी मसाले थोड़े कम डालिए, तीखे बहुत होते हैं।
Please put in a little less Chinese spice, it's very spicy.
(kripyaa chiinii masaale thode kam daalie, tiikhe bahut hote hain।)
क्या तुमने कभी चीनी नाटक देखा है?
Have you ever watched a Chinese play?
(kyaa tumne kabhii chiinii naatak dekhaa hai?)
चीनी सीमा पर तनाव को लेकर बैठक बुलाई गई।
A meeting was called regarding the tension at the Chinese border.
(chiinii siimaa par tanaav ko lekar baithak bulaaii gaii।)
शायद वह चीनी रेस्टोरेंट अब बंद हो गया हो।
That Chinese restaurant may have closed down by now.
(shaayad vah chiinii restorent ab band ho gayaa ho।)
अगली बार हम चीनी फिल्म देखने चलेंगे।
Next time we'll go watch a Chinese film.
(aglii baar ham chiinii philm dekhne chalenge।)
Sense
3
:
a Chinese person
noun, masculine/feminine Used as a noun referring to a person of Chinese nationality/ethnicity, e.g. वह चीनी है (vah chiinii hai, 'he/she is Chinese').
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This noun use shares its form with the adjective sense above -- context tells you whether चीनी (chiinii) points at a person or describes a thing.
Sample Sentences:
वह चीनी है, जापानी नहीं।
He is Chinese, not Japanese.
(vah chiinii hai, jaapaanii nahiin।)
मेरी नई पड़ोसी एक चीनी है।
My new neighbor is a Chinese woman.
(merii naii padosii ek chiinii hai।)
उस रेस्टोरेंट में एक चीनी खाना बनाता है।
A Chinese man cooks at that restaurant.
(us restorent men ek chiinii khaanaa banaataa hai।)
कल कॉन्फ्रेंस में मैं एक चीनी से मिला।
Yesterday at the conference I met a Chinese man.
(kal konphrens men main ek chiinii se milaa।)
अगर वह चीनी होता, तो मंदारिन बोलता।
If he were Chinese, he would speak Mandarin.
(agar vah chiinii hotaa, to mandaarin boltaa।)
उस समय बहुत सारे चीनी यहाँ व्यापार के लिए आ रहे थे।
At that time many Chinese people were coming here for trade.
(us samay bahut saare chiinii yahaan vyaapaar ke lie aa rahe the।)
क्या तुम्हें कोई चीनी जानती हो जो हिंदी बोलती हो?
Do you know any Chinese woman who speaks Hindi?
(kyaa tumhen koii chiinii jaantii ho jo hindii boltii ho?)
यह मूर्ति एक प्रसिद्ध चीनी द्वारा बनाई गई थी।
This statue was made by a famous Chinese person.
(yah moorti ek prasiddh chiinii dvaaraa banaaii gaii thii।)
उम्मीद है कि वह चीनी हमें रास्ता समझा सके।
Hopefully that Chinese person can explain the way to us.
(ummiid hai ki vah chiinii hamen raastaa samjhaa sake।)
राजदूत ने घोषणा की कि प्रतिनिधिमंडल में तीन चीनी शामिल थे।
The ambassador announced that three Chinese people were part of the delegation.
(raajdoot ne ghoshnaa kii ki pratinidhimandal men tiin chiinii shaamil the।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
चीनी
(chiinii)
(sg.f.oblique):
चीनी
(chiinii)
(pl.f.direct):
चीनियाँ
(chiiniyaan)
(pl.f.oblique):
चीनियों
(chiiniyon)
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
चीनी
(chiinii)