View source for Chinglish

{{Short description|English that is influenced by a Chinese language}}
{{About|Chinese English|the play|Chinglish (play)}}
{{Distinguish|English education in China}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2025}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = Chinglish
| acceptance       = 
| image            = GuilinChinglish2007.jpg
| imagesize        = <!-- or image_size -->
| imagealt         = 
| imagecaption     = A 2007 warning sign in [[Guilin]] states in Chinese: "(When there are) thunderstorms / Please do not climb the mountain."
| pronunciation    = 
| states           = PRC and ROC
| region           = East Asia
| speakers         = 
| dateprefix       = 
| refname          = 
| revived          = 
| revived-category = <!-- or revived-cat -->
| familycolor      = Indo-European
| fam2             = [[Germanic languages|Germanic]]
| fam3             = [[West Germanic languages|West Germanic]]
| fam4             = [[North Sea Germanic|Ingvaeonic]]
| fam5             = [[Anglo-Frisian languages|Anglo–Frisian]]
| fam6             = [[Anglic languages|Anglic]]
| fam7             = English
| ancestor         = [[Old English]]
| ancestor2        = [[Middle English]]
| ancestor3        = [[Early Modern English]]
| script           = [[Latin script|Latin]] (English alphabet)
| dialects         = 
| listclass        = 
| dia1             = 
| dia2             = <!-- up to dia20 -->
| sign             = 
| nation           = 
| minority         = 
| isoexception     = 
| linglist         = 
| lingname         = 
| glotto           = 
| glottoname       = 
| glottofoot       = 
| glottorefname    = Chinglish
| aiatsis          = 
| aiatsisname      = 
| ietf             = 
| map              = [[File:CHN orthographic.svg|150px]]
| mapsize          = 
| mapalt           = 
| mapcaption       = Map of China. Territory controlled by the People's Republic of China shown in dark green; territory [[Territorial disputes of the People's Republic of China|claimed but not controlled]] is shown in light green.
| map2             = 
| mapalt2          = 
| mapcaption2      = 
| notice           = IPA
| altname          = Chinese English, China English, Engrish, Sinicized English
}}
{{Infobox Chinese
| t = 中式英文
| s = 中式英文
| p = zhōng shì yīngwén
| l = Chinese Style English
}}
'''Chinglish''' is slang for spoken or written English language that is either influenced by a Chinese language, or is poorly translated.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Jing |first=Xiao |last2=Zuo |first2=Niannian |date=August 2006 |title=Chinglish in the oral work of non-English majors |url=http://www.celea.org.cn/teic/68/68-15.pdf |journal=CELEA Journal |volume=29 |issue=4 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707050224/http://www.celea.org.cn/teic/68/68-15.pdf |archive-date=7 July 2011}}</ref> In [[Hong Kong]], [[Macau]], [[Guangdong]] and [[Guangxi]], the term "Chinglish" refers mainly to [[Cantonese]]-influenced English. This term is commonly applied to [[Grammar|ungrammatical]] or [[Nonsense|nonsensical]] English in Chinese contexts, and may have [[pejorative]] or [[Deprecation|deprecating]] connotations.<ref>Nury Vittachi (2000) From Yinglish to sado-mastication. World Englishes 19 (3), 405–414 {{doi|10.1111/1467-971X.00189}}</ref> Chinglish also has its cultural impact, as seen in movies, TV shows, daily life and so on. It is used intentionally as a form of self-expression or as slang among Chinese speakers, playing a significant role in shaping their sense of identity. Other terms used to describe the phenomenon include "Chinese English", "China English", "[[Engrish]]" and "Sinicized English".<ref name="Deyuan 2009">He, Deyuan & Li, David C.S. (2009). Language attitudes and linguistic features in the 'China English' debate. World Englishes Vol. 28, No. 1</ref> The degree to which a Chinese [[Variety (linguistics)|variety]] of English exists or can be considered legitimate is still up for debate.<ref name="Hu 2004">Hu, Xiaoqiong. (2004). "Why China English should stand alongside British, American, and the other ‘world Englishes’." English Today. 78 (20.2). 26–33</ref>

==Terminology==
[[File:Tiger Hill Pagoda Sign.JPG|thumb|right|A 2010 sign on the wall surrounding the [[Tiger Hill Pagoda]] warning tourists not to climb up. {{literal translation|Protect cultural heritages / climbing [is] dangerous.}}]]
The English word ''Chinglish'' is a [[portmanteau]] of ''Chinese'' and ''English''. The Chinese equivalent is ''Zhōngshì Yīngyǔ'' ({{lang-zh|t=中式英語|s=中式英语| l=Chinese-style English}}).

Chinglish can be compared with other [[interlanguage]] varieties of English, such as [[Britalian]] (from Italian), [[Czenglish]] (from Czech), [[Denglisch]] (German), [[Dunglish]] (Dutch), [[Franglais]] (French),
[[Greeklish]] (Greek), [[Manglish]] (Malaysia), [[Runglish]] (Russian),
[[Spanglish]] (Spanish), [[Swenglish]] (Swedish), [[Hunglish]] (Hungarian), [[Hebglish|Hebrish]] (Hebrew), [[Engrish]] (Japanese), [[Hinglish]] ([[Hindi language|Hindi]]), [[Konglish]] (Korean), [[Taglish]] ([[Tagalog language|Tagalog]]), [[Bislish]] ([[Visayan languages|Visayan]]), [[Singlish]] (in Singapore), [[Ponglish]] (Polish) and [[Tinglish]] (Thai).

The ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' defines the [[noun]] and [[adjective]].
<blockquote> '''Chinglish''', ''n. and a. colloq.'' (freq. ''depreciative''). Brit. /ˈtʃɪŋglɪʃ/, U.S. /ˈtʃɪŋ(g)lɪʃ/. Forms: 19– '''Chinglish''', 19– '''Chenglish''' [rare]. [Blend of Chinese ''n''. and English ''n''. Compare earlier Japlish ''n''., Spanglish ''n''. Compare also Hinglish ''n.2'', Singlish ''n.2'']

'''A.''' ''n''. A mixture of Chinese and English; esp. a variety of English used by speakers of Chinese or in a bilingual Chinese and English context, typically incorporating some Chinese vocabulary or constructions, or English terms specific to a Chinese context. Also: the vocabulary of, or an individual word from, such a variety. Cf. Singlish n.2

'''B''' ''adj''. Of or relating to Chinglish; expressed in Chinglish.<ref>''Oxford English Dictionary'' online edition, 2004.</ref></blockquote>
This dictionary cites the earliest recorded usage of ''Chinglish'' (noted as a [[jocular]] term) in 1957 and of ''Chinese English'' in 1857.<ref>Maurice Freedman (1957, 1970). [https://books.google.com/books?id=QChBAAAAIAAJ ''Chinese Family and Marriage in Singapore''], Johnson Reprint Corp., p. 101. "The noun ‘keep’ is sometimes used in Chinese-English. [Note] Sometimes jocularly referred to as ‘Chinglish’." S.v., ''lingua''. [[Matthew C. Perry]] and Robert Tomes (1857). [https://books.google.com/books?id=Zr1MAAAAYAAJ ''The Americans in Japan: an abridgment of the government narrative of the U.S. expedition to Japan'']. D. Appelton. p. 179. "Many of the women speak a little of the lingua called Chinese English, or, in the cant phrase, pigeon {{sic}}."</ref> However, ''Chinglish'' has been found to date from as early as 1936, making it one of the earliest portmanteau words for a hybrid variety of English.<ref>Lambert, James. 2018. A multitude of ‘lishes’: The nomenclature of hybridity. ''English World-wide'', 39(1): 14. {{doi| 10.1075/eww.38.3.04lam}}</ref> Other colloquial portmanteau words for Chinese English include: ''Chenglish'' (recorded from 1979), ''Chinlish'' (1996), ''Chinenglish'' (1997), ''Changlish'' (2000) and ''Chinelish'' (2006).<ref>Lambert, James. 2018. A multitude of ‘lishes’: The nomenclature of hybridity. ''English World-wide'', 39(1): 23. {{doi| 10.1075/eww.38.3.04lam}}</ref>

[[File:Vocabulary, Silk Market, Beijing, China.jpg|thumb|right|300px|A 2007 sign from Beijing's [[Silk Street]], giving translations of common English phrases vendors may use when serving English speaking customers, as well as phrases advised against.]]
Chinglish commonly refers to a mixture of English with [[Modern Standard Mandarin]], but it occasionally refers to mixtures with [[Cantonese]],<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121105023831/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-18046164.html "Foreign tongues: Hong Kong.(corruption of English and Chinese in Hong Kong)"] ''The Economist'' 2 March 1996.</ref> [[Shanghainese]] and [[Taiwanese Hokkien]].<ref>Daniel J. Bauer, [https://web.archive.org/web/20110612132850/http://www.chinapost.com.tw/commentary/the-china-post/daniel-j.-bauer/2009/05/10/207500/Chinglish-a.htm "Chinglish a problem for teachers"], ''The China Post'' 10 May 2009.</ref>

Chinglish contrasts with some related terms. [[Chinese Pidgin English]] was a [[lingua franca]] that originated in the 17th century. ''Zhonglish,'' a term for Chinese influenced by English, is a portmanteau of {{lang|zh-Latn|Zhōngwén}} ({{zhi |c=[[Wikt:中文|中文]] |l=Chinese language}}) and "English".<ref>[[Victor Mair]], [http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=1108 "Xinhua English and Zhonglish"], Language Log, 4 February 2009.</ref><ref>[[Victor Mair]], [http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=2382 "Zhonglish: a high-impact ride?"], Language Log, 13 June 2010.</ref>

Some peculiar Chinese English cannot be labeled Chinglish because it is grammatically correct, and [[Victor Mair]] calls this emerging dialect "Xinhua English or New China News English", based on the [[Xinhua News Agency]]. Take for instance, this headline: "China lodges solemn representation over Japan's permission for [[Rebiya Kadeer]]'s visit". This unusual English phrase literally translates the original Chinese {{lang|zh-Latn|tíchū yánzhèng jiāoshè
}} ({{zhi |t=提出嚴正交涉 |l=lodge solemn representation}}), combining {{lang|zh-Latn|tíchū}} "put forward; raise; pose bring up", {{lang|zh-Latn|yánzhèng}} "serious; stern; unyielding; solemn", and {{lang|zh-Latn|jiāoshè}} "mutual relations; negotiation; representation".<ref>[[Victor Mair]], [http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=1610 "Protests, Complaints, and Representations"], Language Log, 29 July 2009.</ref> "Pure Chinese" is an odd English locution in a Web advertisement: "{{lang|zh-hant|孔子学院}}/ CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE/ Teach you pure Chinese." This {{lang|zh-Latn|Kǒngzǐ Xuéyuàn}} ({{lang|zh-hant|孔子学院}}) is Chinese for the [[Confucius Institute]], but Mair notes that "pure Chinese" curiously implies "impure Chinese".<ref>[[Victor Mair]], [http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=2589 "Pure Chinese?"], Language Log, 28 August 2010.</ref>

One author divides Chinglish into "instrumental" and "ornamental" categories. "Instrumental Chinglish is actually intended to convey information to English speakers. Ornamental Chinglish is born of the fact that English is the [[lingua franca]] of [[Cool (aesthetic)|coolness]]. Meaning aside, any combination of roman letters elevates a commodity – khaki pants, toilet paper, potato chips – to a higher plane of chic by suggesting that the product is geared toward an international audience."<ref>Abigail Lavin (2008), [https://web.archive.org/web/20181215013122/https://www.weeklystandard.com/abigail-lavin/feudal-to-translate "Feudal to Translate"], ''Weekly Standard'' 31 March 2008.</ref>

== History ==
[[File:Wom's bathing box.jpg|thumb|right|A 2013 sign on a lady's changing room, writing "Wom's Bathing Box".]]
English first arrived in China in 1637, when British traders reached Hong Kong, Macau and [[Guangzhou]] (Canton).<ref>Yamuna Kachru and Cecil L. Nelson (2006), ''World Englishes in Asian Contexts''. Hong Kong University Press, p. 157.</ref> In the 17th century, [[Chinese Pidgin English]] originated as a lingua franca for trade between British people and mostly Cantonese-speaking Chinese people. This proto-Chinglish term "[[Wikt:pidgin|pidgin]]" originated as a Chinese mispronunciation of the English word "business".<ref>{{Citation |title=Online Etymology Dictionary |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=pidgin&searchmode=or}}</ref> Following the [[First Opium War|First]] and [[Second Opium War]] between 1839 and 1842, Pidgin English spread north to Shanghai and other [[treaty ports]].<ref>Kachru and Nelson (2006), p. 158.</ref> Pidgin usage began to decline in the late 19th century when Chinese and missionary schools began teaching [[Standard English]].<ref name="McArthur">McArthur, Tom. (2002). ''Oxford Guide to World English''. Oxford: Oxford University Press.</ref> In 1982, the People's Republic of China made English the main foreign language in education.<ref>Lam, A. (2002). English in education in China: policy changes and learners’. experiences. World Englishes, 21(2), 245–256</ref> The spelling of words in Chinese education follows British English standards, while the pronunciation in the tape recording adheres to American English.<ref>{{Cite web |title=人教版英语教材是英式英语还是美式英语？_百度知道 |url=https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/2010927431518671068.html |access-date=25 January 2024 |website=zhidao.baidu.com}}</ref> Current estimates for the number of English learners in China range from 300 to 500 million.<ref>McArthur (2002)</ref>

Chinglish may have influenced some English expressions that are "[[calques]]" or "loan translations" from [[Chinese Pidgin English]], for instance, "[[Lose face#English|lose face]]" derives from {{lang|zh-Latn|diūliǎn}} {{zhi |s=[[Wikt:丟脸|丟脸]] |l=lose face; be humiliated}}. Some sources claim "[[Long time no see (phrase)|long time no see]]" is a Chinglish calque from {{lang|zh-Latn|hǎojiǔbújiàn}} {{zhi |s=[[Wikt:好久不见|好久不见]] |l=long time no see}}.<ref name="NYT1">{{Cite web |last=Andrew Jacobs |author-link=Andrew Jacobs (journalist) |date=2 May 2010 |title=Shanghai Is Trying to Untangle the Mangled English of Chinglish |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/03/world/asia/03chinglish.html |access-date=5 August 2010 |website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> More reliable references note this jocular [[American English]] phrase "used as a greeting after prolonged separation" was first recorded in 1900 for a [[Native Americans in the United State|Native American]]'s speech, and thus more likely derives from [[American Indian Pidgin English]].<ref>'''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'', online edition, 2004, s.v. '''long''', a., 7.c.</ref><ref>Eric Partridge, Tom Dalzell, Terry Victor (2006). ''The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English: J-Z'', p. 1229.</ref>

Chinese officials carried out campaigns to reduce Chinglish in preparation for the [[2008 Summer Olympics]] in Beijing and the [[Expo 2010]] in Shanghai.

[[File:Shenzhen River chinglish warning sign.JPG|thumb|right|A 2013 warning sign in [[Shenzhen]], Guangdong in Chinese: "Danger, deep water / no swimming."]]
Soon after Beijing was awarded the 2008 Summer Olympics in 2001, the Beijing Tourism Bureau established a tipster [[hotline]] for Chinglish errors on signs, such as emergency exits at the [[Beijing Capital International Airport]] reading "No entry on peacetime".<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6052800.stm BBC News (2006/10/15) – Beijing stamps out poor English]</ref> In 2007, the Beijing Speaks Foreign Languages Program (BSFLP) reported they had, "worked out 4,624 pieces of standard English translations to substitute the Chinglish ones on signs around the city", for instance, "Be careful, road slippery" instead of "To take notice of safe: The slippery are very crafty."  BSFLP chairperson Chen Lin said, "We want everything to be correct. Grammar, words, culture, everything. Beijing will have thousands of visitors coming. We don't want anyone laughing at us."<ref>[http://en.beijing2008.cn/98/20/article214022098.shtml Beijing getting rid of badly translate signs] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120930000343/http://en.beijing2008.cn/98/20/article214022098.shtml |date=30 September 2012 }} {{sic}}, ''China Daily'' 27 February 2007. In addition, this article misspells "Chinglis".</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stanway |first=David |date=7 August 2008 |title=Beijing pushes for language victory |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2008/aug/08/chinglish.olympics |access-date=4 March 2018 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref> Reporting from Beijing, [[Ben Macintyre]] lamented the loss of signs like "Show Mercy to the Slender Grass" because, "many of the best examples of Chinglish are delightful, reflecting the inventiveness that results when two such different languages collide".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110615170358/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article4539043.ece Who could resist the temptation of a plate of worm pig stomach?], ''The Times'' 15 August 2008.</ref> The [[Global Language Monitor]] doubted that Beijing's attempt to eradicate Chinglish could succeed, noting that "attempting to map a precise ideogram to any particular word in the million-word English lexicon is a nearly impossible task", and pointing out that the Games' official website contained the phrase "we share the charm and joy of the Olympic Games" (using "charm" as a [[transitive verb]]).<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 July 2008 |title=Chinglish – The Global Language Monitor |url=https://www.languagemonitor.com/global-english/chinglish/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161216160008/http://www.languagemonitor.com/global-english/chinglish/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=16 December 2016 |access-date=4 March 2018 |website=The Global Language Monitor |language=en}}</ref>

In Shanghai, for Expo 2010, a similar effort was made to replace Chinglish signs. A ''[[New York Times]]'' article by [[Andrew Jacobs (journalist)|Andrew Jacobs]]<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/05/03/world/asia/20100503_CHINGLISH.html A Sampling of Chinglish], ''The New York Times'', 2 May 2010.</ref> reported on accomplishments by the Shanghai Commission for the Management of Language Use. "Fortified by an army of 600 volunteers and a politburo of adroit English speakers, the commission has fixed more than 10,000 public signs (farewell "Teliot" and "urine district"), rewritten English-language historical placards and helped hundreds of restaurants recast offerings."<ref>Jacobs (2010).</ref> [[James Fallows]] attributed many Shanghai Chinglish errors to "rote reliance on dictionaries or translation software", citing a bilingual sign reading "{{lang|zh|餐厅}} Translate server error" ({{lang|zh-Latn|cāntīng}}; {{lang|zh|餐厅}} means "dining room; restaurant"). While conceding that "there's something undeniably [[Colonel Blimp]]-ish in making fun of the locals for their flawed command of your own mother tongue", Fallows observed a Shanghai museum with "Three Georges Exhibit" banners advertising a [[Three Gorges Dam]] exhibit, and wrote, "it truly is bizarre that so many ''organizations'' in China are willing to chisel English translations into stone, paint them on signs, print them on business cards, and expose them permanently to the world without making any effort to check whether they are right."<ref>James Fallows, [https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2008/08/uncle-or-let-apos-s-make-that/8641/ "Uncle! Or let's make that, 叔叔!"], The Atlantic, 6 August 2010</ref> On a Chinese airplane, Fallows was given a [[wet wipe]] labeled "Wet turban needless wash", translating {{lang|zh-Latn|miǎn xǐ shī jīn}} ({{zhi |s=免洗湿巾 |l=wash-free moist towel}}).<ref>Mark Lieberman, [http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=443 "Wet turban needless wash"], Language Log, 5 August 2010.</ref> Shanghai's [[Luwan District]] published a controversial "Bilingual Instruction of Luwan District for Expo" phrasebook with English terms and Chinese characters approximating pronunciation: "Good morning! ({{lang|zh-hans|古得猫宁}})" [pronounced {{lang|zh-Latn|gǔ dé māo níng}}] (which could be literally translated as "ancient cat tranquility") and "I'm sorry ({{lang|zh-hans|爱么搔瑞}})" [{{lang|zh-Latn|ài me saō ruì}}] (which is nonsensical).<ref>[http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90782/6874818.html Chinglish booklet stirs debate ahead of Expo], People's Daily Online 21 January 2010.</ref>

Chinglish is pervasive in present-day China "on public notices in parks and at tourist sites, on shop names and in their slogans, in product advertisements and on packages, in hotel names and literature, in restaurant names and on menus, at airports, railway stations and in taxis, on street and highway signs – even in official tourist literature."<ref>Huimei Liu, Frank Feather, and Wei Qian (2004), [http://www.linguist.org.cn/doc/uc200410/uc20041003.doc Lost in Translation: Millions of Tourists to China are Confused by a Myriad of "Chinglish" Misinterpretations] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060513213743/http://www.linguist.org.cn/doc/uc200410/uc20041003.doc |date=13 May 2006 }}, US-China Foreign Language 2.10, p. 17.</ref>

[[File:Chinglish in a Chinese hospital.jpg|thumb|right|A 2014 sign in a Chinese hospital uses the term "cunt examination" for "vulvar examination".]]
The Global Language Monitor predicts Chinglish will thrive, and estimates that roughly 20 percent of new English words derive from Chinglish, for instance, [[shanzhai]] ({{zhi |c=山寨 |l=mountain stronghold; mountain village}}) meaning "counterfeit consumer goods; things done in parody"<ref>[http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200602/06/eng20060206_240568.html Global Language Monitor: Many Chinglish into English], People's Daily Online, 7 February 2006.</ref> — Huang Youyi, president of the [[China Internet Information Center]], predicts that [[linguistic purism]] could be damaged by popular [[Chinese words of English origin]] (such as ''[[Okay|OK]]'' and ''[[LOL]]''). "If we do not pay attention and we do not take measures to stop Chinese mingling with English, Chinese will no longer be a pure language in a couple of years."<ref>Malcolm Moore, [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/7441934/Chinese-language-damaged-by-invasion-of-English-words.html "Chinese language 'damaged by invasion of English words'"], The Telegraph, 15 March 2010.</ref>

Specifying Chinglish to mean "Chinese words [[literal translation|literally translated]] into English", an experiment in linguistic clarity conducted by Han and Ginsberg (2001) found that mathematical terms are more readily understandable in Chinglish than English.<ref>Yi Han and Herbert P. Ginsberg (2001), "Chinese and English Mathematics Language: The Relation Between Linguistic Clarity and Mathematics Performance", ''Mathematical Thinking and Learning'' 3, pp. 201–220.</ref> English words for mathematics typically have [[Greek and Latin roots in English|Greek and Latin roots]], while corresponding Chinese words are usually [[Translation of neologisms into Chinese|translations of neologisms]] from Western languages; thus [[quadrilateral]] (from Latin ''quadri-'' "four" and ''latus'' "sided") is generally less informative than Chinese {{lang|zh-Latn|sìbiānxíng}} {{zhi |s=四边形 |l=four-side-shape}}). For example, compare the semantic clarity of English [[axiom]], Chinese {{lang|zh-Latn|gōnglǐ}} {{lang|zh|公理}}, and Chinglish (literal translation) "universal-principle"; [[median]], {{lang|zh-Latn|zhōngshù}} {{lang|zh-hans|中数}}, and "centre-number"; or [[trapezoid]], {{lang|zh-Latn|tīxíng}} {{lang|zh|梯形}}, and "ladder-figure". The study involved three groups of mathematics teachers who rated the clarity of 71 common mathematical terms.  Group 1 with native speakers of Chinese judged 61% of the Chinese terms as clear; Group 2 with native speakers of English judged 45% of the English terms as clear. Group 3 with English-speaking teachers (both native and nonnative speakers) judged the comparative clarity of English and Chinglish word pairs: more clear for 42.3% of the Chinglish and 5.6% of the English, equally clear for 25.4% of the Chinglish-English pairs, and neither clear for 19.7%.

In 2017, the Government of the People's Republic of China introduced the national standard for its English translations to replace Chinglish. This took effect on 1 December of that year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 June 2017 |title=Farewell to 'Chinglish' signs as China cracks down? |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2099518/slippery-will-no-longer-be-crafty-china-cracks-down-bad-english}}</ref>

== Features ==
[[File:Fujian 021.jpg|thumb|right|A 2007 sign in [[Fujian]] advising people not to step on the grass: "Together let's protect the greenery."]]

Chinglish is the combination of the Chinese culture and the English language. China English has linguistic characteristics that are different from the normative English in all linguistic levels, including [[phonology]], [[lexicon]], [[syntax]], and [[discourse]].<ref name="educ.utas.edu.au">Pingxia, Liu, and Quynh Lê. "China English and Its Linguistic Features." Ed. Thao Lê. Language, Society and Culture Journal 25 (2008): n. pag. Web. 6 August 2014. <{{Cite web |title=Archived copy |url=http://www.educ.utas.edu.au/users/tle/journal/issues/2008/25-3.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110410085914/http://www.educ.utas.edu.au/users/tle/JOURNAL/issues/2008/25-3.pdf |archive-date=10 April 2011 |access-date=6 August 2014 }}>.</ref>

At the phonological level, Chinglish does not differentiate between various vowel qualities because they don't exist in Chinese. As a result, there is no contrast between the two sounds for Chinglish speakers. For example, ''cheap'' and ''chip'' would be the same pronunciation.  Another phonological feature is that speakers are unaware of the "graduation"<ref name="educ.utas.edu.au"/> of words which are said in different tones depending on the context. The word ''for'' is stressed and said differently in the phrases "what is it for?" and "this is for you." To a Chinglish speaker, the two are the same. Chinglish speakers use Chinese phonological units to speak English, and retain the [[Isochrony#Syllable timing|syllable timing]] of Chinese in place of the [[Isochrony#Stress timing|stress timing]] of English which together gives them a notable accent.

At the lexical level, China English manifests itself through many ways such as [[transliteration]] and [[calque|loan translations]]. Transliteration has brought many interesting words and expressions from the Chinese language into English. Speakers are able to merge the two because of pinyin, a Latin alphabet used to write Chinese. In loan translations, Chinese words have been translated directly into English. This phenomenon can be found in a lot of compound words like red bean, bean curd, and teacup. The other way that loan translations are made is when speakers translate Chinese terms into English. These words come from the Chinese culture and are ideas, thoughts, or expressions that do not exist in English. For example, ''spring rolls'' would otherwise not have meaning in English if not for Chinglish speakers making it a loan translation to describe the food. In addition, speakers use subordinate conjunctions differently and also exhibit [[copula (linguistics)|copula]] absence in their speech. Examples include "Because I am ill, so I can't go to school" and "The dress beautiful."<ref>Wang, You. "Chinglish: An Emerging New Variety of English Language?" Journal of Cambridge Studies 4.1 (2009): 28–34. Print.</ref>

As Chinese grammar does not distinguish between definite and indefinite articles, Chinese speakers struggle with when to use or not use the English definite article ''the''.

At the syntactic level, Chinese thinking has influenced Chinglish speakers to utilize a different sequence and structure to make sentences. For English speakers, a common sequence is [[Subject (grammar)|subject]] → [[Predicate (grammar)|predicate]] → [[Object (grammar)|object]] → [[adverbial]] (''"John entered the room quietly"'').<ref name="educ.utas.edu.au"/> On the other hand, the Chinese sequence is subject → adverbial → predicate → object (''"Lijing quiet enter room"''). Chinese speakers tend to leave the most important information (the [[Topic and comment|topic]]) at the end of the sentence, while English speakers present it at the start.

Linguists and language teachers employ [[Error analysis (linguistics)|error analysis]] to fathom Chinglish. Liu et al. list four characteristic features of Chinglish mistranslations,<ref>Huimei Liu, Frank Feather, and Wei Qian (2004), [http://www.linguist.org.cn/doc/uc200410/uc20041003.doc Lost in Translation: Millions of Tourists to China are Confused by a Myriad of "Chinglish" Misinterpretations] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060513213743/http://www.linguist.org.cn/doc/uc200410/uc20041003.doc |date=13 May 2006 }}, US-China Foreign Language 2.10, pp. 18–20.</ref>
*Cultural meanings. The English [[idiom]] "work like a horse" means "work hard", but in China horses are rarely used as draft animals and the equivalent Chinese expression uses {{lang|zh-Latn|niú}} {{lang|zh|牛}} "cattle".
*Problems of direct translation. Some Chinglish menus translate {{lang|zh-Latn|dòufu}} {{lang|zh|豆腐}} as "bean curd", which "sounds very unappetizing" to English speakers, instead of "[[tofu]]".
*Wordiness. Unnecessary words and convoluted sentences are hallmarks of Chinglish translation.  For example, the [[Civil Aviation Administration of China]] announced, "CAAC has decided to start the business of advance booking and ticketing", which could simply say "CAAC now accepts advance booking and ticketing."
*Wrong word order. A host in Shenyang toasted a group of foreign investors with "Up your bottoms!" instead of "Bottoms up!"<ref>Liu, Feather, and Qian (2004), p. 23.</ref>
Chinglish reflects the influence of Chinese syntax and grammar.<ref>Li, Wenzhong. (1993). [http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-WJYY199304003.htm "China English and Chinglish"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131120449/http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-WJYY199304003.htm |date=31 January 2023 }}. ''Foreign Language Teaching and Research Journal'', Vol.4.</ref> For instance, Chinese verbs are not necessarily [[Grammatical conjugation|conjugated]] and there is no equivalent [[Article (grammar)|article]] for English "the", both of which can create awkward translations.

==Causes==
[[File:Xi'an Xianyang International Airport unrecyling bin.JPG|thumb|right|A 2007 sign on a trash bin for non-recyclable waste at the [[Xi'an Xianyang International Airport]].]]
Chinglish has various causes, most commonly erroneous [[Chinese dictionaries]], translation software, and incorrect [[English as a foreign language]] textbooks. Other causes include misspelling, mediocre English-language teaching, sloppy translation, and reliance on outdated translation technology. Liu, Feather and Qian warn that

{{blockquote|today's English-language publishers and teachers in China are passing on obsolete translations and incorrect [[rules of language]] to students. In turn, Chinglish gets duplicated across society, particularly now during today's period of rapid opening to the outside world and the widespread use of English. The resultant flood of Chinglish will perpetuate unless it is corrected now.<ref>Liu, Feather, and Qian (2004), pp. 25–27.</ref>}}

Common causes include:
* Lack of inclusion of native English speakers or professional translators in the translation or editing process
* [[Word-for-word translation|Word-for-word]] dictionary translation: rigidly substituting Chinese words with English ones from dictionaries, without considering the impact of [[polysemy]] or [[connotation]]
* Use of [[machine translation]] without post-editing or proofreading<ref>Chinglish, by Kira Simon–Kennedy, SINO-PLATONIC PAPERS, Number 224 May 2012</ref>
* Competently translated text which has been subsequently edited by non-native speakers
* Linguistic differences and [[mother tongue]] interference<ref>[[Victor H. Mair]], ed., "Developments in Chinese Language and Script During the 20th and 21st Centuries"</ref><ref>李光霞. 中式英语与中介语理论[J]. 河南机电高等专科学校学报, 2006(1). 3.</ref>
* Different thinking patterns and culture,<ref name="ReferenceA">Causes of and Remedies for Chinglish in Chinese College Students’ Writings Ping Wang1, Weiping Wang</ref> which can manifest as idioms or euphemisms that an English speaker will find unfamiliar if translated literally ([[add oil]] for 'good luck'), overly formal or casual speech in the wrong context, use of vulgar terminology that an English speaker may find offensive or humorous in a professional setting, overuse of terms like "multiple" when English speakers would use a plural, etc. 
* Outdated Chinese-English dictionaries and textbook-style English<ref>On Objective Causes of Chinglish and Strategies of Error Avoidance</ref>
* Mediocre English-language teaching and lack of English-language environment,<ref name="ReferenceA" /> manifesting as ESL students having little opportunities to practice the language, staff translators showing little interest in reading literature in the language, an abundance of students taking rudimentary English classes as an academic requirement with no interest in improving their skills, a lack of practice writing in English, etc.
* Literally translating terms that Westerners would already be familiar with, such as translating "dou fu" (豆腐) as "bean curd" when most English speakers are familiar with the Japanese calque of the Chinese "dou fu", "[[tofu]]".

==Vocabulary==
[[File:Namtso Chinglish.jpg|thumb|right|A 2015 sign in [[Namtso]], [[Tibet Autonomous Region|Xizang]] promoting environmental awareness and conservation. {{literal translation|Together let's protect the blue sky and clear water wholeheartedly / Hand in hand we'll create a beautiful home.}}]]
Some similar words are generally confused by most Chinglish speakers, for example "emergent" instead of "emergency" or "urgent", because of incorrect entries in dictionaries.

In Chinglish, "I know" {{zhi|t=我知道|s=我知道}} is generally used instead of the term "I see", when used to tell others that you understand what they said.

"See", "watch", "read", and "look" all refer to {{zhi|c=看|p=kàn|out=c}} in Chinese. For example, {{zhi|t=看電影|s=看电影|out=t}} means "to see a film" or "to watch a movie", {{zhi|t=看書|s=看书|out=t}} means "to read a book", {{zhi|t=看著我|s=看着我|out=t}} means "to look at me". Because of that, Chinglish speakers use "look" instead of "see", "watch", or "read". The same phenomena can be found in the use of "speak", "say", and "talk" {{zhi|t=說|s=说|p=shuō|out=t}}. The expression "Can you say Chinese?" ({{zhi|t=你會說中文嗎|s=你会说中文吗？}}) would mean "Do you speak Chinese?"{{citation needed|date=March 2018}}

Another misuse of vocabulary is "to turn on/off" and "open/close". Chinese speakers use {{zhi|t=關|s=关|p=guān|out=t}} to refer to turning off things like electrical appliances or to close a door or window. Accordingly, a Chinglish speaker might say "close the light" rather than "turn off the light". In the same way, {{zhi|t=開|s=开|p=kāi|out=t}} refers to turning those things on, or to open a door or window. As a result, they would say "open the TV" instead of "turn on the TV".

==Examples==
[[File:No soliciting and whoring prostitutes.jpg|thumb|A 2008 sign over a sink in [[Xicheng]] advising "No soliciting and whoring prostitutes."]]
Collections of Chinglish are found on numerous websites (see below) and books.<ref>Pinkham, Joan (2000). ''The Translator's Guide to Chinglish''. Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.</ref><ref name="radtke">{{Cite book |last=Radtke |first=Oliver Lutz |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_8Q1qC14GT8C |title=Chinglish: Found in Translation |publisher=Gibbs-Smith |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-4236-0335-1 |location=China |pages=110}}</ref><ref>Radtke, Oliver Lutz (2009). [https://books.google.com/books?id=_8Q1qC14GT8C&dq=chinglish&pg=PP1 ''More Chinglish: Speaking in Tongues'']. Gibb禁s-Smith.</ref> Owing to the ubiquity of Chinglish mistakes throughout the [[Sinophone world]], the following examples will exclude common [[List of common misspellings in english#Misspellings|misspellings]] (e.g., "energetically Englsih-friendly environment")<ref>Mark Swofford, [http://pinyin.info/news/2007/taiwans-energetically-englsih-friendly-environment/ "Taiwan's energetically Englsih-friendly &#91;sic&#93; environment"], Pinyin news, 12 December 2007.</ref> and [[typographical error]]s  (a bilingual bus sign reading "{{lang|zh|往 不知道}} To unknow"; {{lang|zh-Latn|wǎng}} {{lang|zh|往}} means "to; toward" and {{lang|zh-Latn|bùzhīdào}} {{lang|zh|不知道}} "don't know")<ref>Victor Mair, [http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=2611 "A Bus to Don't Know"], Language Log, 6 September 2010.</ref> that can occur anywhere in the [[English-speaking world]].

[[File:Steek.JPG|thumb|right|A 2006 multilingual sign on a door in [[Taipei]] uses the unusual [[Scottish English]] word ''steek'' ("shut") instead of ''close''.]]
*'''[[Add oil]]'''. A commonly used Chinglish expression for {{lang|zh|加油}}, an encouragement and supporting expression.
*{{anchor|Slip carefully}}'''Slip carefully''' (sometimes: '''Carefully slip and fall down'''). A common mistranslation of {{lang|zh|小心地滑}} "Caution. Wet floor." {{lang|zh|地}} means "floor" when pronounced as {{lang|zh-Latn|dì}} but is a suffix to an adverb when pronounced as {{lang|zh-Latn|de}}, respectively. The phrase {{lang|zh|小心地滑}} can be transliterated as "caution, the floor (is) wet" or "(to) carefully slip".
*'''To take notice of safe: The slippery are very crafty'''. A comparable sign in a Beijing garage reads {{lang|zh-Latn|zhùyì ānquán pōdào lù huá}} ({{zhi |c=注意安全 坡道路滑 |l=Exercise caution. The slope is slippery}}).<ref>{{Cite web |last=David Feng |date=July 2006 |title=To Take Notice of Safe |url=http://www.totakenoticeofsafe.com/info.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080204161532/http://www.totakenoticeofsafe.com/info.html |archive-date=4 February 2008 |access-date=5 December 2007 }}</ref>
*'''Workshop for concrete agitation''' appears on a sign in a Sichuan factory. {{lang|zh-Latn|jiǎobàn fáng}} ({{lang|zh-hant|攪拌房}}), which combines {{lang|zh-Latn|jiǎobàn}} meaning "stir; mix; agitate" and {{lang|zh-Latn|fáng}} "house; room", translates as "mixing room".
*'''Spread to [[fuck]] the fruit''' is a Chinese supermarket sign mistranslation of ''sǎn gānguǒ'' ({{zhi|s=散干果|t=散乾果|l=loose dried fruits}}). [[Victor Mair]] noted the [[fuck]] translation of {{lang|zh-Latn|gān}} ({{lang|zh-hans|干}}) was "fairly ubiquitous in China",<ref>Victor Mair, [http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/003205.html "GAN: WHODUNNIT, AND HOW, AND WHY?"], Language Log, 31 May 2006.</ref> and discovered this complicated Chinglish error resulted from [[machine translation]] software misinterpreting {{lang|zh-Latn|gānguǒ}} ({{zhi|s=干果|t=乾果|l=dried fruits/nuts}}) as {{lang|zh-Latn|gàn guǒ}} ({{zhi|s=干果|t=幹果|l=do/fuck fruits}}).<ref>Victor Mair. [http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/005195.html "The Etiology and Elaboration of a Flagrant Mistranslation"].  ''Language Log'', 9 December 2007.  Accessed 30 April 2008.</ref> In [[written Chinese]], sometimes a single simplified Chinese character is used for multiple traditional Chinese characters: {{lang|zh-Latn|gān}} ({{zhi|s=干|t=干|l=trunk; [[Celestial stem|stem]], intervene|links=no}}) is the simplified form of two words {{lang|zh-Latn|gān}}  ({{zhi|t=乾 |l=dry; dried up; in vain}}) and {{lang|zh-Latn|gàn}} ({{zhi|t=幹|l=trunk; main body; do; work; (vulgar) fuck}}). Mair's research revealed that the popular Chinese-English [[Jinshan Ciba]] dictionary (2002 edition) and [[Jinshan Kuaiyi]] translation software systematically rendered every occurrence of {{lang|zh-hans|干}} as "fuck" (later editions corrected this error). Two comparable Chinglish mistranslations of {{lang|zh-Latn|gān}} "dry" as {{lang|zh-Latn|gàn}} "do; fuck" are: '''The shrimp fucks the cabbage''' for {{lang|zh-Latn|Xiāgān chǎo báicài}} ({{zhi |s=虾干炒白菜|t=蝦乾炒白菜|l=[[stir-fried]] dried shrimp with [[Chinese cabbage]]}}),<ref>Victor Mair, [http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/003568.html THE SHRIMP DID WHAT TO THE CABBAGE?], Language Log, 11 September 2006.</ref> and '''fuck the empress''' mistakes ''gàn hòu'' ({{zhi|s=干后|t=幹后||l=do/fuck the empress}}) for {{lang|zh-Latn|gānhòu}} ({{zhi|s=干后|t=乾後|l=after drying}}), with {{lang|zh-Latn|hòu}} ({{zhi|s=[[Wikt:后|后]] |t=后|l=queen; empress |links=no}}) as the Simplified form of {{lang|zh-Latn|hòu}} ({{zhi|t=後 |l=after}}).<ref>Victor Mair, [http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=2443 "Mind your manners with the empress"], Language Log, 14 July 2010.</ref>
[[File:Chinglish-GoStraightOnPublic.JPG|thumb|right|A sign at a bus station in [[Shaowu]], Fujian, reading "Bathroom: exit through the door, and head straight (Up the stairs to the second floor)"]]
[[File:请在一米线外等候 - 南宁埌东汽车站.jpg|thumb|Chinglish sign at a coach station in [[Nanning]], [[Guangxi]] reading "Please wait outside a noodle"]]
*'''Please steek gently''' appears on a Taipei government building door. This form of Chinglish uses obscure English terms, namely, [[Scottish English]] ''steek'' "enclose; close; shut" instead of the common word.
*'''Bumf Box''' for {{lang|zh-Latn|shǒuzhǐ xiāng}} ({{zhi |t=手紙箱 |l=toilet paper box/case}}), employs the [[British English]] word {{linktext|bumf}}, originally a shortened form of {{linktext|bumfodder}} meaning "toilet paper", now used to mean "useless documents".<ref>Victor Mair, [http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=1395 Bumf box], Language Log, 2 May 2009.</ref>
*'''Braised enterovirus in Clay Pot''' appears on a Chinese menu for {{lang|zh-Latn|gānguō féicháng}} ({{zhi |t=干鍋肥腸 |l=dry pot fatty intestine}}), which is a stuffed sausage popular in [[Szechuan cuisine|Sichuanese]]-[[Hunan cuisine|Hunanese]] cuisine. This example occurred following the [[Enterovirus 71#China|Enterovirus 71 epidemic]] in China, and mistranslates {{lang|zh-Latn|féicháng}} ({{zhi |t=肥腸  |l=pig's large intestines [used as food]}}) as {{lang|zh-Latn|cháng[dào] bìngdú}} ({{zhi |t=腸[道]病毒 |l=intestinal virus}}).<ref>Mark Lieberman, [http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=367 "Braised enterovirus, anyone?"], Language Log, 16 July 2008.</ref>
*'''Fried enema''' on a menu mistranslates {{lang|zh-Latn|zhá guàn cháng}} ({{zhi |t=炸灌腸 |l=fried sausage [with flour stuffed into hog casings]}}). The ''Jinshan Ciba'' dictionary confused the cooking and medical meanings of ''guanchang'' "(make) a sausage; (give) an enema".<ref>Victor Mair, [http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=2236 "Fried enema"], Language Log, 5 April 2010.</ref>
*'''A weak 'pyridaben carbazole' sound''' is found on translated instructions for a photographic light, "Install the battery into the battery jar, when heard a weak 'pyridaben carbazole' sound the installation is completed." The original Chinese has an onomatopoetic term {{lang|zh-Latn|dādā kǎzuò}} ({{zhi |c=噠噠咔唑 |l=click or tick}}) rendered into {{lang|zh-Latn|dāmǎnlíng}} ({{zhi |t=噠蟎靈 |l=[[Pyridazine|pyridaben]]}}) and {{lang|zh-Latn|kǎzuò}} ({{zhi |c=咔唑 |l=[[carbazole]]}}).<ref>Victor Mair, [http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=2419 "Wait Till You Hear a Weak Pyridaben Carbazole Sound"], Language Log, 30 June 2010.</ref>
*'''4 Uygur theater''' is printed on the bilingual instructions for a Chinese [[4-D film]] about dinosaurs. The Chinese term {{lang|zh-Latn|sìwéi}} ({{zhi |t=四維 |l=4 dimensions}}) uses {{lang|zh-Latn|wéi}} "tie up; maintain, uphold; estimate" that commonly [[Transcription into Chinese characters|transcribes]] foreign names such as {{lang|zh-Latn|wéiwú'ěr}} ({{zhi |t=維吾爾 |l=[[Uyghurs|Uyghur]]}}).<ref>Victor Mair, [http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=1501 "4 Uygur Theater"], Language Log, 12 June 2009.</ref>
*'''Exterminate Capitalism Lobster Package''' was the Chinglish rendering of {{lang|zh-Latn|tāotiè lóngxiā cān}} ({{zhi |t=饕餮龍蝦餐 |l=gourmand lobster meal}}) on a menu mentioned by ''The New York Times''.<ref>Allison Busacca and Marcia Allert, [https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/05/11/travel/funny-signs.html#/all/ Strange Signs from Abroad], ''The New York Times'', 11 May 2010</ref> Victor Mair analyzed the linguistic impossibility of rendering ''[[Taotie]]'' ({{lang|zh-hant|饕餮}}) "a mythical beast; glutton; greedy person" as "exterminate capitalism" and concluded somebody "mischievously provided an absurd translation, perhaps with the intention of poking fun at the Chinese Communist system which has given rise to such luxurious and fancy dining practices as reflected in pretentious menus of this sort."<ref>Victor Mair, [http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=2323 "Weird Signs"], Language Log, 14 May 2010.</ref>
*'''{{vanchor|Do not want}}''' is a mistranslation, albeit a substantially intelligible one (''e.g.'', "[I] do not want [what is happening to happen]")  of "Nooooo-!" exclaimed by [[Darth Vader]] in a bootleg version of ''[[Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith]]'', a phrase which has since become an [[internet meme]]. A bootleg copy of the film entitled ''"Star War – The third gathers: Backstroke of the West"'' was bought in China, and featured erroneous English subtitles that were machine translated back from a Chinese translation of the original English, i.e. a re-translation, which was posted online due to its humorous use of poor English.<ref name="backstroke">{{Cite web |title=episode iii, the backstroke of the west |url=http://winterson.com/2005/06/episode-iii-backstroke-of-west.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516224348/http://www.winterson.com/2005/06/episode-iii-backstroke-of-west.html |archive-date=16 May 2008 |access-date=17 May 2008 |publisher=Winterson }}</ref><ref name="backstroke redux">{{Cite web |title=episode iii, the backstroke of the west redux |url=http://winterson.com/2009/01/episode-iii-backstroke-of-west-redux.html |access-date=10 April 2011 |publisher=Winterson}}</ref> Having gone viral, the phrase has spread as a meme used on messageboards online.<ref name="virgin_myths">{{Cite web |title=Top ten Star Wars myths and legends: Do not want |url=http://www.virginmedia.com/movies/features/top-ten-star-wars-myths-and-legends.php?page=10 |access-date=30 December 2008 |website=VirginMedia.com}}</ref> The mistranslation is an example of translation decay following an English translation to Chinese, which is then re-translated back into English; the exclamation "no" would be correctly translated as {{zhi|c=不要|p=bùyào}} in Chinese, however since {{zhi|c=要|p=yào}} can also mean "want", and {{zhi|c=不|p=bù}} is used as a negation particle, {{lang|zh|不要}} can also be translated as "do not want". As an example, the phrase {{lang|zh|我不要去}} correctly translates to "I (do not) want to go", however the discussion {{lang|zh|「你要不要吃飯？」／「不要。」}} translates to "Do you want to eat?"/"No." as well. Other humorous mistranslations from this movie include "They're all over me" as "He is in my behind", "The Jedi Council" as "The Presbyterian Church", and the notorious phrase "May the force be with you" as "The wish power are together with you".<ref name="backstroke redux" />
[[File:Mind the gap Chinglish sign in Shanghai.jpg|right|thumb|A 2013 sign of "[[Mind the gap]]" in Chinglish on a [[Shanghai Ferry]] dock.|alt=A light-colored sign with Chinese characters and "Note that the level of gap" written on it in blue]]
*'''Go straight on public''' is a mistranslation of "Public washroom outside on the second floor."
*'''Note that the level of gap''', which is a [[sentence fragment]], is how signs on Shanghai's ferry docks render "[[Mind the gap]]", the phrase that spread from the [[London Underground]] to worldwide use.
[[File:Cryptic clothing label.jpg|thumb|A 2005 misspelled label on clothing label from a pair of shorts purchased in [[Huwei]], Taiwan.]]
*'''Don't stampede''' is featured on signs in lavatories to inform users that using a sitting toilet like a [[Squat toilet|squatting toilet]] is prohibited.<ref name="sinoplatonic.org">Chinglish by Kira Simon–Kenned SINO-PLATONIC PAPERS Number 224 May 2012Developments in Chinese Language and Script During the Twentieth and Twenty-first Centuries edited and with an introduction by Victor H. Mair http://sino-platonic.org/complete/spp224_chinese_scripts.pdf</ref>
*'''Mustard Silk''' is a mistranslation of "shredded pickled vegetables", (literally, "pickled mustard shred.") The product was employed by China Eastern Airlines.
*'''Civilization tour''' is found on signs on boats on the West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang as a mistranslation for {{zhi|文明旅游|p=wénmíng lǚyóu|tr=tour civilizedly|out=c}}
*'''Please stand behind a noodle''' is a mistranslation of "Please wait outside the one-meter line", due to the word 米线 (mixian) being able to be interpreted in two ways, one meaning "meter line" and one meaning "rice noodle"
==See also==
*[[Hong Kong English]]
*[[Code-switching in Hong Kong]]
*[[Non-native pronunciations of English]]
*[[Mute English]] 
*''[[English as she is spoke]]''
*[[Westernised Chinese language]]
*[[Hinglish]]
*[[Singlish]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{Cite journal |last=Henry, Eric Steven |date=November 2010 |title=Interpretations of "Chinglish": Native Speakers, Language Learners and the Enregisterment of a Stigmatized Code |journal=[[Language in Society]] |volume=39 |issue=5 |pages=669–688 |doi=10.1017/S0047404510000655 |jstor=40925816 |s2cid=146480049}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary|Chinglish}}
{{Commons category|Chinglish}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110928072251/http://asiaobscura.com/tag/chinglish-2 AsiaObscura.com's collection of Chinglish]
* [http://www.chineseenglish.com/ The Chinese-English, Chinglish Archives] ChineseEnglish.com
* [http://chinglish.de/ The Chinglish Files]
* [http://www.engrish.com/category/chinglish Engrish.com Chinglish Collection]
* [http://www.china-observer.de/index.php?entry=entry090522-080004 Chinglish Collection and more]{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20100527223039/http://www.languagemonitor.com/chinglish/chinglish/ LanguageMonitor.com Top Chinglish of the Year]}}
* [https://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/05/03/world/asia/20100503_CHINGLISH.html?src=me&ref=homepage A Sampling of Chinglish The New York Times 2010/05/03]
* [https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/05/11/travel/funny-signs.html?src=me&ref=homepage Strange Signs From Abroad The New York Times 2010/05/11]
* {{Webarchive |url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110716111514/http://www.ncuscr.org/files/Griffin_1.pdf |date = 16 July 2011 |title = Chinglish: an illustrated lecture, William Griffin }}

{{Clear}}
{{interlanguage varieties}}

[[Category:Chinglish| ]]
[[Category:Dialects of English]]