chen

n. a very common family name for people of Chinese descent.

n. a common Chinese surname, representing the transliteration of the character 陈 (Chén) or other similar characters.

“Professor Chen is the head of the chemistry department at the university.”

“The research paper was co-authored by Dr. Chen and several colleagues from the Institute of Physics.”

n. an offensive and rude name used for a Chinese person whose name you do not know.

n. a derogatory ethnic slur used as a generic placeholder name for a Chinese person. This usage is highly offensive and socially unacceptable.

“The old movie contained offensive language, including the use of 'Chen' as a generic name for the shopkeeper.”

“Linguistic historians note that the use of common surnames like 'Chen' as generic slurs was a feature of mid-century xenophobic rhetoric.”

American English · Vulgar · Slang