0
HSS Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
Nationality-Nouns
"A young Japanese came to visit us last night" is not what native speakers of English would say. Instead you might say, "A young Japanese man (or anything else that describes the person, perhaps) came to visit us last night."
What other nationality-noun cannot be regarded as a singular? Those of Asia, Africa and Pacific islands?
Hiro
What other nationality-noun cannot be regarded as a singular? Those of Asia, Africa and Pacific islands?
Hiro
Top answer
I would certainly say, ' A young Japanese came to visit us '.
- I would certainly say, ' A young Japanese came to visit us '.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
13 Answers
0
0
Hi guys,
"A young Japanese came to visit us last night" is not what native speakers of English would say. Instead you might say, "A young Japanese man (or anything else that describes the person, perhaps) came to visit us last night."
As one who has never lived in Japan, I would say 'a young Japanese man' rather than 'a young Japanese'.
"A young Japanese came to visit us last night" is not what native speakers of English would say. Instead you might say, "A young Japanese man (or anything else that describes the person, perhaps) came to visit us last night."
As one who has never lived in Japan, I would say 'a young Japanese man' rather than 'a young Japanese'.
00
00
I'm sorry, but I do not agree with the thrust of that thread. As a native speaker, I find nothing odd about referring to someone as a Korean, a Japanese, a Thai, etc (A Korean, a Japanese, and a Thai went into a bar...etc.). Offhand, it seems to me that wherever the noun can refer to all, it can refer to one. On the other hand, the French is a pronomial use of the adjective
00
The Japanese themselves seem to fairly consistently use "a Japanese".
00
Hi again,
In Canada, my Chinese students often refer to someone as 'a Chinese', but I never hear anyone who is not Chinese say that.
Best wishes, Clive
In Canada, my Chinese students often refer to someone as 'a Chinese', but I never hear anyone who is not Chinese say that.
Best wishes, Clive
00
In my own region of the world it seems that only nationality adjectives that end in -an or -i are also used as a noun referring to a person, none ending in -ish, -ch, or -ese.
an Italian, a German, a Hungarian, an American, an Egyptian, a Korean, a Canadian, a Honduran, a Mexican, an Israeli, a Pakistani, a Saudi
But
an Englishman, a
an Italian, a German, a Hungarian, an American, an Egyptian, a Korean, a Canadian, a Honduran, a Mexican, an Israeli, a Pakistani, a Saudi
But
an Englishman, a
00
CalifJimI have no idea what the correct form is for a person who is British. a Brit? a Briton? a British man?A Briton would
Nor any idea what to do with Scotland at all. a Scot? a Scots? a Scotsman? a Scotch? Nor the correct adjectival form of Scotland. Scots? Scottish? Scotch?
It is a Welshman, isn't it?
00
SaiingThe Japanese themselves seem to fairly consistently use "a Japanese".Yes, that is really true. In fact, many high school teachers and even some college professors here teach it is the way to follow, not knowing there are different opinions.
00
"Nor the correct adjectival form of Scotland. Scots? Scottish? Scotch?"
Hi CJ
They're all correct.
Some
Hi CJ
They're all correct.
Some0
Related Questions