[Vocabulary] Given

[Jiayun]

Given he is a Chinese, his English is good.

Is the above sentence correct?

 

[Matthew Wai]

I would say 'Given that he is Chinese'.

Not a teacher.

 

[SoothingDave]

I would say 'Given that he is Chinese'.

Not a teacher.

Correct. We don't say "a Chinese." Someone is Chinese. Or they are a Chinese person/man/woman/etc.

 

[Roman55]

I am not a teacher.

It used to be OK to say a Chinese (or a Japanese) without it being offensive, but times have changed.

Today, in BrE, if you say 'a Chinese' you probably mean a Chinese restaurant or a Chinese meal.

So, 'I could murder a Chinese' means, 'I would very much appreciate a nice Chinese meal'.

 

[Matthew Wai]

I would not take offence if you called me 'a Chinese'.

Not a teacher.

 

[tzfujimino]

So, 'I could murder a Chinese' means, 'I would very much appreciate a nice Chinese meal'.

I've just learned a new expression 'I could murder something'.
Thank you. (My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I read that!)
If I didn't know the expression and some foreigner said that here in Japan, I would certainly call the police.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I would not say "I could murder a Chinese."