noun HSK 2
Traditional 美國人
American (person) · American people
Meaning
This word refers to a person from the United States of America. It is formed by combining 美国 (America) with 人 (person). The term is neutral and is the standard way to refer to Americans in Mandarin Chinese.
Usage
Used in both formal and informal contexts to describe someone's nationality. Often appears in introductions, news, or when discussing people from different countries. The plural form is the same; context determines whether it means one American or multiple Americans.
Examples
- 01我的朋友是美国人，他来自纽约。, .My friend is American, he's from New York.
- 02这家公司有很多美国人工作。.Many Americans work at this company.
Characters
Measure words
- 个一个美国人
- 位三位美国人
Common collocations
- 他是美国人He is American
- 很多美国人many Americans
Origin
美国 is a phonetic approximation of 'America' using characters that sound like 'Mei-guo.' The character 美 (beautiful) was chosen for its sound, giving the country name a positive connotation.