<p>Yes, 大鼻子 is used for primarily white people, although it is regionally limited to the North East. See <a href="http://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%A4%A7%E9%BC%BB%E5%AD%90/940166" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%A4%A7%E9%BC%BB%E5%AD%90/940166</a></p>

<p>It is not really used these days; when it was used it was mostly used to refer, pejoratively, to Russians, due to the history of conflict with China's North East. Another similar pejorative (and antiquated) term is <a href="http://baike.baidu.com/item/%E8%80%81%E6%AF%9B%E5%AD%90" rel="nofollow noreferrer">老毛子</a>.</p>

<p>I would argue that the term is racist, as it is pejorative and was originally intended to be offensive, even if current users don't intend to offend with the term. You should not use the term in polite company.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-12T17:22:38.080Z
When I traveled in China, it was related to me that my nose was considered exotic and attractive.  *(Speaking as someone who lived for a decade in an American Chinatown, one learns not to take terms such as "gwailo" personally;)*
DukeZhou
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-13T04:08:33.240Z
大鼻子 is almost a dead word,cuz now people like white- man-shaped nose. '毛子
sfy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-13T04:17:03.863Z
'毛子' means bandits in North-East, 老 means bad-ass, The Chinese bandits are called 毛子, Russian bandits are called 老毛子 in North-East in the late 19th century.
sfy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-15T00:15:54.557Z
I really don't get how 大鼻子 is a dead word, I've been called it multiple times, mostly by children. I think what they're trying to express is just 'big nose' and not 'big nosed (foreigner)' though.
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-03T04:29:27.130Z
haha, white people called big nosed. me: *laughs in black*
小奥利奥
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-12T02:17:52.227Z
2017-04-12T02:17:52.227Z
congusbongus
<p>when I lived in china for a year, 'big nose&quot; was the common name for westerners. It was most definitely not a positive thing.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-03T01:52:23.447Z
It's the same as Westerners calling orientals "Slant-eye"?
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-03T00:23:31.967Z
2021-03-03T00:23:31.967Z
Karen Lorette Bradley
<p><a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/3496/neutral-terms-for-white-people">Neutral Terms for &quot;White People&quot;</a></p>

<p>got me thinking about someone (who knows less Chinese than I do) telling me that "Big Nose" is the Chinese term for westerners.  Is that true, and if so, is it considered racist, i.e., never said where we might hear and somewhat offensive even when we can't (like "nigger")?</p>

<p>If it is "harmless," is it written 大鼻子 ?</p>

<usage><slang>
Is "Big Nose" really used for Westerners?
# Is "Big Nose" really used for Westerners?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-04-11)

[Neutral Terms for "White People"](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/3496/neutral-terms-for-white-people)

got me thinking about someone (who knows less Chinese than I do) telling me that "Big Nose" is the Chinese term for westerners. Is that true, and if so, is it considered racist, i.e., never said where we might hear and somewhat offensive even when we can't (like "nigger")?

If it is "harmless," is it written 大鼻子 ?

**Tags:** usage, slang


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-04-12. Score: 3

Yes, 大鼻子 is used for primarily white people, although it is regionally limited to the North East. See <http://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%A4%A7%E9%BC%BB%E5%AD%90/940166>

It is not really used these days; when it was used it was mostly used to refer, pejoratively, to Russians, due to the history of conflict with China's North East. Another similar pejorative (and antiquated) term is [老毛子](http://baike.baidu.com/item/%E8%80%81%E6%AF%9B%E5%AD%90).

I would argue that the term is racist, as it is pejorative and was originally intended to be offensive, even if current users don't intend to offend with the term. You should not use the term in polite company.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: When I traveled in China, it was related to me that my nose was considered exotic and attractive.  *(Speaking as someone who lived for a decade in an American Chinatown, one learns not to take terms such as "gwailo" personally;)*  
> **username_3**: 大鼻子 is almost a dead word,cuz now people like white- man-shaped nose. '毛子  
> **username_3**: '毛子' means bandits in North-East, 老 means bad-ass, The Chinese bandits are called 毛子, Russian bandits are called 老毛子 in North-East in the late 19th century.  
> **username_4**: I really don't get how 大鼻子 is a dead word, I've been called it multiple times, mostly by children. I think what they're trying to express is just 'big nose' and not 'big nosed (foreigner)' though.  
> **username_5**: haha, white people called big nosed. me: *laughs in black*  

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### Answer by username_6 on 2021-03-03. Score: 1

when I lived in china for a year, 'big nose" was the common name for westerners. It was most definitely not a positive thing.

> **Comments:**
> **username_7**: It's the same as Westerners calling orientals "Slant-eye"?  

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