Burmese

American  

[ber-meez, ‑-mees] / bərˈmiz, ‑ˈmis /

adjective

1. of or relating to Burma (now Myanmar), its inhabitants, or their language.

2. Burman.

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noun

plural

Burmese

1. a native or inhabitant of Burma (now Myanmar).

2. Burman.

3. the Tibeto-Burman language of the Burman ethnic group: the official language of Burma (now Myanmar).

Burmese British  

/ bɜːˈmiːz /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Burma (Myanmar), its people, or their language

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Burma (Myanmar)

2. the official language of Burma (Myanmar), belonging to the Sino-Tibetan family

Usage

Burmese is used as a plural noun (a candidate favored by the Burmese ), but it's relatively rare as a singular noun (the candidate who is a Burmese ).

Etymology

Origin of Burmese

First recorded in 1815–25; Burm(a) + -ese

Example Sentences

The British, Swedish and Burmese delegates explained why: Nuclear fuel-making was too close to bomb-making ever to be “peaceful.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Burmese TPS holders are waiting anxiously to see how these rulings could impact TPS altogether.

From Slate • Mar. 19, 2026

“As much as I would like to pay $30, we don’t have money,” says Moe Chan, who is trying to expand his Burmese coffee-and-tea distribution business in Queens.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

And yet such is the fear of possible retribution, or just exhaustion from the civil war, many Burmese people will still go to the polling stations, whatever their views of the election.

From BBC • Dec. 26, 2025

They wandered past the Burmese restaurant, the furniture store, and the bar where Irish music played at night.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn