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parts of speech - Is 'Japanese' in 'the Japanese' (people from Japan collectively) a noun or an adjective?


Oxford Dictionaries classify 'Japanese' in 'the Japanese,' meaning people from Japan collectively, as a noun although some people I consulted insist it is an adjective. They base it on the examples 'the French' and 'the Dutch.'


Who is right? Or, are they both right?




  • It took them three hours to get to the Longhua Airport, used as an air force base for the Japanese.

  • Apart from the American Indians, the Japanese make some use of lily bulbs in traditional dishes. (source: Oxford Dictionaries)





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