The Spanish word 'chinito' combines two elements: 'chino' (meaning 'Chinese' or 'curly') and the diminutive suffix '-ito'. The base word 'chino' comes from Chinese '秦' (qín), referring to the Qin dynasty, which gave its name to China itself. When '-ito' is added to 'chino', it creates a diminutive form that can mean either 'little Chinese person' (often used as a term of endearment, though caution should be used as it can be considered inappropriate in some contexts) or 'person with curly hair' (particularly in some Latin American countries).

The simpler and more common Spanish word 'chino' is the base word for 'chinito'. In Spanish, 'chino' has two main meanings: it can refer to anything Chinese or a Chinese person, and in some regions it also means 'curly' (especially when referring to hair). This dual meaning has carried over to its diminutive form 'chinito'.

While English doesn't have direct cognates of 'chinito', the word 'China' shares the same ultimate origin from the Qin dynasty. The English word 'Chinese' is thus etymologically related, though it developed through a different path than the Spanish 'chino/chinito'.