| Bok
choy |
白菜 |
White vegetable |
(Via Cantonese baak choi) |
| Bonsai |
盆栽 |
Bowl plant |
(Via Japanese) |
| Cheongsam |
長衫 |
Long dress |
(Via Cantonese cheung sam) The same dress is known as a qipao (旗袍) in Mandarin |
| China |
秦 |
Name of the Qin dynasty |
The West appears to have named China after the first dynasty to unify the country.
The Chinese call their country zhong guo (中國) or Central
Country. |
| Chop chop |
急 |
Hurried |
(Via Cantonese gap) |
| Chop suey |
雜碎 |
Miscellaneous bits |
(Via Cantonese jaap seui) |
| Chow |
炒 |
Fried (food) |
|
| Chow chow |
狗狗 |
Doggie |
A dog breed |
| Chow mein |
炒麵 |
Fried noodle |
(Via Cantonese chaau mein) |
| Coolie |
苦力 |
Bitter power |
|
| Cumshaw |
感謝 |
Grateful thanks |
(Via Amoy dialect) |
| Dimsum |
點心 |
Pointing to the heart |
(Via Cantonese dim sam) |
| Feng shui |
風水 |
Wind and water |
|
| Gingkgo |
銀杏 |
|
(Via Japanese) |
| Ginseng |
人葠 |
|
(Via Cantonese yan sam) |
| Gung ho |
工和 |
Work together in harmony |
From motto of some US Marine forces in Asia during WW II |
| Japan |
日本 |
Source of the sun |
|
| J-particle |
丁 |
(A surname) |
The J-particle is a subatomic particle named after its discoverer, Samuel C.C.
Ting (丁肇中). The letter J resembles the shape of Ting's last name (丁). |
| Judo |
柔道 |
Gentle Way |
(Via Japanese) |
| Junk |
船 |
Boat |
(Via Malay) |
| Kanji |
漢字 |
Chinese characters |
(Via Japanese) |
| Kaolin |
高嶺 |
Tall mountain peak |
Name of area of Jiangxi province famed for its white porcelain powder |
| Ketchup |
茄汁 |
Tomato sauce |
(Via Cantonese ke jap). Most dictionaries actually list the source of the word
as being a Chinese or Malay word meaning fish sauce.
They ignore the more direct route: the Cantonese word
which sounds like ketchup and which actually means
tomato sauce. Duh. (In mandarin, ketchup is called 番茄醬) |
| Kowtow |
叩頭 |
Knock head |
|
| Kumquat |
金橘 |
Golden orange |
(Via Cantonese gam gwat) |
| Kungfu |
功夫 |
|
|
| Lose face |
丟臉 |
Lose face |
Literal translation of the chinese phrase menaing humiliation |
| Loquat |
盧橘 |
|
(Via Cantonese lou gwat). Mandarin name is pipa (枇杷) |
| Lychee |
荔枝 |
|
(Via Cantonese lai ji) |
| Mahjong |
麻將 |
|
|
| Oolong |
烏龍 |
Black dragon |
A type of tea |
| Pekoe |
白毫
|
White down feather |
(Via Amoy dialect) A type of tea. |
| Pinyin |
拼音 |
Sound spelling |
|
| Ricksha |
力車 |
(Human-) Powered vehicle |
(Via Japanese) Short for 人力車 or human-powered vehicle |
| Sampan |
舢舨 |
|
|
| Shanghai |
上海 |
Northern Sea |
Used in English as a verb meaning to abduct (Presumably from prior
practive by San Francisco boat captains of kidnapping men
in order to press them into service in Shanghai bound boats.) |
| Shaman |
沙門 |
Sand door |
|
| Shaolin |
少林 |
Small forest |
|
| Shinto |
神道 |
Saintly way |
|
| Silk |
絲 |
Silk |
|
| Shogun |
將軍 |
Army General |
|
| Soy (sauce) |
醬油 |
|
(Via Japanese shoyu) |
| Tai chi |
太極 |
Ultimate |
|
| Tai chi chuan |
太極拳 |
Ultimate boxing |
|
| Taipan |
大班 |
Big boss |
(Via Cantonese daai baan) |
| Tangram |
湯 + gram |
Chinese picture |
Tang, the name of one of China's most successful dynasties is used to denote
the Chinese people. |
| Tao (Dao) |
道 |
Way |
|
| Tea |
茶 |
Tea |
(Via Amoy dialect) |
| Tofu |
豆腐 |
Bean curd |
|
| Tycoon |
大官 |
Great official |
(Via Japanese) |
| Typhoon |
颱風 |
Hurricane |
|
| Wok |
鑊 |
Cauldron |
(Via Cantonese wok) |
| Wonton |
餛飩 |
|
(Via Cantonese wan tan) |
| Wushu |
武術 |
|
|
| Yamen |
衙門 |
Official door |
|
| Yen |
癮 |
Craving |
To yearn |
| Yen |
圓 |
Monetary unit |
(Via Japanese) Japanese money |
| Yin Yang |
陰陽 |
|
|
