Words of Chinese origin, i.e. loanwords that come from any member of the Chinese branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family, have entered the English language and many European languages. Spoken Chinese The Chinese spoken language(s) comprise(s) many regional variants. ... Sino-Tibetan languages form a language family of about 250 languages of East Asia, in number of speakers worldwide second only to Indo-European. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Europe - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

Different sources of loanwords

English words with Chinese origin usually have different characteristics depending how the words were spread to the West.

Some words spread to the West ...

• via the silk road, e.g. silk. These have heavy influence from countries along the silk road.
• via the missionaries who lived in China. These have heavy Latin influence due the Portuguese and Spanish missionaries.
• via the sinologists who lived in China. These have heavy French influence due to the long history of French involvement in Sinology.
• via the maritime trade route, e.g. tea, Amoy, cumshaw etc. These have heavy influence from the Amoy dialect in southern seaports.
• via the early immigrants to the US in the gold rush era, e.g. chop suey. These have heavy influence from the Toisan dialect.
• via the multi-national colonization of Shanghai, e.g. rickshaw. These have influence from many European countries, also Japan.
• via the British colonization of Hong Kong, e.g. cheongsam. These have heavy influence from Cantonese.
• via the large wave Hong Kong immigrants to British Commonwealth countries in scare of the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China, e.g. bak choy, dim sum etc. These have heavy influence from Cantonese.
• via modern international communication especially after the 1970s when the People's Republic of China opened its iron curtain to let her people emigrate to various countries, e.g. wushu, feng shui etc. These have heavy influence from Mandarin.

Despite the widespread use of Mandarin among Chinese people, English words that are based on Mandarin are relatively scarce. The Silk Road (Traditional Chinese: 絲綢之路; Simplified Chinese: 丝绸之路; pinyin: sÄ« chóu zhÄ« lù, Persian راه ابریشم Râh-e Abrisham) was an interconnected series of routes through Southern Asia traversed by caravan and ocean vessel, and connecting Changan (todays Xian), China, with Antioch, Syria, as well as other points. ... A missionary is a propagator of religion, often an evangelist or other representative of a religious community who works among those outside of that community. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... Sinology is the study of China, which usually requires a foreign scholar to have command of the Chinese language. ... From the latin maritimus, maritime refers to things relating to the sea. ... A cup of hot tea A tea bush. ... Xiamen (Simplified Chinese: 厦门; Traditional Chinese: 廈門; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Hsiamen) is a coastal sub-provincial city in southeastern Fujian province, Peoples Republic of China. ... Mǐn N n (Chinese: 閩南語), also spelt as Minnan or Min-nan; native name B ; literally means Southern Min or Southern Fujian and refers to the local language/dialect of southern Fujian province, China. ... Alternative meaning: In geology, North China (continent) and South China (continent) were two ancient landmasses that correspond to modern northern and southern China. ... ... Gold rush ad A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers into the area of a dramatic discovery of commercial quantities of gold. ... Chop suey (Simplified Chinese: 杂碎; Traditional Chinese: 雜碎; pinyin: ; Jyutping: zaap6 seoi3; Cantonese Yale: jaāhp seui) literally means mixed pieces. ... Taishanese (台山話 Taishanese: Hoi4 saan6 wa1, Cantonese: toi4 saan1 wa6), or Seiyap, is a Chinese dialect (or group of very similar dialects) spoken in and around Taishan, in Guangdong province. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Colonialism. ... Shanghai (Chinese: 上海; pinyin: ; Shanghainese IPA: ; Lumazi: Zanhe) , situated on the banks of the Yangtze River Delta, is Chinas largest city. ... Japanese rickshaws c. ... Two women wear qipao in this 1930s Shanghai advertisement. ... Cantonese (Traditional Chinese: 粵語; Simplified Chinese: 粤语, Cantonese: Yuet6yue5; Mandarin pinyin: Yueyu, Yụet (Guangdong) language) is one of the major dialect groups or languages of the Chinese language or language family. ... Flag of the Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of independent sovereign states, most of which were once governed by the United Kingdom and are its former colonies. ... In 1982, the governments of the United Kingdom and the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) initiated talks regarding the sovereignty of Hong Kong, which led to the transfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong. ... Trinomial name Brassica campestris L. pekinensis Bok choy (Brassica campestris, Chinese 白菜 báicài) is an Asian relative of the common cabbage. ... Dim sum (Chinese: 點心; Cantonese IPA: dɪm2sɐm1; Pinyin: diǎnxīn; Wade-Giles: tien-hsin; literally dot heart or order heart, meaning order to ones hearts content; also commonly translated as touch the heart, dotted heart, or snack), a Cantonese term, is usually a light meal or brunch, eaten sometime... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Kung fu. ... Fēng Shuǐ (風水 – literally, wind and water pronounced fung shuway), which may be more than 3000 years old, is the ancient practice of placement to achieve harmony with the environment. ... This article is on all of the Northern Chinese dialects. ...

Though all these following terms originated from China, the spelling of the English words depends on which dialect the transliterations came from. Transliteration in a narrow sense is a mapping from one system of writing into another. ...

bak choy 

(Cantonese) 白菜 （baakchoi), a Chinese cabbage: white vegetable

bonsai 

via Japanese 盆栽, lit. tray gardening

cheongsam 

from Cantonese 長衫 (cheungsaam), lit. long clothes.

China 

via Latin from the name of the Ch'in Dynasty 秦

chop chop 

from Cantonese gup 急, lit. hurry, urgent

chopstick 

chop is from the Cantonese 夾 (gaap), literally 'to squeeze'. Notice the two man radicals (人) sandwich another man radical in the middle.

chop suey 

from Cantonese 雜碎 (tzapseui), lit. mixed pieces.

chow chow 

any of a breed of heavy-coated blocky dogs of Chinese origin

chow mein 

from Cantonese 炒麵 (chaumin), lit. stir fried noodle

chow 

from Chinese Pidgin English chowchow which means food, perhaps based on Cantonese 炒, lit. stir fry (cooking)

coolie 

questionably Chinese 苦力, lit. suffering labor. Some dictionaries say the word came from Hindi kull.

cumshaw 

from Amoy 感謝, feeling gratitude

dim sum 

from Cantonese 點心 (dimsam), lit. touch of heart

feng shui 

from feng, wind and shui, water 風水

ginkgo 

via Japanese 銀杏

ginseng 

from Mandarin 人參 (renshen), name of the plant. Some say the word came via Japanese (same kanji/hanzi)

go 

via Japanese name 碁 of a Chinese board game

gung-ho 

from Mandarin 工合, short for 工業合作社

kanji 

via Japanese 漢字, lit. Chinese characters

kaolin 

from 高嶺, lit. high mountain peak

ketchup 

possibly from Amoy 茄汁, lit. tomato sauce/juice

kowtow 

from Chinese 叩頭, lit. knock head

kumquat 

from Cantonese name of the fruit 柑橘 (Gamgwat)

kung fu 

a martial art; from Cantonese 功夫 (Gongfu), lit. efforts

longan 

from Cantonese 龍眼, name of the fruit

loquat 

from Cantonese 蘆橘, old name of the fruit

lychee 

from Cantonese 荔枝 (laitzi), name of the fruit

mahjong 

from Cantonese 麻將 (Matzeuk), lit. sparrow/the mahjong game

oolong 

oolong 烏龍, lit. black dragon

pekoe 

from Amoy 白毫, lit. white downy hair

pinyin 

from Mandarin 拼音, lit. put together sounds

ramen 

from 拉麵 via Japanese, lit. pulled noodle

rickshaw 

via Japanese 人力車, lit. 'human-powered vehicle'

sampan 

from Cantonese 舢舨, the name of such vessel.

Shar Pei 

from Cantonese 沙皮, lit. sand skin.

Shih Tzu 

from Mandarin 獅子狗, lit. Chinese lion dog

silk 

from 'si' 絲, lit. silk

soy 

via Japanese shoyu 醤油

Tai Chi 

from Mandarin 太極

Tai-Pan 

from Cantonese 大班 (daaibaan), lit. big rank (similar to big shot)

Tangram 

from Chinese Tang (唐) + English gram

Tao 

from Mandarin 道

tea 

from Amoy 茶

tofu 

via Japanese 豆腐, lit. bean rot

tong 

from Cantonese 堂

tycoon 

via Japanese 大官, lit. high official; or 大君, lit. great nobleman

typhoon 

颱風 not to be confused with the monster typhon. See also other possible Arabic origin.

wok 

from Cantonese 鑊

won ton 

from Cantonese 雲吞 , lit. 'cloud swallow' as a description of its shape, similar to Mandarin 餛飩

wushu 

from Mandarin 武術, lit. martial arts

yamen 

from Mandarin 衙門, lit. government gate

yen (craving) 

from Cantonese 癮, lit. addiction (to opium)

Yen (Japanese currency) 

via Japanese 円 (used to be Chinese writing 圓, lit. round, name of currency unit)

Yin Yang 

陰陽 from Mandarin 'Yin' meaning feminine, dark and 'Yang' meaning masculine and bright

zen 

禪 via Japanese

For a list of words with Chinese language origins, see the Chinese derivations category of words in Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Trinomial name Brassica campestris L. pekinensis Bok choy (Brassica campestris, Chinese 白菜 báicài) is an Asian relative of the common cabbage. ... A bonsai trident maple growing in the root over rock style. ... Two women wear qipao in this 1930s Shanghai advertisement. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... The Qin Dynasty (Wade-Giles) (秦朝 221 BC - 207 BC) was preceded by the Zhou Dynasty and followed by the Han Dynasty in China. ... Chopsticks is also the name of a simple piece of music for piano. ... Chop suey (Simplified Chinese: 杂碎; Traditional Chinese: 雜碎; pinyin: ; Jyutping: zaap6 seoi3; Cantonese Yale: jaāhp seui) literally means mixed pieces. ... This is a combination of different vegetables carrots, beans, aparagus, couliflour, caonr and peas which are pickled in a jar and served cold. ... Chow mein (Simplified Chinese: 炒面; Traditional Chinese: 炒麪/炒麵; pinyin: ; literally stir-fried noodles) is usually a stir-fried dish consisting of noodles, meat, and vegetables. ... East Indian coolies on a Trinidad Cacao Estate, circa 1903. ... Hindi (हिन्दी) is an Indo-European language spoken mainly in North and Central India. ... Dim sum (Chinese: 點心; Cantonese IPA: dɪm2sɐm1; Pinyin: diǎnxīn; Wade-Giles: tien-hsin; literally dot heart or order heart, meaning order to ones hearts content; also commonly translated as touch the heart, dotted heart, or snack), a Cantonese term, is usually a light meal or brunch, eaten sometime... Fēng Shuǐ (風水 – literally, wind and water pronounced fung shuway), which may be more than 3000 years old, is the ancient practice of placement to achieve harmony with the environment. ... Binomial name Ginkgo biloba L. The Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), sometimes also known as the Maidenhair Tree, is a unique tree with no close living relatives. ... Species Panax ginseng - Chinese Ginseng Panax japonicus - Japanese Ginseng Panax pseudoginseng - Himalayan Ginseng Panax quinquefolius - American Ginseng Panax trifolius - Dwarf Ginseng Panax vietnamensis - Vietnamese Ginseng Ginseng (Panax) is a genus of about five or six species of slow-growing perennial plants with fleshy roots, in the family Araliaceae. ... I-go and I-Go redirect here. ... Gung-ho is a phrase borrowed from Chinese, frequently used in English as an adjective meaning enthusiastic. ... Japanese writing Kanji 漢字 Kana 仮名 Hiragana 平仮名 Katakana 片仮名 Uses Furigana 振り仮名 Okurigana 送り仮名 Rōmaji ローマ字 Category Kanji (漢字 â–¶(?), literally Han characters) is the name of Chinese characters in the Japanese language. ... Kaolin Kaolinite (Aluminium Silicate Hydroxide) Kaolinite is a mineral with the chemical composition Al2Si2O5(OH)4. ... Organic Ketchup, a 21st century condiment Ketchup (or catsup) is a popular condiment, usually made with ripened tomatoes. ... Kowtowing Kowtow, from the Chinese term kòu tóu (Cantonese: kau tàuh) (叩頭), is the act of deep respect shown by kneeling and bowing so low as to touch the head to the ground. ... Species Fortunella crassifolia - Meiwa Kumquat Fortunella hindsii - Hong Kong Kumquat Fortunella japonica - Marumi Kumquat Fortunella margarita - Nagami Kumquat The kumquat is a small fruit-bearing tree in the genus Fortunella. ... Alternative meaning: Kung Fu (TV series) Kung fu or gongfu (功夫, Pinyin: gōngfu) is a well-known Chinese term used in the West to designate Chinese martial arts. ... Hawaiian State Grappling Championships. ... Binomial name Dimocarpus longan The longan (Simplified Chinese: 龙眼; Traditional Chinese: 龍眼; pinyin: ; Cantonese long-ngan; literally dragon eye) is an evergreen tree native to southeast Asia from southern China south to Indonesia. ... Binomial name Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb. ... Binomial name Litchi chinensis Sonn. ... Mahjong (Chinese: 麻将 (Mandarin májiàng; Cantonese màhjeung) or 麻雀 Mandarin máquè, Cantonese màhjeuk); other common English spellings include mahjongg, majiang, and hyphenated forms such as mah-jong or mah-jongg) is a game for four players that originated in China. ... Alternate meanings: Oolong (disambiguation) Oolong (烏龍 wūlóng in the Mandarin Pinyin romanization) is a traditional Chinese type of tea somewhere in between green and black in oxidation (traditionally but improperly called fermentation) time. ... A cup of Orange Pekoe tea with milk added Orange Pekoe is a classification of black tea based upon the origin of the leaf. ... Pinyin (Chinese: 拼音, pÄ«nyÄ«n) literally means join (together) sounds (a less literal translation being phoneticize, spell or transcription) in Chinese and usually refers to HànyÇ” PÄ«nyÄ«n (汉语拼音, literal meaning: Han language pinyin), which is a system of romanization (phonemic notation and transcription to Roman script) for Standard... A typical packet of ramen Contents of the packet The same ramen, prepared This article discusses Japanese food. ... Japanese rickshaws c. ... Sampan on the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang), China A sampan (舢舨) is a relatively flat bottomed Chinese wooden boat from twelve to fifteen feet long. ... Country of origin China Classification and breed standards Shar Pei is a breed of dog whose distinctive feature is deep wrinkles. ... Country of origin China Classification and breed standards The Shih Tzu (獅子狗 pinyin: ShÄ«zi GÇ’u, Wade-Giles: Shih-tzu Kou) is a breed of dog originating in China. ... ... Silk weaver Silk is a natural protein fiber that can be woven into textiles. ... Soy sauce (US) or soya sauce is a fermented sauce made from soybeans (soya beans), roasted grain, water and salt. ... Soy sauce (US) or soya sauce (UK) is a fermented sauce, made from soybeans (soya beans), roasted grain, water and salt, commonly used in Asian cuisine, and in some Western cuisine dishes, especially Worcestershire sauce. ... Tai Chi Chuan or Taijiquan (from Chinese 太极拳 Tàijíquán, literally supreme ultimate fist), commonly known as Tai Chi or Taiji, is a nei chia (internal) Chinese martial art which is known for the claims of health and longevity benefits made by its practitioners and in some recent... A tai-pan (大班) was a foreign businessman doing business in China or Hong Kong in the 19th century. ... A typical tangram construction Tangram (Chinese: 七巧板; pinyin: ; literally seven boards of cunning) is a Chinese puzzle. ... Tang could refer to: Tang Dynasty of China Tang (Shang dynasty ruler) Transliteration of Chinese family names such as 唐,湯,鄧,é‚“,滕 Tang Clan of Hong Kong, the first inhabitants to leave China and settle in Hong Kong. ... For other uses, see TAO or Dao. ... A cup of hot tea A tea bush. ... Tofu, sometimes also called doufu or bean curd, is a food made by coagulating soy milk, and then pressing the resulting curds into blocks. ... For the village in Yorkshire, England see Tong, Yorkshire. ... A business magnate, sometimes referred to as a mogul or a tycoon, is a person who controls a large portion of a particular industry and whose wealth derives primarily from said control. ... This article is about weather phenomena. ... Typhon (Typhaon, Typhoeus, Typhus), in Greek mythology, was the final son of Gaia, this time with Tartarus, the offspring of the Earth and the cavernous void beneath: But when Zeus had driven the Titans from heaven, huge Earth bare her youngest child Typhoeus of the love of Tartarus, by the... The Arabic language (; , less formally, ) is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... Cooking in a wok A wok on an electric stove The wok (Traditional Chinese: é‘Š; Simplified Chinese: 镬; pinyin: ; Cantonese: wok6) is a versatile cooking utensil used especially in East Asia and Southeast Asia. ... Wonton (Cantonese IPA: wɐn4tɐn1) (also written wantan, wanton and numerous other variations) are a type of dumpling common in Chinese cuisine. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Kung fu. ... A yamen (衙門, yámén) is any local bureaucrats, or mandarins, office and residence of the Chinese Empire from the Qing Dynasty (and possibly earlier Chinese dynasties). ... Japanese 10 yen coin (obverse) showing Phoenix Hall of Byodoin Yen is the currency used in Japan. ... Taoists Taijitu The concept of Yin Yang originates in ancient Chinese philosophy, most likely from the observations of day turning into night and night into day. ... Bodhidharma, woodblock print by Yoshitoshi, 1887. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Chinese (written) language (pinyin: zhōngw n) written in Chinese characters The Chinese language (汉语/漢語, 华语/華語, or 中文; Pinyin: H nyǔ, Hu yǔ, or Zhōngw n) is a member of the Sino-Tibetan family of languages. ... Wiktionary logo Wiktionary is a sister project to Wikipedia intended to be a free wiki dictionary (including thesaurus and lexicon) in every language. ...

See also

• Category:Chinese terms
  • Category:Amoy terms
  • Category:Cantonese terms
  • Category:Mandarin terms
  • Category:Chinese martial arts terms

External links

• Chinese Loanwords