List of English words of Cantonese origin
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B[edit]
- Bok choy
- from Cantonese 白菜 (baak6 coi3), a Chinese cabbage: lit. 'white vegetable'
C[edit]
- Catsup
- see Ketchup
- Char
- colloquial English word for 'tea', originally from Cantonese 茶 (caa4)
- Char siu
- from 叉燒, BBQ pork
- Char siu bao
- from 叉燒包, BBQ pork bun
- Cheongsam
- from 長衫 (coeng4 saam1), lit. long clothes. Popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
- Chop chop
- from cuk1 cuk1 速速, lit. hurry, urgent[1]
- Chop suey
- from Cantonese 雜碎 (zaap6 seoi3), lit. mixed pieces
- Chow
- from Chinese Pidgin English chow chow which means food, perhaps based on Cantonese 炒 (caau2), lit. stir fry (cooking)
- Chow chow
- any of a breed of heavy-coated blocky dogs of Chinese origin
- Chow mein
- from 炒麵, lit. stir fried noodle
- Confucianism
- from Confucius 孔夫子 'Master Kong'
D[edit]
F[edit]
- Fan-tan
- from 番攤 (faan1 taan1), lit. (take) turns scattering
G[edit]
- Gung-ho
- from 工合 (gun1 hap6), short for 工業合作社
- Gweilo
- from 鬼佬 (guaai2 lo2), lit. devils, referring to foreigners
H[edit]
K[edit]
- Keemun
- from 祁門 (kei4 mun4), tea from Qimen in China
- Ketchup
- from 茄汁 (ke4 zap1), short for 蕃茄汁 (faan1 ke4 zap1), lit. tomato sauce/juice
- Kowtow
- from 叩頭 (kau3 tau4), lit. knock head
- Kumquat or cumquat
- from 柑橘 (gam1 gwat1), tangerines
- Kung fu
- the English term to collectively describe Chinese martial arts; from 功夫 (gun1 fu1), lit. efforts
L[edit]
- Lo mein
- from Cantonese 撈麵 (lou4 min6), literally scooped noodle
- Longan
- from Cantonese 龍眼 (lung4 ngaan5), name of the fruit, literally "Dragon's eye"
- Long time no see
- from Cantonese 好耐冇見 (hou2 noi6 mou5 gin3), a common greeting literally translated[1]
- Loquat
- from Cantonese 蘆橘 (lou4 gwat1), old name of the fruit
- Lychee
- from Cantonese 荔枝 (lai6 zi1), name of the fruit
M[edit]
- Mahjong
- from Cantonese 麻將 (maa4 zoeng3), lit. the mahjong game
N[edit]
- No can do
- from 唔可以 (ng3 ho2 ji5); [1]
P[edit]
- Pai gow
- from Cantonese 排九 (paai4 gau2), a gambling game
- Pak choi
- from Cantonese 白菜 (baak6 coi3), a Chinese cabbage: lit. 'white vegetable'
- Pekin
- from Cantonese 北京 (bak1 ging1), a patterned silk cloth
S[edit]
- Sampan
- from Cantonese 舢舨 (saan1 baan2), the name of such vessel.
- Shar Pei
- from Cantonese 沙皮 (saa1 pei4), lit. sand skin.
- Siu mai
- from Cantonese 燒賣 (siu1 maai6), pork dumplings, lit. to cook and sell
- Sifu
- from Cantonese 師傅, (si1 fu6), master.
- Souchong
- from Cantonese 小種茶 (siu2 zung2 caa4), lit. small kind tea
T[edit]
- Tai-Pan
- from Cantonese 大班 (daai6 baan1), lit. big rank (similar to big shot)
- Tofu
- lit. bean curd, from Cantonese 豆腐 (dau6 fu6).
- Tong
- from Cantonese 堂 (tong4)
- tung oil
- from Cantonese 桐油(tun4 yau4), oil extracted from nuts of the tong tree
- Tycoon
- 大官, lit. high official
- Typhoon
- from 颱風 (toi4 fung1) not to be confused with the monster: typhon.
W[edit]
- Wok
- from Cantonese 鑊 (wok6) lit. boiler or cauldron
- Won ton
- from Cantonese 雲吞 (wan4 tan1), lit. 'cloud swallow' as a description of its shape
Y[edit]
- Yen (craving)
- from Cantonese 癮 (yan5), lit. addiction (to opium)
- Yum cha
- from Cantonese 飲茶, lit. drink tea
See also[edit]
- Category:Chinese words and phrases
- List of Spanish words of Chinese origin
- List of Chinese words of English origin
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Partridge, Eric, and Beale, Paul (2002). A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, p. 1386. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-29189-5, ISBN 978-0-415-29189-7.
External links[edit]
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