Chinese Loan Words in the English Language

There are few English words with a Chinese origin. Most of these loan words refer to Chinese objects and concepts such as feng shui and coolie. However, a few, such as gung ho and tycoon have evolved into mainstream usage. Many of the Chinese loan words made into the English language as pronounced in the Cantonese or Amoy dialect because the early contact between the two cultures happened along the southern Chinese ports of call or through the mostly Cantonese immigrants. In addition many of the Japanese words, such as judo or shinto, that were adopted into the English language have a Chinese origin.

English	Chinese Source	Literal Meaning	Remarks
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