The 8 Surprising English Words Originated From China

Recently, the Wall Street Journal created a new word for Chinese mother gold buyers, “Dama”, who beat Wallstreet tycoons in gold buying. Other than “Dama”, in the English language, there are many loanwords that have been borrowed from Chinese languages and dialects. Let’s take a look at some surprising words originated from China.

1. 丝绸 – Silk

The word silk comes from Chinese phrase Sichou (丝绸). The Chinese were the first to know how to rear silk worms and the technique of silk weaving. And the word represents Chinese superb technology and powerful position in ancient international trade.

2.  茶 – Tea

The original English pronunciation of the word Tea was ““t’e”, which was from the Chinese Mandarin character “cha” pronounced “t’e” in the Amoy (Xiamen) dialect.  In aancient Tang Dynasty (618 AD – 906 AD) tea was already very fashionable and became China’s national drink. The original English pronunciation of the word tea can be traced back to around 1655 when the Dutch introduced both word and beverage to England.

3. 世外桃源——Shangri-la

Shangri-La is a fictional place described in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by British author James Hilton. Hilton describes Shangri-La as a mystical, harmonious valley, gently guided from a lamasery, enclosed in the western end of the Kunlun Mountains. The name “Shangri-la” is derived from the Tibetan phrase meaning “Pass in the Shang Mountains.” Hilton may have been inspired also by the name of the Tibetan Buddhist paradise, Shamballa or Shambhala, in naming his own high mountain utopia.

4. 风水——Feng Shui

Feng Shui means wind and water; it aims to improve your life by rearranging your home. For centuries Chinese practitioners have believed that how a building is oriented, what you have in it and where you place those things can change the balance and flow of energy through your house. Now most Americans have at least heard of Feng Shui, and many are using the practice to arrange their homes for good luck and prosperity.

5. 茶点——Dim Sum

Dim Sum is the Cantonese pronunciation for the Mandarin word ‘dian xin’ that means ‘little hearts’ and originated in China hundreds of years ago.  It refers to a style of Cantonese food prepared as small bite-sized or individual portions of food traditionally served in small steamer baskets or on small plates.

6. 走狗——Running Dogs

The phrase Running Dog means lackey or lapdog, an unprincipled person who helps or flatters other, more powerful and often evil people.  The phrase has been in use in since the Qing Dynasty, and was often used in the 20th century by communists to refer to client states of the United States and other capitalist powers. Its first recorded use in English was in Edgar Snow’s 1937 reportage Red Star Over China.

7. 纸老虎—Paper Tiger

Paper Tiger is a literal English translation of the Chinese phrase 纸老虎, meaning something that seems as threatening as a tiger, but does not withstand challenge. It was translated to English as early as 1836, in a work by John Francis Davis. In a 1956 interview with the American journalist Anna Louise Strong, Mao Zedong used the phrase to describe American imperialism.

8. 大款、巨亨——Tycoon

Tycoon is derived from Chinese: tai – great and kiun – lord. It has been claimed that in today’s global economy some successful business leaders are more powerful than heads of states. It is etymologically fitting that such leaders are sometimes called tycoons.