kung fu

See also: kungfu and kung-fu

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

An atonal and hyphenless Wade–Giles romanization of Mandarin 功夫 (gōngfu, skill, accomplishment). Modern Chinese use of 功夫 to mean “martial art(s)” has been reborrowed from European languages, the traditional Chinese term being 武術武术武术 (wǔshù).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkʌŋ ˈfuː/
    • (file)
  • (Rare) IPA(key): /ˈkʊŋ ˈfuː/
  • (Rare) (emulating Cantonese) IPA(key): /ˈkɔŋ ˈfuː/

Noun

kung fu (countable and uncountable, plural kung fu)

  1. (countable) A Chinese martial art.
    Synonym: wushu
    • 1974, Carl Douglas (lyrics and music), “Kung Fu Fighting”, performed by Carl Douglas:
      Everybody was kung-fu fighting / Those kicks were fast as lightning
  2. (martial arts) The Chinese martial arts collectively.
    Synonym: wushu
  3. (slang) A mastery of or expertise in a skill
    1. (slang, computing) A mastery of or expertise in computer programming, hacking, or cracking

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading


Portuguese

Noun

kung fu m (uncountable)

  1. kung fu (Chinese martial art)

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from English kung fu, from Wade–Giles romanization of Mandarin 功夫 (kung¹-fu⁵, skill, or accomplishment).

Pronunciation

  • Hyphenation: kung‧fu
  • IPA(key): /kuŋ ˈpu/, [kʊm ˈpu]

Noun

kung fú

  1. (martial arts) kung fu

Further reading

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