Chinese

Noun

功夫

1. time (to do something); synonym for 工夫 (gōngfu)

   我沒有功夫。 / 我没有功夫。  ―  Wǒ méiyǒu gōngfu.  ―  I have no time. (I am busy)

   一會兒功夫他就爬上了一个大樹。 [MSC, trad.]

   一会儿功夫他就爬上了一个大树。 [MSC, simp.]

   Yīhuìr gōngfu tā jiù pá shàng le yīgè dà shù. [Pinyin]

   He climbed up a tall tree in no time

2. efforts (devoted to a task)

   要花很大的功夫才行。 [MSC, trad. and simp.]

   Yào huā hěn dà de gōngfu cái xíng. [Pinyin]

   It won't work unless one expends great effort.

3. accomplishments, achievement
4. skill; art; workmanship (especially Chinese martial arts)

   那個演員念臺詞的功夫不錯。 [MSC, trad.]

   那个演员念台词的功夫不错。 [MSC, simp.]

   Nà ge yǎnyuán niàn táicí de gōngfu bùcuò. [Pinyin]

   That actor's skill at reading his lines is not too shabby.

5. kung fu (Chinese Martial art)

   這是中國少林功夫首次在雅典登臺亮相。 [MSC, trad.]

   这是中国少林功夫首次在雅典登台亮相。 [MSC, simp.]

   Zhè shì Zhōngguó Shàolín gōngfu shǒucì zài Yǎdiǎn dēng tái liàngxiàng. [Pinyin]

   This was the first time that Chinese Shaolin kung fu was put on display in Athens, Greece.

Synonyms

• 武術／武术 (wǔshù) (Chinese martial art, wushu)
• 工夫 (gōngfu)

Usage notes

• Originally, kung fu referred to any skill learned through great effort. Used by the Occident to refer to Chinese martial arts (武術／武术 (wǔshù)), kung fu is now used by Chinese to also refer to martial arts, but only since the late twentieth century.

Derived terms

Japanese

Noun

功夫 ‎(hiragana かんふう, katakana カンフー, romaji kanfū)

1. (kenpō): kung fu