kung fu

See also: kungfu and kung-fu

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From the Wade–Giles romanization of Mandarin 功夫 (gōngfu, skill, accomplishment, martial art): kung1-fu5.

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

Verb

kung fu (third-person singular simple present kung fus, present participle kung fuing, simple past and past participle kung fued)

  1. To perform kung fu

Further reading

Portuguese

Noun

kung fu m (uncountable)

  1. kung fu (Chinese martial art)

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from English kung fu, from the Wade–Giles romanization of Mandarin 功夫 (gōngfu, skill, accomplishment, martial art): kung1-fu5.

Pronunciation

  • (Standard Tagalog) IPA(key): /kuŋ ˈfu/ [kʊm ˈfu]
    • IPA(key): (more native-sounding) /kuŋ ˈpu/ [kʊm ˈpu]
  • Syllabification: kung fu

Noun

kung fu (Baybayin spelling ᜃᜓᜅ᜔ ᜉᜓ)

  1. (martial arts) kung fu

Further reading

  • kung fu”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018
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