Chinese Go Terms
This list of Chinese Go Terms is maintained by unkx80, and also can be found here.
See also Go Terms
Other lists:
- A list maintained by Doug Ridgway is
here.
- Benjamin Barrett's
multilingual go dictionary, which includes lots of Chinese Go terms.
- A list of English/Japanese Go terms to Chinese Go terms is
here.
- The book Contemporary Go Terms at e.g.
Contemporary Go Terms (see cover) by Nam Chihyung lists English, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean Go terms on 335 pages and has registers for all 4 languages.
Just received it: unfortunately for many (incl. me) it does not have proper pinyin (ˉ , ́ , ˇ , ̀ are missing). It does not have tone numbers either.
If the simplified characters and the traditional characters for a Chinese term are different, then the traditional characters will be listed in parentheses.
Updated on 2005 June 24.
B
- 白 bai2 - white
- 败 (敗) bai4 - failure
- 败着 (敗著) bai4 zhao1 - losing move
- 扳 ban1 - hane
- 板六 ban3 liu4 - rectangular six
- 棒接 bang4 jie1 - pole connection
- 抱吃 bao4 chi1 -
- 包围 (包圍) bao1 wei2 - surround
- 薄 bao2 - thin
- 本身劫 ben3 shen1 jie2 - local ko threat
- 本身劫材 ben3 shen1 jie2 cai2 - local ko threat
- 本手 ben3 shou3 - proper move
- 笨重 ben4 zhong4 - heavy
- 崩 beng1 - collapse
- 崩溃 (崩潰) beng1 kui4 - collapse
- 鼻顶 (鼻頂) bi2 ding3 - nose tesuji
- 比赛 (比賽) bi3 sai4 - tournament
- 边 (邊) bian1 - side
- 变化 (變化) bian4 hua4 - variation
- 并 (並) bing4 - horizontal stretch
- 布局 (佈局) bu4 ju2 - opening
- 不入 bu4 ru4 - suicide
- 不入子 bu4 ru4 zi3 - suicide
- 不提三目 bu4 ti2 san1 mu4 - three points without capturing
- 不提五目 bu4 ti2 wu3 mu4 - five points without capturing
C
- 猜先 cai1 xian1 - guessing the stones
- 猜子 cai1 zi3 - guessing the stones
- 参考 (參考) can1 kao3 - reference
- 拆 chai1 - extension
- 长 (長) chang2 - stretch
- 长考 (長考) chang2 kao3 - think for a long time
- 长气 (長氣) chang2 qi4 - increase liberties
- 长生 (長生) chang2 sheng1 - eternal life
- 场合定式 (場合定式) chang3 he2 ding4 shi4 - situational joseki
- 超大飞 (超大飛) chao1 da4 fei1 - very large knight's move
- 超高目 chao1 gao1 mu4 - 4-6 point
- 超时 (超時) chao1 shi2 - lose by time
- 成功 cheng2 gong1 - success
- 吃 chi1 - capture
- 冲 (衝) chong1 - push through
- 重复 (重複) chong2 fu4 - overconcentrated
- 初段 chu1 duan4 - 1 dan
- 初级 (初級) chu1 ji2 - beginner level
- 刺 ci4 - peep
- 次序 ci4 xu4 - sequence
D
- 搭 da1 - attach
- 打入 da2 ru4 - invasion
- 打 da3 - atari
- 打吃 da3 chi1 - atari
- 打二还一 (打二還一) da3 er4 huan2 yi1 - capture two recapture one
- 打挂 (打掛) da3 gua4 - adjourn game
- 打三还一 (打三還一) da3 san1 huan2 yi1 - capture three recapture one
- 大头鬼 (大頭鬼) da3 tou2 gui3 - two-stone edge squeeze
- 大场 (大場) da4 chang3 - big point
- 大飞 (大飛) da4 fei1 - large knight's move
- 大龙 (大龍) da4 long2 - dragon
- 大伸腿 da4 shen1 tui3 - large monkey jump
- 大猪嘴 (大豬嘴) da4 zhu1 zui3 - j group
- 单官 (單官) dan1 guan1 - neutral point
- 单行道 (單行道) dan1 xing2 dao4 - one-way street
- 挡 (擋) dang3 - block
- 刀把五 dao1 ba3 wu3 - bulky five
- 刀板五 dao1 ban3 wu3 - bulky five
- 刀柄五 dao1 bing4 wu3 - bulky five
- 刀五 dao1 wu3 - bulky five
- 倒扑 (倒撲) dao4 pu1 - snapback
- 倒贴 (倒貼) dao4 tie1 - reverse komi
- 倒脱靴 (倒脫靴) dao4 tuo1 xue1 - under the stones
- 低 di1 - low
- 地 di4 - territory
- 地盘 (地盤) di4 pan2 - territory
- 点 (點) dian3 - placement, point
- 点方 (點方) dian3 fang1 - eye-stealing tesuji
- 点目 (點目) dian3 mu4 - counting
- 点 眼 diǎn yǎn = nakade, play inside an opponent's eye
- 丁四 ding1 si4 - farmer's hat
- 顶 (頂) ding3 - bump
- 定式 ding4 shi4 - joseki
- 定型 ding4 xing2 - settle
- 东坡棋 (東坡棋) dong1 po1 qi2 - mirror go
- 斗方 (鬥方) dou3 fang1 - carpenter's square
- 读秒 (讀秒) du2 miao3 - byo-yomi
- 渡 du4 - bridge under
- 断 (斷) duan4 - cut
- 段 duan4 - dan
- 对杀 (對殺) dui4 sha1 - capturing race
- 对弈 (對弈) dui4 yi4 - play game
E
- 恶手 (惡手) e4 shou3 - bad move
- 二连星 (二連星) er4 lian2 xing1 - ni ren sei
F
- 反打 fan3 da3 - counter atari
- 反攻 fan3 gong1 - counter attack
- 反击 (反擊) fan3 ji1 - counter attack
- 反夹 (反夾) fan3 jia1 - counter pincer
- 方法 fang1 fa3 - technique
- 方四 fang1 si4 - square four
- 方向 fang1 xiang4 - direction
- 方形 fang1 xing2 - mouth shape
- 防 fang2 - defend
- 防守 fang2 shou3 - defend
- 飞 (飛) fei1 - knight's move
- 飞压 (飛壓) fei1 ya1 - press
- 分投 fen1 tou2 - splitting move
- 分先 fen1 xian1 - even game
- 浮棋 fu2 qi2 - floating stones
- 浮子 fu2 zi3 - floating stones
- 负 (負) fu4 - lose
- 复盘 (復盤) fu4 pan2 - game review
G
- 感觉 (感覺) gan3 jue2 - feeling
- 高 gao1 - high
- 高级 (高級) gao1 ji2 - advanced level
- 高目 gao1 mu4 - 4-5 point
- 攻 gong1 - attack
- 攻击 (攻擊) gong1 ji1 - attack
- 公气 (公氣) gong1 qi4 - shared liberty
- 攻守 gong1 shou3 - attack and defence
- 共活 gong4 huo2 - seki
- 孤棋 gu1 qi2 - floating stones
- 挂角 (掛角) gua4 jiao3 - corner approach
- 拐 guai3 - bend
- 官子 guan1 zi3 - endgame
- 龟甲 (龜甲) gui1 jia3 - tortoise shell
- 规则 (規則) gui1 ze2 - rules
- 鬼手 gui3 shou3 - ghost move
- 滚包 (滾包) gun3 bao1 - squeeze
- 滚打 (滾打) gun3 da3 - squeeze
- 滚打包收 (滾打包收) gun3 da3 bao1 shou1 - squeeze
- 过分 (過分) guo4 fen4 - overplay
H
- 好点 (好點) hao4 dian3 - good point
- 和棋 he2 qi2 - draw
- 黑 hei1 - black
- 厚 hou4 - thick
- 后悔 (後悔) hou4 hui3 - regret
- 厚势 (厚勢) hou4 shi4 - influence
- 后手 (後手) hou4 shou3 - gote
- 后续手段 (後續手段) hou4 xu4 shou3 duan4 - follow-up
- 虎 hu3 - tiger's mouth
- 虎口 hu3 kou3 - tiger's mouth
- 互破 hu4 po4 - mutual damage
- 互围 (互圍) hu4 wei2 - mutual surrounding of territory
- 花见劫 (花見劫) hua1 jian4 jie2 - picnic ko
- 花六 hua1 liu4 - rabbity six
- 花五 hua1 wu3 - crossed five
- 还原 (還原) huan2 yuan2 - transposition
- 缓 (緩) huan3 - slow
- 缓慢 (緩慢) huan3 man4 - slow
- 缓手 (緩手) huan3 shou3 - slow
- 缓征 (緩徵) huan3 zheng1 - loose ladder
- 缓征子 (緩徵子) huan3 zheng1 zi3 - loose ladder
- 悔棋 hui3 qi2 - take back
- 活棋 huo2 qi2 - living group
J
- 急 ji2 - urgent
- 级 (級) ji2 - kyu
- 急所 ji2 suo3 - urgent point
- 挤 (擠) ji3 - bump into diagonal
- 技巧 ji4 qiao4 - technique
- 计算 (計算) ji4 suan4 - counting
- 夹 (夾) jia1 - clamp, pincer
- 枷 jia1 - net
- 枷吃 jia1 chi1 - net
- 假眼 jia3 yan3 - false eye
- 尖 jian1 - diagonal
- 尖冲 (尖衝) jian1 chong1 - shoulder hit
- 见合 (見合) jian4 he2 - miai
- 交叉点 (交叉點) jiao1 cha1 dian3 - point
- 交点 (交點) jiao1 dian3 - point
- 焦点 (焦點) jiao1 dian3 - focal point
- 交换 (交換) jiao1 huan4 - exchange
- 角 jiao3 - corner
- 叫吃 jiao4 chi1 - atari
- 教师 (教師) jiao4 shi1 - teacher
- 接不归 (接不歸) jie1 bu4 gui1 - connect and die
- 劫 jie2 - ko
- 劫材 jie2 cai2 - ko threat
- 金柜角 (金櫃角) jin1 gui4 jiao3 - carpenter's square
- 金鸡独立 (金雞獨立) jin1 ji1 du2 li4 - double shortage of liberties
- 紧 (緊) jin3 - tight
- 紧气 (緊氣) jin3 qi4 - approach move
- 禁着点 (禁著點) jin4 zhao2 dian3 - illegal point
- 净吃 (淨吃) jing4 chi1 - unconditional kill
- 净活 (淨活) jing4 huo2 - unconditional life
- 净杀 (淨殺) jing4 sha1 - unconditional death
- 净死 (淨死) jing4 si1 - unconditional death
K
- 开拆 (開拆) kai1 chai1 - extension
- 开花 (開花) kai1 hua1 - ponnuki
- 开局 (開局) kai1 ju2 - opening
- 看花劫 kan4 hua1 jie2 - picnic ko
- 靠 kao4 - attach
- 空 kong1 - empty
- 空三角 kong1 san1 jiao3 - empty triangle
- 空 kong4 - territory
- 跨断 (跨斷) kua1 duan4 - waist cut
- 跨 kua4 - attach at waist of knight's move
- 快 kuai4 - fast
- 快棋 kuai4 qi2 - blitz game
L
- 拦 (攔) lan2 - checking extension
- 老师 (老師) lao3 shi1 - teacher
- 立 li4 - descent, stand
- 连 (連) lian2 - connect
- 连扳 (連扳) lian2 ban1 - double hane
- 连环劫 (連環劫) lian2 huan2 jie2 - double ko
- 连接 (連接) lian2 jie1 - connect
- 龙 (龍) long2 - dragon
M
- 满 (滿) man3 - satisfied
- 慢 man4 - slow
- 盲点 (盲點) mang2 dian3 - blind spot
- 梅花六 mei2 hua1 liu4 - rabbity six
- 梅花五 mei2 hua1 wu3 - crossed five
- 门吃 men2 chi1 -
- 妙手 miao4 shou3 - excellent move
- 模仿棋 mo2 fang3 qi2 - mirror go
- 模样 (模樣) mo2 yang4 - territorial framework
- 目 mu4 - point of territory
N
- 内气 (內氣) nei4 qi4 - internal liberty
- 逆官子 ni4 guan1 zi3 - reverse endgame move
- 逆先 ni4 xian1 - reverse sente
- 逆先手 ni4 xian1 shou3 - reverse sente
- 逆转 (逆轉) ni4 zhuan3 - overturn game
- 粘 nian2 - connect
- 扭断 (扭斷) niu3 duan4 - crosscut
- 扭十字 niu3 shi2 zi4 - crosscut
P
- 爬 pa2 - crawl
- 盘角板六 (盤角板六) pan2 jiao3 ban3 liu4 - rectangular six in the corner
- 盘角曲四 (盤角曲四) pan2 jiao3 qu3 si4 - bent four in the corner
- 碰 peng4 - attach
- 平衡 ping2 heng2 - balance
- 秤砣 ping2 tuo2 - two-stone edge squeeze
- 扑 (撲) pu1 - throw in
- 谱 (譜) pu3 - game record
Q
- 棋板 qi2 ban3 - go board
- 棋风 (棋風) qi2 feng1 - playing style
- 棋盒 qi2 he2 - stone container
- 棋筋 qi2 jin1 - key stones
- 棋精 qi2 jing1 - key stones
- 棋理 qi2 li3 - go theory
- 棋盘 (棋盤) qi2 pan2 - go board
- 棋谱 (棋譜) qi2 pu3 - game record
- 棋石 qi2 shi2 - stone
- 棋手 qi2 shou3 - player
- 棋书 (棋書) qi2 shu1 - go book
- 棋钟 (棋鐘) qi2 zhong1 - clock
- 棋子 qi2 zi3 - stone
- 气 (氣) qi4 - liberty
- 气合 (氣合) qi4 he2 - fighting spirit
- 气紧 (氣緊) qi4 jin3 - shortage of liberties
- 浅消 (淺消) qian3 xiao1 - erasure
- 墙 (牆) qiang2 - wall
- 强 (強) qiang2 - strong
- 墙壁 (牆壁) qiang2 bi4 - wall
- 切断 (切斷) qie4 duan4 - cut
- 侵消 qin1 xiao1 - erasure
- 轻 (輕) qing1 - light
- 侵入 qing1 ru4 - invasion
- 轻盈 (輕盈) qing1 ying2 - light
- 曲 qu3 - bend
- 曲尺 qu3 che3 - carpenter's square
- 曲三 qu3 san1 - bent three
- 曲四 qu3 si4 - bent four
R
- 让子 (讓子) rang4 zi3 - handicap
- 让子棋 (讓子棋) rang4 zi3 qi2 - handicap game
- 认输 (認輸) ren4 shu1 - resign
- 弱 ruo2 - weak
S
- 三劫 san1 jie2 - triple ko
- 三劫循环 (三劫循環) san1 jie2 xun2 huan2 - triple ko
- 三连星 (三連星) san1 lian2 xing1 - san ren sei
- 三三 san1 san1 - 3-3 point
- 三子正中 san1 zi3 zheng4 zhong1 - center of three stones
- 杀 (殺) sha1 - kill
- 杀棋 (殺棋) sha1 qi2 - kill
- 上 shang4 - upper
- 上级 (上級) shang4 ji2 - advanced level
- 上下同形 shang4 xia4 tong2 xing2 - symmetrical position
- 伸腿 shen1 tui3 - monkey jump
- 生死劫 sheng1 si3 jie2 - all-dominating ko
- 胜 (勝) sheng4 - win
- 胜负手 (勝負手) sheng4 fu4 shou3 - all-or-nothing move
- 胜着 (勝著) sheng4 zhao1 - winning move
- 失败 (失敗) shi1 bai4 - failure
- 实接 (實接) shi2 jie1 - solid connection
- 实战 (實戰) shi2 zhan4 - actual game situation
- 实战手 (實戰手) shi2 zhan4 shou3 - situational move
- 势 (勢) shi4 - influence
- 势力 (勢力) shi4 li4 - influence
- 试应手 (試應手) shi4 ying4 shou3 - probe
- 收官 shou1 guan1 - play endgame
- 收官子 shou1 guan1 zi3 - play endgame
- 收后 (收後) shou1 hou4 - last play
- 收气 (收氣) shou1 qi4 - approach move
- 守 shou3 - defend
- 手段 shou3 duan4 - technique
- 手割 shou3 ge1 - reorder sequence
- 守角 shou3 jiao3 - corner enclosure
- 手筋 shou3 jin1 - tesuji
- 手顺 (手順) shou3 shun4 - sequence
- 手谈 (手談) shou3 tan2 - hand talk
- 授子 shou3 zi3 - handicap
- 授子棋 shou3 zi3 qi2 - handicap game
- 书 (書) shu1 - book
- 输 (輸) shu1 - lose
- 书本 (書本) shu1 ben3 - book
- 梳形 shu1 xing2 - comb formation
- 梳形板六 shu1 xing2 ban3 liu4 - comb formation
- 双 (雙) shuang1 - bamboo joint
- 双吃 (雙吃) shuang1 chi1 - double atari
- 双打 (雙打) shuang1 da3 - double atari
- 双打吃 (雙打吃) shuang1 da3 chi1 - double atari
- 双方 (雙方) shuang1 fang1 - bilateral; both sides; both parties involved
- 双活 (雙活) shuang1 huo2 - seki
- 双叫吃 (雙叫吃) shuang1 jiao4 chi1 - double atari
- 双劫 (雙劫) shuang1 jie2 - double ko
- 顺序 (順序) shun4 xu4 - sequence
- 死活 si3 huo2 - life and death
- 死活题 (死活題) si3 huo2 ti2 - life and death problem
- 死棋 si3 qi2 - dead group
- 死子 si3 zi3 - dead stone
- 四角穿心 si4 jiao3 chuan1 xing1 - occupying four corners
- 四连星 (四連星) si4 lian2 xing1 - yon ren sei
- 松 song1 - slack
- 俗手 su2 shou3 - crude move
- 随手 (隨手) sui2 shou3 - hasty move
- 随手棋 (隨手棋) sui2 shou3 qi2 - hasty move
- 损 (損) sun3 - loss
- 损劫 (損劫) sun3 jie2 - losing ko threat
- 损失 (損失) sun3 shi1 - loss
T
- 弹性 (彈性) tan2 xing4 - flexibility
- 逃 tao2 - escape
- 提 ti2 - remove from board
- 提子 ti2 zi3 - remove from board
- 天王山 tian1 wang2 shan1 - tennouzan
- 天元 tian1 yuan2 - tengen
- 跳 tiao4 - jump
- 贴目 (貼目) tie1 mu4 - komi
- 铁柱 (鐵柱) tie3 zhu4 - iron pillar
- 投降 tou2 xiang2 - resign
- 投子 tou2 zi3 - resign
- 图 (圖) tu2 - diagram
- 退 tui4 - pull back
- 托 tuo1 - attach underneath
- 脱骨 (脫骨) tuo4 gu3 - under the stones
- 脱先 (脫先) tuo4 xian1 - tenuki
W
- 挖 wa1 - wedge
- 外目 wai4 mu4 - 3-5 point
- 外气 (外氣) wai4 qi4 - external liberty
- 万年劫 (萬年劫) wan4 nian2 jie2 - ten thousand year ko
- 围 (圍) wei2 - surround
- 围棋 (圍棋) wei2 qi2 - go
- 味道 wei4 dao4 - aji
- 问应手 (問應手) wen4 ying4 shou3 - probe
- 乌龟不出头 (烏龜不出頭) wu1 gui1 bu4 chu1 tou2 - crane's nest
- 无理 (無理) wu2 li3 - overplay
- 无忧劫 (無憂劫) wu2 you1 jie3 - picnic ko
- 五子棋 wu2 zi3 qi2 - gomoku narabe
- 五连星 (五連星) wu3 lian2 xing1 - go ren sei
- 五五 wu3 wu3 - 5-5 point
X
- 细棋 (細棋) xi4 qi2 - close game
- 下 xia4 - lower
- 先手 xian1 shou3 - sente
- 先手利 xian1 shou3 li4 - forcing move
- 象飞 (象飛) xiang4 fei1 - elephant's move
- 向 小目 xiang4 xiao3 mu4 - facing 3-4 points
- 小飞 (小飛) xiao3 fei1 - knight's move
- 小尖 xiao3 jian1 - diagonal
- 小目 xiao3 mu4 - 3-4 point
- 小伸腿 xiao3 shen1 tui3 - small monkey jump
- 小猪嘴 (小豬嘴) xiao3 zhu1 zui3 - tripod group
- 效率 xiao4 lv4 - efficiency
- 新手 xin1 shou3 - new move
- 星位 xing1 wei4 - star point
- 形 xing2 - shape
- 形势 (形勢) xing2 shi4 - situation
- 形势判断 (形勢判斷) xing2 shi4 pan4 duan4 - positional judgement
- 形状 (形狀) xing2 zhuang4 - shape
- 虚手 (虛手) xu1 shou3 - pass
- 虚着 (虛著) xu1 zhao2 - pass
- 序盘 (序盤) xu4 pan2 - opening
- 学生 (學生) xue2 sheng1 - student
- 雪崩 xue3 beng1 - avalanche
Y
- 压 (壓) ya1 - push down
- 压力 (壓力) ya1 li4 - pressure
- 眼 yan3 - eye
- 眼位 yan3 wei4 - eye space
- 眼形 yan3 xing2 - eye shape
- 摇橹劫 (搖櫓劫) yao2 lu3 jie2 - double ko
- 要点 (要點) yao4 dian3 - vital point
- 业余 (業餘) ye4 yu2 - amateur
- 疑问手 (疑問手) yi2 wen4 shou3 - questionable move
- 弈棋 yi4 qi2 - play game
- 引征 yin3 zheng1 - ladder block
- 赢 (贏) ying2 - win
- 应氏 (應氏) ying4 shi4 - ing's
- 硬腿 ying4 tui3 - first line descent
- 右 you4 - right
- 余味 (餘味) yu2 wei4 - aji
- 愚形 yu2 xing2 - dumpling shape
- 院生 yuan4 sheng1 - insei
Z
- 扎钉 (扎釘) zha2 ding1 - iron pillar
- 胀牯牛 (脹牯牛) zhang4 gu3 niu2 - oshitsubushi
- 胀死牛 (脹死牛) zhang4 si3 niu2 - oshitsubushi
- 真眼 zhen1 yan3 - real eye
- 镇 (鎮) zhen4 - capping play
- 镇神头 (鎮神頭) zhen4 shen2 tou2 - dual ladder breaker
- 镇头 (鎮頭) zhen4 tou2 - capping play
- 征 zheng1 - ladder
- 征子 zheng1 zi3 - ladder
- 整体 (整體) zheng3 ti3 - chain
- 整型 zheng3 xing2 - settle
- 正确 zheng4 que4 - correct
- 指导棋 (指導棋) zhi2 dao3 qi2 - teaching game
- 直二 zhi2 er4 - straight two
- 直三 zhi2 san1 - straight three
- 直四 zhi2 si4 - straight four
- 职业 (職業) zhi2 ye4 - professional
- 中 zhong1 - center
- 钟 (鐘) zhong1 - clock
- 中腹 zhong1 fu4 - center
- 中国流 (中國流) zhong1 guo2 liu3 - chinese opening
- 中级 (中級) zhong1 ji2 - intermediate level
- 中盘 (中盤) zhong1 pan2 - middle game
- 终盘 (終盤) zhong1 pan2 - endgame
- 中心 zhong1 xin1 - center
- 中央 zhong1 yang1 - center
- 中原 zhong1 yuan2 - center
- 重 zhong4 - heavy
- 专业 (專業) zhuan1 ye4 - professional
- 转换 (轉換) zhuan3 huan4 - exchange
- 子 zi3 - stone
- 自杀 (自殺) zi4 sha1 - suicide
- 左 zuo3 - left
- 左右同形 zuo3 you4 tong2 xing2 - symmetrical position
When you encounter two characters with the same HanYu PinYin spelling, it is possible that they represent different Chinese characters with the same pronunciation.
The numbers in the HanYu PinYin indicate the tone of the pronunciation. The true notation for the tones are actually yīng, yáng, shǎng and qù, but for the ease of data entry, they are written as ying1, yang2, shang3 and qu4 instead. Also, ü is often entered as v.
[1]: Shi is an especially interesting concept from a Chinese point of view as this monograph shows: Geo-Strategic Lessons from Go