Japanese Go Terms

    Keywords: Problem

Some Japanese Go terms often used in English are listed under Go Terms. This is an extensive glossary with Romanisations, literal translations, brief meanings and kanji/kana on 700+ entries. Also serves as an index page, with hyperlinks on nearly all entries.

Note: Using katakana for Go technical terms is a long standing Japanese custom.

Table of contents

For pronunciation, see the [ext] Swiss Go Association website.

List

A (あ)

  • Agehama, Ageishi (Prisoners) — アゲハマ, アゲ石
  • Ago (Jaw) — アゴ
  • Agohimo (Jaw strap) — アゴヒモ
  • Aigakari (Low approaches by both sides in Opposing 3-4 Points. W4 at a in the second diagram) — 相ガカリ
  • Aigosumi (a 3-4 joseki with opposing kosumi) — 相ゴスミ
  • Aji (literally 'taste'; unfinished business, future possibilities) — 味
    • Ajikeshi (destroying own aji) — 味消し
    • Ajinokori (some aji is remaining) — 味残り
    • Ajiwaru (bad aji) — 味悪
  • Akisankaku (Empty triangle) — 空き三角, アキ三角
  • Akisumi (Empty corner) — 空き隅, アキ隅
  • Akushu (mistake) — 悪手
  • Amai (literally 'sweet'; soft, weak; in particular, giving too much territory. Opposite of Karai) — 甘い
  • Amarigatachi (unfavorable situation after one's failed attack) — アマリ形
  • Amashi — 余し, アマシ
  • Anpu (memorizing a whole game) — 暗譜
  • Aori ('sending wind'; driving opponent's group with Keima) — アオリ
  • Arashi (successful invasion of opponent's Moyo or near-territory, denying it to become a large territory) — 荒らし
    • Arashi-ai or Arashi-arashi (Mutual damage) — 荒らし合い, 荒らし荒らし
  • Ashida (net to more than one stone) — アシダ Note: Geta and Ashida are both Japanese footwears, with Ashida being a little larger.
  • Atama (1. head of a straight string of stones 2. higher side of a stone) — 頭
    • Atama-hane (hane at the higher side) — 頭ハネ
    • Atama-tsuke (attach at the higher side) — 頭ツケ See Pushing battles in joseki 9
  • Atari ('being hit'; atari) — 当たり, アタリ
  • Ate ('hit'; a move that put opponent's stone(s) in atari) — アテ
  • Atekomi ('hit inside'; a contact play that threatens to cut a diagonal, with adjacent supporting stones) — アテコミ
  • Atetsuke ('hitting attach'; a contact play to a diagonal, without adjacent supporting stones) — アテツケ
  • Atogiri (Cut under the stones) — 跡切り, アトギリ
  • Atsui (1. Thick 2. sometimes, small advantage in the endgame) — 厚い
    • Atsugaru (emphasising thickness too much, often too slow play) — 厚がる
    • Atsumi (Thickness) — 厚み
  • Aya ('complication';1. same as aji 2. same as Magire (practical chances)) — 綾,アヤ
  • Ayamaru ('apologize'; defend involuntarily) — あやまる, 謝る

B (ば行)

  • Baai no te (Play that depends upon the circumstances) — 場合の手
  • Bakahachi ('stupid eight'; joking name for Rectangular Eight in the Corner) — バカ八
  • Bakayon ('stupid four'; joking name for Squared Four) — バカ四
  • Bakeru {verb} ('transform'; sacrifice a stone or group and make a life nearby) — 化ける
  • -ban (1.counter suffix for games of Go) — 番 Example: sanban shoubu 三番勝負 (best-of-three match)
    • Bango (1.multi-game match, like title matches or jubango 2. Money-betting game where the amount is decided by number of games won/lost; see Mego) — 番碁
  • -ban (2. used to indicate the game is one in multi-game handicap match) — 番 Example: 'senban' 先番 means 'Black game in multi-game handicap', while 'sen' 先 means josen, that is 'always Black handicap'.
  • Ban (the board) — 盤
    • Banjuu/Banjū (short form of 'banmen jūmoku', that is '10 points on the board'. In a game with komi, it means Black has small advantage in the endgame) — 盤十
    • Bangai (off the board) — 盤外
      • Bangai senjutsu ('off-the-board tactics'; gamesmanship) — 盤外戦術
    • Bantan (Edge of the board) — 盤端
    • Banmen (surface of the board; also score count on the board before deducting komi) — 盤面
  • -bane (vocalized form of Hane in compounds) — バネ
  • -basami (vocalized form of Hasami (pincer) in compounds) — バサミ (low pincers) ikken-, niken-, sangen- (high pincers) ikkentaka-, nikentaka-, sangentaka-. Note that Keima and Ogeima are not used for pincers.
  • Batabata (an onomatopoeia; colloquial name for Oiotoshi) — バタバタ
  • Betsuan (alternative solution) — 別案
  • Binbou watari/Binbō watari (literally 'Poorman's watari'; first line connection which yields no or few points) — 貧乏ワタリ
  • -biraki (vocalized form of Hiraki (extension) in compounds) — ビラキ From 1 space to 6 space: ikken-, niken-, sangen-, yonken-, goken-, rokken-.
  • Bokasu ('blur'; indirectly defend a weakness from afar) — ぼかす
  • Bouishi/Bōishi (a straight group with little eye potential) — 棒石
  • Boumon (short for Honinbo monka, pupils of Honinbo) — 坊門
  • Boushi/Bōshi (Cap) — ボウシ
  • Boutsugi/Bōtsugi (Staff connection) — 棒ツギ
  • Buchinuku (emphasized form of nuku (capture); resolve the ko by capturing another stone) — ぶち抜く
  • Bukkake (emphasized form of kake (press); press in the shape of two space jump) — ぶっかけ, ブッカケ Example: see Drooping Lotus
  • Burasagari (another name for Iron Pillar) — ブラサガリ
  • Butsukari (Bump) — ブツカリ
  • Buttsuke ('hitting hard'; attachment without supporting stones nearby) — ぶっつけ, ブッツケ
  • Byouyomi/Byōyomi — 秒読み Note: In Japanese, this refers to second-counting phase only. In English, it can mean a time-control system as a whole, like Canadian Byoyomi (which is an example of Japlish).

C (ち)

  • -chaku (counter suffix for stones played on the board) — 着 From 1 to 3: icchaku (一着 very often used), nichaku, sanchaku
    • Chakui (intent of the move) — 着意
    • Chakushu (move) — 着手
      • Chakushu kinshiten (prohibited point due to ko or suicide) — 着手禁止点
    • Chakuten (played point) — 着点
  • Chigai-komoku (Rotating komoku, e.g. 17-4 and 16-17) — 違い小目
  • Chihou-kishi (obsolete teaching title for non-inseis) — 地方棋士 See jun-kishi.
  • Chikara (strength; very often a player's reading ability) — 力
    • Chikara go (player who rely on reading ability only) — 力碁, チカラ碁
    • Chikara wo dasu ('use the strength'; start a local fight) — 力を出す
  • Chikiritobi (rare name for Hazamatobi) — チキリトビ
  • Chinrou/Chinrō (specially composed whole-board problem) — 珍瓏 For examples, see Ladder problems and exercises
  • Chinshintou (a kind of dual ladder breaker) — 鎮神頭 See The first recorded dual ladder breaker
  • Chokushi (straight four shape) — 直四
  • Chouchin gyouretsu (lantern procession) — 提灯行列
  • Choufukukei ('overlapping shape'; over-concentrated) — 重複形
  • Chousei/Chōsei — 長生
  • Choushi/Chōshi (momentum) — 調子
  • Chūto hanpa (something left unfinished) — 中途半端
  • Chuuban/Chūban (Middle game) — 中盤
  • Chuugokuryuu/Chūgokuryū (Chinese Fuseki) — 中国流
  • Chuumon/Chūmon (ideal or wishful plan by a player) — 注文
  • Chuuoshi/Chūoshi (win/loss by resignation) — 中押し
  • Chuuou/Chūō (Center) — 中央

D (だ行)

  • Daidaigeima — 大大ゲイマ
  • Dai-ikkan ('the first feeling'; the move a player think of instantly) — 第一感
  • Daisankan (three big titles, namely Kisei,Meijin and Honinbo) — 大三冠
  • Damatte ('quietly'; without playing forcing moves) — だまって Note: May be shortened in compounds, like damatsugi ダマツギ (connect quietly)
  • Dame (A liberty or neutral point between two groups of stones, without territory value) — 駄目, ダメ
    • Dameaki (with liberties) — ダメ空き
      • Dameaki shichou (Loose Ladder) — ダメ空きシチョウ
    • Dameba (an area which yields no or very few points) — ダメ場
    • Damekiri (meaningless cut) — ダメ切り
    • Damezumari (shortage of liberties) — ダメ詰まり , ダメヅマリ
    • Damezume (1. approach move 2. process of playing neutral points before the end of the game) — ダメ詰め
  • Dan (Grade, expert rank) — 段
    • Dankyuu-i (dan and kyu ranks) — 段級位
  • Dango (dumpling) — 団子, ダンゴ
  • Danryoku (resiliency using ko possibilities) — 弾力
  • Danten (cutting point) — 断点
  • De (push through) — 出, デ
    • Degiri (push through and cut, two moves) — 出切り, デギリ
  • Deiri ('outs and ins'; numerical evaluation of a play in points) — 出入り
  • Deishi (stones accidentally got out of bowl) — 出石

E (え), F (ふ)

  • Eda-ishi ('branch stones'; in capturing race, string of stones not directly touching the opponent's group) — 枝石
  • Eguri ('drilling inside'; invading opponent's formation from beneath) — エグリ
  • Fugou (coordinates) - 符号
  • Fujisan (Mt.Fuji, a 3 stone side formation) — 富士山
  • Fukugo (replaying a finished game on the board) — 復碁
  • Fukumi (future possibility) — 含み, フクミ
  • Fukurami, Fukure (bulge) — フクラミ, フクレ
  • Furikawari (exchange of potential territories) — 振り替わり, フリカワリ
  • Furueru ('shiver'; play too safely after recognizing clear advantage) — ふるえる
  • Fuseki (Opening) — 布石
  • Fushi ('bamboo joint' from its outside shape; shape with a pair of cutting points in an otherwise straight wall) — 節, フシ See Bulge (third diagram) and 4-4 point 3-3 invasion, jumping away (second diagram).
  • Futokoro (Eyespace) — 懐, フトコロ
  • Fuujite/Fūjite (sealed move) — 封じ手
  • Fuusa/Fūsa (Shut in) — 封鎖
  • Fuusha/Fūsha ('Windmill', shape of four stretches after a crosscut) — 風車

G (が行)

  • Gachan (an onomatopoeia; colloquial name for Atekomi or Sashikomi) — ガチャン
  • Gairai (literally 'from outside'; participants of pro qualification tournament other than insei) - 外来
  • Gaisei (outside influence) — 外勢
  • -gakari (vocalized form of Kakari in compounds) — ガカリ
  • -gake (vocalized form of Kake in compounds) — ガケ
  • -gatachi (vocalized form of Katachi in compounds) — 形
  • -gan (number of eyes) — 眼 (0) mugan, (½) hangan, (1) ichigan, (2) nigan
  • -geima (vocalized form of Keima in compounds) — ゲイマ
  • Geta (Net) — 下駄, ゲタ
  • Gen-nama ('cash money'; metaphorically, secured territory) — 現ナマ
  • Gimonshu (dubious move) — 疑問手
  • Go (Go) — 碁
    • Goban (Board) — 碁盤
    • Godokoro — 碁所
    • Gogataki (literally 'Go enemy'; Go friend/opponent for an amateur player) — 碁敵, 碁仇
    • Goishi (Go stones) — 碁石
    • Gokai (Go party/meet) — 碁会.
    • Go-kaisho (Go Club with a permanent premise) — 碁会所
    • Goke? (bowls for storing stones) — 碁笥
    • Go-keishi (Game Record Form) — 碁罫紙
    • Go ni naru, Go ni suru (idiom meaning 'White nearly catches up' in a handicap game) — 碁になる, 碁にする
    • Gosei (Go sage; name of a big title) — 碁聖
    • Goseki (old name for Go-kaisho above) — 碁席
    • Go'uchi (Go player, in particular professionals) — 碁打ち
  • Gobu, Gobugobu (even or 50/50 result) — 五分, 五分五分
  • Gokaku (even or equal result) — 互角
  • Goken-biraki (Five space extension) — 五間ビラキ
  • Gonogo (5-5point) — 五の五
  • Gote (Losing the initiative, playing last) — 後手
    • Gote no sente (Apparent gote that's really sente) — 後手の先手
  • Gukei (bad shape) — 愚形
  • Guruguru mawashi (combined squeeze and ladder) — グルグルマワシ
  • Guzumi — グズミ
  • gyaku- (reverse) — 逆
    • Gyakuban (game with the harder handicap in old multi-game handicap) — 逆番 Another reading "sakaban" is also acceptable.
    • Gyaku komi (reverse komi) — 逆コミ
    • Gyaku sente, Gyaku yose (Reverse sente) — 逆先手, 逆ヨセ

H (はひへほ)

  • Haba (width, of Hiraki or Moyo) — 幅
  • Hadashi de hairenai (literally 'can't enter barefoot'; can't approach for shortage of liberties) — ハダシで入れない
  • Hagashi (Taking back a move before opponent's reply) — ハガシ
  • Hai (crawl on the third line or lower, contacting opponent's stone from under) — 這い, ハイ
    • Haikomi (crawl into opponent's territory) — ハイコミ
  • Haichaku (losing move) — 敗着
  • Haijouseki (discarded joseki) — 廃定石
  • Haiseki (spent stone(s), stones which became useless after some functioning) — 廃石
  • Haiseki ('distributed stones'; overall position) — 配石
  • Hajiku {verb} (counter-atari to start a ko) — はじく, 弾く
  • Hama (prisoner stone(s); same as Agehama) — ハマ
  • Hamari (fell into trap) — ハマリ
  • Hamete (Joseki trap) — ハメ手
  • Hanago (Crossed five shape) — 花五
  • Hanaroku (Flower six shape) — 花六
  • Hanami kou/Hanami kō ('flower viewing ko', picnic ko) — 花見コウ
  • Hanazuke (Nose tesuji) (nose attachment) — 鼻ヅケ, ハナヅケ
  • Hane — 跳ね, ハネ
    • Haneage (hane upwards from the third line or lower) — ハネアゲ
    • Hanedashi (Hane Through) — ハネダシ
    • Hane-giri (hane and cut, two moves) — ハネギリ
    • Hanegoroshi (killing sequence starting with a hane) — ハネ殺し
    • Hane-heko (colloquial name for hane and hekomi, two moves) — ハネヘコ
    • Hanekaeshi (Counter Hane) — ハネ返し
    • Hane-kaketsugi (hane and hanging connection, two moves) — ハネカケツギ
    • Hanekomi (Hane Wedge) — ハネコミ
    • Hane-nobi (Hane and extend, two moves) — ハネノビ
    • Hane-sagari (Hane-descend, two moves) — ハネサガリ
    • Hane-tsugi (hane and connect, two moves) — ハネツギ
    • Hanezeki (a special type of seki with a hane stone on the first line) — ハネゼキ
  • Han- (half) — 半
    • Hangan (half-eye, an eye one can make in gote) — 半眼
    • Hankiki (a kiki threatening a ko) — 半利き, 半キキ
    • Hankou/Hankō (half-point ko) — 半コウ
      • Hanko kuro/shiro kachi tsugu (Black/White won the last half point ko and connected) — 半コウ黒/白勝ちツグ Note: Japanese go game records use to omit moves for the last half point ko fight and just record the result using this phrase.
    • Hanmoku shoubu ('half a point game', very close game in the endgame. Used for games with fractional value komi) — 半目勝負 See Jigoichi
    • Han tsubure ('half-collapse'; nearly disastrous result locally) — 半ツブレ
  • Hanpatsu (resistance or counterplay) — 反発 Note: Often seen against kikashi or chumon
  • Hara-zuke (belly attachment) — 腹ヅケ
  • Hasami (pincer) — 挟み, ハサミ
  • Hasami tsuke (clamp) — ハサミツケ
  • Hasukainozoki, Hasunozoki (diagonal peep) — ハス(カイ)ノゾキ
  • Hashiru {verb} ('dash'; 1. take a lead in territories early in the game 2. slide) — 走る
  • Hataraku (work) — 働く
  • Hata wo motsu ('hold the flag'; develop towards the center to stabilize a group) — 旗を持つ
  • Hayago (quickplay game) — 早碁
  • Hayaiki, Hayaosamari (Immediate Life, quickly securing life of a group) — 早活き, 早治まり
  • Hazama (empty point between diagonal jump stones) — ハザマ
  • Hazusu (dropping back,miss, fail in) — 外す
  • Hebo (bungling, unskillful) — ヘボ
    • Hebokosumi (weak player's diagonal) — ヘボコスミ
  • Heikougata/Heikōgata (Parallel Fuseki) — 平行型
  • Hekomi (dent shape) — ヘコミ
  • Hen (side area of the board) — 辺 (upper) jouhen (lower) kahen (right) uhen (left) sahen
  • Henka (variations) — 変化
  • Hidari-uwasumi (upper left corner) — 左上隅 Note: -uesumi is also acceptable
  • Hidari-shitasumi (lower left corner) — 左下隅
  • Hiki (Pulling back) — 引き, ヒキ
  • Hikkurikaesu ('turn inside out') — ひっくり返す See White moves in Counter-Atari.
  • Hikoku ('defendant in litigation'; metaphorically, being attacked) — 被告
  • Hiraki (Extension) — 開き, ヒラキ
  • Hisen (avoiding local fights) — 避戦
  • Hissouten/Hissōten (vital point both sides should fight for) — 必争点
  • Hoken ('insurance'; prepared way to secure safety of a group) — 保険
  • -hon (counter suffix for stones in a straight line) — 本 From 1-6 ippon, nihon, sanbon, yonhon, gohon, roppon Example: nihon hau 二本ハウ (crawl twice)
  • Honinbou/Honinbo (Edo-period house of Hon'inbo; Also name of a modern big title) — 本因坊
  • Honkou/Honkō (Direct ko) — 本コウ
  • Honme (true eye, as opposed to false eye) — 本眼
  • Honpu (the actual game record as opposed to the variation diagram) - 本譜
  • Honsen (Final stage of tournament) — 本戦 (or 本選, in the professional selection tournament)
  • Honsuji (common proper line of play) — 本筋
  • Hontai ('main body'; in capturing race, string of stones directly touching the opponent's group) — 本体 See Eda-ishi
  • Honte (Proper move, often nullifying more than one aji) — 本手
  • Hoshi (Star point) — 星
    • Hoshishita (point under a side star point) — 星下
    • Hoshiwaki (point diagonally under a side star point) — 星脇
  • Hourikomi/Hōrikomi (throw-in) — 放り込み, ホウリコミ
  • Houkou/Hōkō (Direction) — 方向

I (い)

  • Ichigoumasu/Ichigōmasu (Carpenter's square) — 一合マス
  • Ichiji-seki (Temporary Seki) — 一時セキ
  • Ichinoichi (1-1 point) — 一の一
  • Iemoto (Head of house in Iemoto system) — 家元
  • Igo — 囲碁
  • Ijime ('bullying'; severely attacking a group to gain some benefit) — いじめ Note: recently falling into disuse
  • Iki (alive, life) — 生き, 活き
    • Ikiiki (A fight finishes with both groups securing life) — 生き生き Note: Don't confuse with normal meaning of ikiiki (lively).
    • Iki-kou (a ko threat to live unconditionally) — 生きコウ, 活きコウ
  • Ikken (one point space between two stones) — 一間
    • Ikken basami (one space low pincer) — 一間バサミ
    • Ikken biraki (one space extension) — 一間ビラキ
    • Ikken takagakari (one space corner approach) — 一間高ガカリ
    • Ikken jimari (one space enclosure) — 一間ジマリ
    • Ikken takabasami (one space high pincer) — 一間高バサミ
    • Ikken tobi (One point jump) — 一間トビ
  • Imosuji ('potato suji'; colloquial name for vulgar line of play) — 芋筋, イモ筋
  • Inazuma gata (literally 'lightning shape'; Twisted four shape) — 稲妻形
  • Insei (young student in Nihon Ki-in or Kansai Ki-in) — 院生
  • Insutorakutaa (instructor; Go teacher without professional diploma. Often an ex-insei) — インストラクター
  • Inu no Kao (dogface shape; another name for sake bottle shape) — 犬の顔
  • Ippatsu-kou ('one shot ko'; colloquial name for game-deciding ko) — 一発コウ Note: Don't confuse with itte-kou 一手コウ (direct ko).
  • Ipponmichi ('straight path'; mutually forced sequence of moves) — 一本道
  • Ippouji/Ippōji (one-sided territory) — 一方地
  • Ishi (Stone or group) — 石
    • Ishidate (old name for Fuseki) — 石立て
    • Ishi hakobi (natural development of stones)- 石運び
    • Ishi ga haru ('stones are stretched tight'; idiom meaning stones work efficiently) — 石が張る
    • Ishi no nagare (Flow of the stones) — 石の流れ
    • Ishi no shita (Underneath the stones) — 石の下
  • Isuji (literally 'different suji'; a move which looks to be a good tesuji but in fact is wrong) — 異筋
  • Ita ('panel'; 1. rectangular shape 2. straight wall) — 板
  • Itte kou ('one move ko'; direct ko) — 一手コウ

J (じ)

  • Jakuseki (Weak group, weak stone) — 弱石
  • Ji (Territory) — 地
    • Ji-ai (Comparison of territories of both sides) — 地合い
    • Jidori go, Jitori go (territory taking style) — 地取り碁
    • Ji-moyou (nearly secured framework) — 地模様, 地モヨウ
  • Jigenbakudan ('time-fused bomb'; a threat to start an important ko fight left on the board) — 時限爆弾
  • Jigo (drawn game with same number of points) — ジゴ, 持碁
    • Jigoichi ('draw or one point', very close game in the endgame. Used with no komi or integer komi game) — ジゴ一
  • Jikakou/Jikakō (colloquial name for direct ko) — ジカコウ
  • Jikantsunagi (sente move to earn thinking time) — 時間つなぎ
  • Jiken ('incident' or 'accident'; unexpected big gain/loss caused by a player's mistake) — 事件
  • Jikkuri (playing deliberately, carefully, thoroughly, unrushedly) — じっくり
  • -jimari (vocalized form of Shimari in compounds) — ジマリ
  • Jingasa (Farmer's Hat) — 陣笠
  • Jisatsu (Suicide) — 自殺 Note: Not allowed under Japanese rules.
  • Jisenki (game report by one of the players) — 自戦記
  • Jitsuri (literally 'real profit'; secured territories) — 実利
  • Jitsuyou/Jitsuyō (Practical use, utility; a grade for shell stones) — 実用
  • Jiyuu-okigo/Jiyū-okigo (Free handicap) — 自由置碁
  • Joban (Opening) — 序盤
  • Joryuu/Joryū (female players) — 女流
  • Jouchaku (slow or redundant move) — 冗着
  • Jouhen/Jōhen (upper side) — 上辺
  • Joukei/Jōkei (common shape) — 常形
  • Jouseki/Jōseki (Standard local play, typically in the corner) — 定石
  • Jousen/Jōsen — 定先
  • Jouzu (old rank equivalent to 7 dan)- 上手 Note: Don't confuse with another reading, uwate (the stronger player in a handicap game)
  • Juubango/Jūbango — 十番碁
  • Juudan/Jūdan (name of a big title, NOT permanent 10-dan) — 十段
  • Junkankou/Junkankō (round-robin ko)- 循環コウ
  • Jun-kishi (professionals by some special qualification, usually receiving reduced pay; or obsolete teaching title awarded to ex-insei; ) — 準棋士
  • Jun-meijin (old rank equivalent to 8 dan)- 準名人

K (か行)

  • Kabe (wall) — 壁 Note: In recent years, the word often means eyeless wall, as compared to Atsumi with rich eye potential (after Cho Chikun's tremendous success by attacking walls).
    • Kabezeme (attack on an eyeless wall) — 壁攻め
  • Kabuseru (play a cap) — かぶせる
  • Kachinuki, Kachitsugi (Win and Continue) — 勝ち抜き, 勝ち継ぎ
  • Kado (angle play) — 角, カド
  • Kadoban — 角番, カド番
  • Kagigata (L-group) — カギ形 Note:kagi here means 'a hook', not 'a door key'.
  • Kahen (lower side) — 下辺
  • Kaishou (resolve the ko) — 解消
  • Kakae {noun}, Kakaeru {verb} (Capture without picking up prisoners) — カカエ, 抱える
  • Kakari (Corner approach) — 掛かり, カカリ
    • Kakarippanashi? (approach without following up) — カカリっぱなし
  • Kake (1.Press 2.Net) — 掛け, カケ
  • Kakego (Gambling Go) — 賭碁
  • Kakeme (false eye) — 欠け眼, カケ眼
  • Kaketsugi (Hanging connection) — 掛け継ぎ, カケツギ
  • Kakoi {noun}, Kakou {verb} (enclose; complete a territory) — 囲い, 囲う
  • Kakushi (squared four shape) — 角四
  • Kakuteiji (Secured territory) — 確定地
  • Kakuyoku ('Crane's wings'; double wing formation) — 鶴翼
  • Kamae {noun}, Kamaeru {verb} — (defensive formation) — 構え, 構える
  • Kamenokou/Kamenokō (Tortoise shell) — 亀の甲
  • Kamitori (bite off) — 噛み取り, カミトリ
  • -kan ('crown'; counter suffix for titles) — 冠
  • Kaname-ishi (Pivotal stones,key stones) — 要石
  • Kanetsugi (double-connect; an endgame tesuji) — 兼ね継ぎ, カネツギ
  • Kaninome (Crab eyes) — カニの目
  • Kannon-biraki (Butterfly shape) — 観音ビラキ
  • Kansai Ki-in — 関西棋院
  • Kansenki (game report by a third person) — 観戦記
  • Kanshu, Kanchaku (Non-urgent play) — 緩手, 緩着
  • Kansousen/Kansōsen (post-game analysis between players) — 感想戦
  • Kanzensaku (sound tsumego problem) — 完全作
  • Karai (literally 'salty' or 'spicy'; Territory oriented. Opposite of Amai) — 辛い, カライ Note: 辛い has another reading Tsurai.
  • Karami (Splitting attack) — 絡み, カラミ
  • Kara-uchi (hitting the stone on the board without playing a move) — 空打ち
  • Karui (Light) — 軽い
  • Kasu ishi (junk stones) — カス石
  • Kata (shoulder) — 肩, カタ Note: pronounced with high-low intonation
    • Katatsuki (Shoulder hit) — 肩突き, カタツキ
  • Kata (pattern, shape, model) — 型 Note: pronounced with flat intonation
  • Katabane (hane on one side) — 片バネ See Door group; it can make a life with katabane.
  • Katachi (Shape; often defensive nature) — 形
  • Katasente (one-sided Sente) — 片先手
  • Katatsugi (solid connection) — 固継ぎ, カタツギ
  • Katsuro ('live route'; 1. a route for life or escape 2. old name for liberties) — 活路
  • Katsu wo ireru ('infuse life'; mistakenly give a life to opponent's group) — 活を入れる
  • Katteyomi (Optimistic reading) — 勝手読み
  • Keikogo (old name for Shidougo, Teaching game) — 稽古碁
  • Keima (Knight's move) — ケイマ
  • Keisei handan (Positional Judgement) — 形勢判断 See Appendix: common expressions for evaluation
  • Keishu (light move) — 軽手
  • -ken (counter suffix for space between stones) — 間 From 1 to 6: ikken, niken, sangen, yonken, goken, rokken
  • Kenka komoku (Opposing 34 Points) — ケンカ小目
  • Kenka Go (fighting style Go) — ケンカ碁
  • Kenri (right, privilege) — 権利
  • Keshi (Erasure, Reduction) — 消し
  • Kiai (Fighting spirit) — 気合い
  • Kichaku (moves already played on the board) — 既着
  • Kidou/Kidō (The Way of Go; Also dan-level magazine once published by the Nihon Ki-in) — 棋道
  • Kifu (Game Record) — 棋譜
  • Kigu (Go equipment) — 棋具
  • Kifuu/Kifū (playing style) — 棋風
  • Kika (old name for professional player) — 棋家
  • Kikaku (old name for amateur player) — 棋客
  • Kikashi (Forcing move with some additional benefit) — 利かし,効かし,キカシ
    • Kikasare (Passive voice of Kikashi) — 利かされ, 効かされ, キカサレ
    • Kiki, Kikisuji (points where forcing moves are possible) — 利き, 効き, キキ; — 筋
  • Kimekomi (Atekomi in a straight shape) — 決め込み, キメコミ
  • Kinjo-kou (local ko threat) — 近所コウ
  • Kiremake (sudden death; absolute timing) — 切れ負け
  • Kiri (logic or theory of Go) — 棋理 Note: pronounced with high-low intonation
  • Kiri (Cut) — 切り, キリ Note: pronounced with flat intonation
  • Kirin no kao (giraffe face, rare) — キリンの顔
  • Kiroku-gakari (game recorder) — 記録係
  • Kiryoku (playing strength) — 棋力
  • Kisei (Go sage; name of a modern title) — 棋聖
  • Kisen (Go tournament) — 棋戦
  • Kishi (Go player, in particular professional) — 棋士
  • Kisho (Go books) — 棋書
  • Kishu (remarkable move, more surprising than myoshu 妙手. Not always objectively good) — 鬼手
  • Kizu (defect, weakness; often a cutting point) — 傷, キズ
  • Kobayashi Ryuu/Ryū (Kobayashi Fuseki) — 小林流
  • Kobin ('temple'; old term, same as Kata 1a ) — コビン
  • Kobore ('spills'; points naturally gained in the endgame) — こぼれ, コボレ
  • Kogeima (small kight's move) — 小ゲイマ
    • Kogeima gakari (kogeima corner approach) — 小ゲイマガカリ
    • Kogeima jimari (kogeima enclosure) — 小ゲイマジマリ
  • Kogomi (Small komi. 4.5 point komi around 1970, when both 4.5 and 5.5 point komi were used) — 小ゴミ
  • Kokyuuten/Kokyūten (Liberty) — 呼吸点
  • Komakai (close; close game in the endgame) — 細かい
  • Komi (Compensation usually given to White in no-handicap games; literally 'included') — コミ, 込み
    • Komidashi (Giving komi) — コミ出し
    • Komi ga deru/denai — (Black can/cannot pay the komi) — コミが出る/出ない
    • Komigakari? {noun}, Komi ni kakaru/kakeru {verb} (White win by virtue of komi. In other words, Black's lead on the board is less than komi) — コミがかり, コミにかかる/かける
    • Komigo (Go with komi) — コミ碁
    • Komimorai (Receiving komi) — コミもらい
  • Komoku (3-4 Point) — 小目
  • Konadare (Small Avalanche joseki) — 小ナダレ
  • Konkyo (Base of a group) — 根拠
  • Kono itte (Only move) — この一手
  • Korigatachi (Overconcentrated shape) — 凝り形, コリ形
  • Korosu {verb}, Koroshi {noun} (kill) — 殺す, 殺し
  • Kosumi (Diagonal move) — 尖み, コスミ
    • Kosumi-dashi — コスミダシ
    • Kosumi-giri (kosumitsuke and cut in the same direction, two moves) — コスミギリ See Cutting the keima
    • Kosumi-kake (diagonal press) — コスミカケ
    • Kosumi komi (Diagonal play into opponent's territory) — コスミコミ
    • Kosumi tsuke (Diagonal attachment) — コスミツケ
  • Kotonbo (44-63-36 double enclosure) — 小トンボ
  • Kou/Kō (literally 'infinitely long period of time'; Repetitive capture) — 劫, コウ Note: In Japanese, this word can mean ko threat as well, like in Soba-ko (local ko threat).
    • Kou-arasoi (Ko fight) — コウ争い
    • Kou-ate (ate in the shape of ko) — コウアテ
    • Kou-bukumi (with ko possibilities) — コウ含み
    • Koudate (ko threat) — コウ立て, コウダテ
    • Kougawari (gain as a result of ko threat, in compensation for losing a ko fight) — コウ替り
    • Kouiki — ('ko life'; virtually living state by ko, e.g. when resolving the ko is sente or many local ko threats are available) — コウ生き
    • Koujiman (good situation for ko fight, with many ko threats) — コウ自慢
    • Koutsuki-chousei (eternal ko) — コウ付き長生
    • Kou-utsushi (Ko transfer; new ko fight occurs as a result of ko threat) — コウ移し
    • Kou-watari (connecting underneath with a ko on the first line) — コウワタリ
    • Kou wo tateru (play a ko threat) — コウを立てる
    • Kou wo yuzuru (yield the ko) — コウを譲る
    • Kouzai (ko threat) — コウ材
  • Koubou/Kōbō (Attack and defence) — 攻防
  • Koudan (High-dan; For professionals, 5 dan or higher; for amateurs, usually 4 dan or higher) — 高段
  • Koukeishu/Kōkeishu, Koukeishudan (follow-up) — 後継手, 後継手段
  • Koushu/Kōshu, Kouchaku (good move, particularly skillful move) — 好手, 好着
  • Koushu (clever move) — 巧手
  • Kouten/Kōten (Point, point of intersection) — 交点
  • Kouten/Kōten (good point to play) — 好点
  • Koyose (Small Endgame Play) — 小ヨセ
  • Kozaru (Small Monkey Jump) — 小ザル
  • Kuuchuusen/Kūchūsen ('battle in the air'; fight in the center in early stages) — 空中戦
  • Kufuu/Kufū (some creative idea) — 工夫
  • Kurai — 位
  • Kuro, Kuroi (Black) — 黒 (noun), 黒い (adjective)
    • Kuromochi, Kuronori (short forms of Kuro wo mochitai = like to have Black and Kuro ni noritai = like to bet on Black. Express subjective judgment of the position) — 黒持ち, 黒乗り Note: For other expressions for evaluation, see appendix below.
    • Kuro no Go (a good Black player, usually an attacking player who can maximize the first move advantage) — 黒の碁
    • Kuroppoi ('blackish'; Black has more influence on the area) — 黒っぽい
  • Kuruma no ato-oshi (Pushing from behind) — 車の後押し
  • Kusaraseru (Blighting; making opponent's stone(s) useless) — 腐らせる
  • Kushigata or Kushiroku (comb formation) — クシ型 or クシ六
  • Kuuten/Kūten (empty point) — 空点
  • Kuwaseru {verb} ('feed'; play a throw-in) — 食わせる
  • -kyoku (counter suffix for games of Go) — 局
    • Kyokumen (the position on the whole board) — 局面
    • Kyokusei (overall judgment of the position) — 局勢
  • Kyoudai genka/Kyōdai genka ('fight between brothers'; strengthening a group results in weakening another group. see Family Feud) — 兄弟ゲンカ
  • Kyokusan (bent three shape) — 曲三
  • Kyokushi (bent four shape) — 曲四
  • Kyoushu/Kyōshu (strong move based on deep reading) — 強手
  • Kyoutsuu-dame (shared dame, same as inside liberties) — 共通ダメ
  • Kyuu/Kyū (Class, Below expert rank) — 級
  • Kyuuba/Kyūba (urgent point) — 急場
  • Kyuusho/Kyūsho (key point, Vital point) — 急所

M (ま行)

  • Magari, Mage, (turn) — マガリ or 曲がり, マゲ
    • Magetsuke (turn contacting opponent's stone) — マゲツケ
  • Magari yonmoku (bent four shape) — マガリ四目
  • Magire (practical chances in complex position) — 紛れ, マギレ
  • Magusaba (literally 'fodder place'; an area neither side can expect good territories) — マグサ場
  • Makuri — マクリ
  • Maniawase (makeshift) — 間に合わせ
  • Mannen-kō (Ten thousand year ko) — 万年劫,万年コウ
  • Mamori {noun}, Mamoru {verb} (Prophylactic defence) — 守り, 守る
  • Matta (Taking back a move after opponent's reply) — 待った
  • Me (eye) — 眼
    • Me ari me nashi (With an eye, without an eye) — 眼アリ眼ナシ
    • Mekaki, Me wo kaku (steal an eye) — 眼欠き, 目を欠く
    • Memochi (making an eye) — 眼持ち
  • Mego (money-betting game where the amount is decided by number of points won/lost; see Bango 2.) — 目碁
  • Meijin (The Master of Go; name of a big title) — 名人
  • Meirerishu (forcing move) — 命令手
  • Meishu (1. Excellent move 2. Excellent player) — 名手
  • Mekakushi-go (blindfold Go) — めかくし碁 Note: mekura-go (blindman-Go) was used in the past, but fell into disuse for political incorrectness
  • Menjou/Menjō (Rank diploma) — 免状
  • Miai (two roughly equal alternative plays) — 見合い
  • Midame (libeties of own group) — 身ダメ
  • Migi-uwasumi (upper right corner) — 右上隅 Note: -uesumi is also acceptable
  • Migi-shitasumi (lower right corner) — 右下隅
  • Mimi (ear point) — 耳
  • Mini Chuugokuryuu (Small Chinese Fuseki) — ミニ中国流
  • Misejimai ('closing the shop'; metaphorically, playing safe after securing clear advantage) — 店仕舞い, 店じまい
  • Misonji (oversight in reading moves) — 見損じ
  • Mi wo kuu ('eat the meat'; invade inside opponent's formation and nullify his territory) — 身を食う Note: Imagine eating meat of clams or lobsters; only empty shells remain.
  • Mizeme ('self-attack'; reducing own liberties in capturing race) — 身攻め
  • Mochikomi (stones lost without compensation) — 持ち込み, モチコミ
  • -moku (counter suffix for stones) — 子
  • -moku (counter suffix for points of territory) — 目 Note: Different kanjis are used.
  • Mokuhazushi — 3-5 point — 目外し
  • Mokusan (estimating the score during the game) — 目算
  • Motare (leaning attack) — モタレ
  • Motogiri (cut at a point near the main body, in particular against two step hane) — 元ギリ, モトギリ
  • Mototsugi (1. connect at a point near the main body 2. connect to make an approach move possible) — 元ツギ, モトツギ Example of 2.: W5 in LeatherScrollProblem80/Solution
  • Moyou/Moyō (Framework) — 模様
  • Mugan (no eyes) — 無眼
  • Mujouken/Mujōken iki (Unconditional life) — 無条件生き
  • Mukai Komoku (facing 3-4 points) — 向かい小目
  • Mukou/Mukō (false ko threat) — 無劫,無コウ
  • Mukou/Mukō ('opponent'; used to describe a handicap from the stronger player's viewpoint, like Mukō sen) — 向
  • Mushoubu/Mushōbu (No Result) — 無勝負
  • Musuji (bad plays far from tesuji) — 無筋
    • Musuji no suji (rare good play which looks to be bad at first glance) — 無筋の筋
  • Myoushu/Myōshu, Myouchaku/Myōchaku (Excellent move. Must be objectively good, as opposed to kishu? (鬼手) — 妙手, 妙着

N (な行)

  • Nadare (Avalanche joseki) — ナダレ
  • Nageru (resign) — 投げる
    • Nageba (an appropriate opportunity to resign) — 投げ場
  • Nakade (literally 'inside move') — 中手, ナカデ From 3-6; Sanmoku-, Yonmoku-, Gomoku-, Rokumoku-.
  • Nakaji (territory in the center) — 中地
  • Naka no go (1. Center oriented player 2. A game where the center became important) — 中の碁
  • Namanozoki (raw peep, bad peep at a cutting point) — 生ノゾキ
  • Naraberu (replay a game on the board) — 並べる
  • Narabi (specific type of stretch) — 並び, ナラビ
  • Narabi-komoku (parallel komoku on adjacent corners, e.g 17-4 and 17-16) — 並び小目
  • Negiru (literally 'demand discounts'; reduce opponent's territory or Moyo) — 値切る
  • Neko no kao ('catface'; Tiger's mouth not touching opponent's stones) — 猫の顔
  • Nerai (Target, aim, intent) — 狙い
  • Neru (think for a long time, obsolete) — 練る
  • Nichou tsugi (alternative name for bamboo joint) — 二丁ツギ
  • Nichou nuki? (double capture; a life and death tesuji to capture two strings at once) — 二丁ヌキ See GokyoShumyoSection1Problem55 for a good example.
  • Nidan-bane (Two step hane) — 二段バネ
  • Nidan-ko (Two stage ko) — 二段コウ
  • Nidan-osae (Two step hane to shut in) — 二段オサエ See Double hane example 1
  • Nigan (two eyes) — 二眼
  • Nigekosu {verb} (pre-emptive escape to mitigate opponent's attacks) — 逃げ越す
  • Nige-kou (a ko threat to escape) — 逃げコウ
  • Nige-nige (weak groups of both sides escaping) — 逃げ逃げ
  • Nigiri (procedure to decide which player has Black) — 握り
  • Nihon Ki-in — 日本棋院
  • Niken (two point space between two stones) — 二間
  • Nirensei (Two star points opening) — 二連星
  • Niritsu sanseki (a rule for Extension From a Wall) — 二立三析
  • Ninoichi (1-2 point) — 二の一
  • Ninoni (2-2 point) — 二の二
  • Nobi (stretch that adds two liberties) — 伸び, ノビ
    • Nobidashi (stretch from a stone in atari) — ノビダシ
    • Nobikomi (stretch into opponent's territory) — ノビコミ
    • Nobikiri (stretch toward the center in gote) — ノビキリ
  • Nokoru, Nokosu ('remain'; keep one's lead in territories till the end) — 残る, 残す
  • Nozoki (Peep) — 覗き, ノゾキ
    • Nozoki-kaeshi? (Counter peep) — ノゾキ返し
  • Nozomi (a restricting move from afar) — 臨み, ノゾミ
  • Nuki (capturing and picking up opponent's stone(s)) — 抜き, ヌキ
    • Nukiato (space after picking up stones) — ヌキ跡
  • Nuru, Nuritsukeru ('plaster' a wall; complete a wall by successive moves) — 塗る, 塗りつける See Kaizen's Heavy Plastering
  • Nurui (Lukewarm) — 温い, ぬるい
  • Nyuudan/Nyūdan (becoming a shodan, becoming a pro) — 入段

O (お)

  • Odoridashi ('jumping out'; keima move across opponent's two space jump) — 躍り出し, オドリ出し
  • Oiotoshi — 追い落とし, オイオトシ
  • Oki (Placement tesuji) — 置き, オキ
  • Okigo (Stone-handicap game) — 置碁
    • Okigo jouseki (old name for 4-4 point joseki, because it was not often used in no handicap games; sometimes implies 'dubious variation played by weak players') — 置碁定石
  • Okiishi (Handicap stones) — 置石
  • Omoi (Heavy) — 重い
  • Omoshiroi (literally 'interesting'; used to indicate that one side is better) — 面白い
  • Ooba/Ōba (Big point) — 大場
  • Ooban/Ōban (Large vertical teaching goban, demonstration board) — 大盤
  • Oogomi/Ōgomi (Large komi. 5.5 point komi around 1970, when both 4.5 and 5.5 point komi were used) — 大ゴミ
  • Oogeima/Ōgeima (Large knight's move) — 大ゲイマ
    • Oogeima-gakari (Oogeima corner approach) — 大ゲイマガカリ
    • Oogeima-gake (Oogeima press) — 大ゲイマガケ
    • Oogeima-jimari (Oogeima enclosure) — 大ゲイマジマリ
    • Oogeima-suberi (Oogeima slide) — 大ゲイマスベリ
  • Ooishi/Ōishi (large group of stones) — 大石
  • Oomokuhazushi/Ōmokuhazushi (6-3 point) — 大目ハズシ
  • Oomoyou (large framework) — 大モヨウ
  • Oonadare/Ōnadare (large avalanche joseki) — 大ナダレ
  • Oonaka-konaka (big nakade small nakade) — 大中小中, 大ナカ小ナカ
  • Oonakade/Ōnakade (Larger than usual dead shape combining nakade and false eyes) — 大ナカデ For examples, see Largest capture that still can't live
  • Oorustaa (All stars Opening) — オールスター
  • Ootakamoku/Ōtakamoku (6-4 point) — 大高目
  • Ooteai/Ōteai (old rank promotion games) — 大手合
  • Ootonbo ('big firefly'; butterfly shape) — 大トンボ
  • Ooyose/Ōyose (Large endgame play) — 大ヨセ
  • Oozaru/Ōzaru (Large Monkey Jump) — 大ザル
  • Orikiri? (descent to the first line) — オリキリ
  • Osae (Block) — 抑え, オサエ
    • Osaekomi (Block to shut in a group) — 抑え込み, オサエコミ
  • Osamaru (Settle, make a group safe) — 治まる
  • Oshi (Push) — 押し, オシ
    • Oshiage (Push upward) — 押し上げ, オシアゲ
  • Oshirogo (Castle games in Edo period) — 御城碁
  • Oshitsubushi (‘squashing push’, an atari that stops the opponent destroying one’s eye-space) — 押し潰し, オシツブシ
  • Osu te nashi (can't approach in capturing race because of shortage of liberties ) — 押す(オス)手なし
  • Otetsudai ('helping the opponent'; Thank you move) — お手伝い
  • Oushu (reply move) — 応手
  • Ouza/Ōza (literally 'the throne'; name of a big title) — 王座
  • Owari (the end) — 終り
  • Oyogu (old term meaning a first or second line crawl) - 泳ぐ, オヨグ

P (ぱ行), R (ら行)

  • Pasu (Passing) — パス
  • Pea-go (Pair Go) — ペア碁
  • Pintsugi (colloquial name for solid connection or pole connection) — ピンツギ Note: This pin is a Japanese onomatopoeia, not English.
  • Pin to shita katachi (efficient and flawless shape) — ピンとした形
  • Poka (a careless blunder) — ポカ
  • Ponnuki (diamond or flower shape left after four stones capture a single stone) — ポン抜き
  • Rappatsugi (Trumpet connection) — ラッパツギ
  • Renda (play more than one move locally, usually as a result of ko threat, ladder breaker or mutual damage) — 連打
  • Rengo (a game of Go between two teams) — 連碁
  • Renraku (strategic connection) — 連絡
  • Riigu (League; all-play-all format) — リーグ
  • Rikisen ('Power fight'; local fights where reading abilities are important) — 力戦 See Chikara
  • -ro (counter suffix for lines on the board) — 路 Examples: ichiro-ue 一路上 (one line higher) , kyuuroban 九路盤 (9x9 board).
  • Rokushi hakkatsu or Rokushi hasshou (a life-and-death rule on the second line) — 六死八活 or 六死八生
  • Ryou/Ryō- (Double) — 両
    • Ryou-atari (Double atari) — 両アタリ
    • Ryobane (Double hane; NOT Nidanbane) — 両バネ
    • Ryou-gakari (double approach) — 両ガカリ
    • Ryou-gake (double pressing from 3-5 points) — 両ガケ See Crab eyes
    • Ryou-gote (double gote) — 両後手
    • Ryoujimari (one side has two 3-4 point based corner enclosures) — 両締まり, 両ジマリ
    • Ryoukou/Ryō-kō (Double ko) — 両コウ
    • Ryoumake (double forfeit) — 両負け Note: For example, both players lose when they can't agree on original position of a displaced stone.
    • Ryou-osu te nashi (Double shortage of liberties) — 両オス手なし
    • Ryousente (double sente) — 両先手
    • Ryoususoaki (double open skirt) — 両スソアキ
    • Ryoutsugi? (a hanging connection simultaneously defending two cutting points) — 両ツギ
    • Ryouzuke? (successive attaches to both sides of a single stone) — 両ヅケ
    • Ryou-uttegaeshi (double snapback) — 両ウッテガエシ
  • Ryokuseikai hōshiki (Points Rating System used in Japan) — 緑星会方式

S (さ行)

  • Sabaki — 捌き, サバキ
  • Saegiru (block, often to deny connection underneath) — 遮る, さえぎる
  • Sagari (descent towards the edge of the board) — 下がり, サガリ
    • Sagarikiri (descent to the first line) — サガリキリ
    • Sagarisagari (descent plays by both sides; in particular, virtual descents to estimate territories) — 下がり下がり
    • Sagaritsugi (descent to the first line to protect a cutting point on the second) — サガリツギ
  • Sahen (left side) — 左辺
  • Saigo (close game) — 細碁
  • Saikyoushu/Saikyōshu (the most aggresive move locally; not always the best globally) — 最強手
  • Sakare gatachi (split shape) — 裂かれ形
  • Sanba garasu (Three Crows) — 三羽ガラス
  • Sandan-ko (Three step ko) — 三段コウ
  • Sangen (three point space between two stones) — 三間
    • Sangen basami (Three space low pincer) — 三間バサミ
    • Sangen biraki (Three space extension) — 三間ビラキ
    • Sangen takabasami (Three space high pincer) — 三間高バサミ
  • Sankou/Sankō (triple ko) — 三劫, 三コウ
  • Sanpougarami (splitting attack to three weak groups) — 三方ガラミ
  • Sansan (the 3-3 point) — 三々
  • Sanrensei (three star points opening) — 三連星
  • Sarusuberi (Monkey Jump) — サルスベリ
  • Sashikomi (insertion) — 差し込み, サシコミ
  • Sayuudoukei (Symmetry) — 左右同形
  • Seichaku (right move) — 正着
  • Seichi (process of adjusting territory shapes for easy counting) — 整地
  • Seikei (right shape) — 正形
  • Seimoku (9 stone handicap) — 井目, 星目
    • Seimoku-fuurin — (13 stone handicap) — 星目風鈴
    • Seimoku-te (very bad play, beginner's move) — 井目手, 星目手
  • Seiryoku (Influence) — 勢力
    • Seiryokuken (area of Influence) — 勢力圏
  • Seiyou shibori (Western squeeze, ineffective shibori) — 西洋絞り, 西洋シボリ
  • Seki (mutual life) — セキ
  • Sekitei (manager of Go club) — 席亭
  • Sekitou shibori/Sekitō shibori (two stone edge squeeze) — 石塔シボリ
  • semaku suru (making the game narrow, restricting strategic options) — 狭くする 
  • Seme (Attack) — 攻め
    • Semeai (Capturing race, mutual attack) — 攻め合い
    • Semedori (Forced capture) — 攻め取り
  • -sen (line, counting from the edge) — 線 From 1 to 5: issen, nisen, sansen, yonsen, gosen
  • Sen (1.handicap of Josen 2.having Black) — 先
  • Senchaku (play first on a point) — 先着
    • Senchaku no kou — (first move advantage) — 先着の効
  • Senaka ('back of body'; outside influence of a group) — 背中
  • Senchaku (play a point first) — 先着
  • Senryo-magari ('million-dollar turn'; a turn play near the center, influencing the whole board) — 千両マガリ
  • Sente (Initiative, playing first) — 先手
    • Sente no gote (Apparent sente that's really gote) — 先手の後手
  • -shi (counter suffix for stones) — 子
  • Shi, Shini (death) — 死, 死に
  • Shibori (squeeze) — 絞り, シボリ
  • Shicchaku (mistake, bad move) — 失着
  • Shichou/Shichō (ladder) — シチョウ
    • Shichou-atari (ladder breaker) — シチョウアタリ
    • Shichou jouseki (joseki which needs good ladder) — シチョウ定石
    • Shichou kankei (conditions of ladder) — シチョウ関係
  • Shidoin - teacher, usually an amateur player in the context of Go
  • Shidou-go/Shidō-go (teaching game) — 指導碁
  • Shikake (starting a local fight) — 仕掛け Note: The usual meaning of the word is 'mechanism'
  • Shikakusei ('Square stars'; Four star points box formation) — 四角星
  • Shikatsu (Life and death) — 死活
  • Shimari (Corner Enclosure) — 締まり, シマリ
  • Shimetsuke (sacrificing stones to get a wall outside) — 締め付け, シメツケ
  • Shin Fuseki (New Fuseki) — 新布石
  • Shinte (a new move) — 新手
  • Shinogi (technique of making life within your opponents sphere of influence) — 凌ぎ, シノギ
    • Shinogi shoubu/shōbu (situation where success/failure of Shinogi will decide the game) — シノギ勝負
  • Shin wo ireru ('insert the core'; reinforce a framework by playing inside) — シン(芯)を入れる
  • Shin wo tomeru ('stop the centerline'; play a cap to opponent's line of development to the center) — シン(芯)を止める
  • Shippo (Tail) — 尻尾, シッポ
  • Shiri ('bottom'; lower side of a stone or string) — 尻
    • Shiri-hane (hane at the lower side) — 尻ハネ
    • Shiri-tsuke (attach at the lower side) — 尻ツケ
    • Shirinuke ('broken bottom'; situation where a key stone near the edge is captured and nullify the attack) — 尻抜け
  • Shiro {noun}, shiroi {adjective} (White) — 白, 白い
    • Shiromochi, Shironori (short forms of Shiro wo mochitai = like to have White and Shiro ni noritai = like to bet on White. Express subjective judgment of the position) — 白持ち, 白乗り Note: For other expressions for evaluation, see appendix below.
    • Shiro no Go (good player as White, usually a solid and good endgame player who rely on komi to win) — 白の碁
    • Shiroppoi ('whitish'; White has more influence on the area) — 白っぽい
    • Shiro-utsushi (old game score recorded from White's point of view) — 白写し
  • Shita (Down; 1. nearer to the edge of the board 2. nearer to Black player) — 下
    • Shitahane (hane to lower side) — 下ハネ
    • Shitate (weaker player in a handicap game) — 下手
    • Shita-zuke (Hitting under tesuji) — 下ヅケ
  • Shitchaku (mistake) — 失着
  • Shitsudai (incorrect problem) — 失題 Note: In composed problems, the main line of solution must be unique.
  • Shodan (1-dan) — 初段
  • Shokou (Early ko, ko in the opening) — 初コウ
  • Shotai wo motsu ('have a household'; make a small life in opponent's area of influence) — 所帯を持つ
  • Shoubu/Shōbu (literally 'win-loss'; game, match) — 勝負
    • Shoubute (aggressive play to avoid sure loss, putting the game on the line) — 勝負手
    • Shoubugo (very serious game with no diplomatic or instructional intentions) — 勝負碁
  • Shouchaku (winning move) — 勝着
  • Shoudan (dan rank promotion) — 昇段
  • Shousa (margin of victory) — 勝差
  • Shudan (an effective play inside opponent's near complete territory) — 手段
  • Shudan (alternate name for the game of Go) — 手談
  • Shukou (interesting opening experiment, if not objectively good) - 趣向
  • Shuuban/Shūban (Endgame) — 終盤
  • Shuukyoku/Shūkyoku (End of game) — 終局
  • Shuusaku-ryuu/Shūsaku-ryū (Shusaku Fuseki) — 秀策流
  • Shuushi/Shūshi (squared four shape) — 集四
  • Soba-kou/Soba-ko (Local ko threat) — ソバコウ
  • Soi, Soitsuke (same shape as Oshi, but with defensive intention) — 添い, ソイ, ソイツケ
  • Son-ko (loss making ko threats) — 損コウ
  • Soppo (in the wrong area or direction) — ソッポ
  • Soto (outside) — 外
  • Souba/Sōba — 相場
  • Soudango/Sōdango (Consultation game) — 相談碁
  • Soufu/Sōfu (single diagram containing all game moves) — 総譜
  • Sougakari (old all-3-4 point corner approach opening) — 総ガカリ
  • Sougo/Sōgo (official challenge match) — 争碁
  • Soujimari (old all-3-4 point enclosure opening) — 総ジマリ
  • Suberi (slide) — 滑り, スベリ
  • Suji (a line of play, or a tesuji) — 筋
    • Sujibaru (play unnecessay tesuji, missing simpler moves) — 筋ばる
    • Sujichigai ('different suji'; not a good tesuji) — 筋違い
    • Sujiwaru (bad play; bad player who doesn't know tesuji) — 筋悪
  • Sumi (corner) — 隅, sometimes 角 (upper right) migi-uwasumi or -uesumi (upper left) hidari-uwasumi or -uesumi (lower right) migi-shitasumi (lower left) hidari-shitasumi
  • Suso (lower outside of a stone on the third or fourth line) — 裾, スソ
  • Sutebane? (sacrificial hane on the second line to prevent opponent's sentedescend or connection) — 捨てバネ
  • Sute-ishi (sacrifice stone) — 捨て石

T (たつてと)

  • Tachi (stand) — 立ち, タチ
  • Tachiai, Tachiainin (arbiter/witness of an important game) — 立会, 立会人
  • Tagaisen (alternating Black and White; in modern times, standard komi game) — 互先
  • Taikou-go (Mirror-go by Black) — 太閤碁
  • Taikyoku (a game of Go) — 対局
    • Taikyoku dokei (game clock) — 対局時計
  • Taikyokukan ('big game view'; intuitive judgment of a position without counting territories. Therefore mostly used in early stages of a game) — 大局観
  • Taiseki (large group of stones) — 大石
  • Taisha (large slant, same as Ogeima; name of a complex 3-5 joseki) — 大斜
    • Taisha gake (Ogeima press) — 大斜ガケ
  • -takabasami (high pincer) — 高バサミ
  • Taka-chuugokuryuu (High Chinese Opening) — 高中国流
  • Taka-gakari (high corner approach) — 高ガカリ
  • Takamoku (5-4 Point) — 高目
  • Takefu (Bamboo joint) — タケフ
  • Tamen-uchi (Simultaneous Go) — 多面打ち
  • Tan (just, simply; without playing forcing moves) — 単 Note: Often used for making compounds, like tanbane (単バネ, hane) and tankei (単ケイ, keima)
  • Taneishi (’seed stone’; pivotal stones, same as Kanameishi) — 種石
  • Tani ga fukai (has good depth, of a moyo) — 谷が深い
  • Tanuki no hara tsuzumi — タヌキの腹つづみ
  • Tasukigata (Cross, Tasuki Fuseki) — タスキ型
  • Tataki {noun}, Tataku {verb} (hane, in particular which is an atari) — タタキ, 叩く
  • Te (1. literally hand {noun}; 2. move; number of moves, 3. play, in particular an effective play inside opponent's near complete territory. Same as shudan 手段) — 手
    • Teai (1. Handicap 2. a game of Go) — 手合, 手合い
      • Teai chigai (inappropriate handicap; in different classes of strength) — 手合い違い
      • Teai naori (correcting handicap) — 手合い直り 
      • Teaiwari (handicap system) — 手合割
    • Te ari (there is a play) — 手有, 手あり
    • Te atsui (very thick; used when one deliberately spends his turn to play (sente) to make it thicker) — 手厚い
    • Teban (turn to play) — 手番
    • Tebiroi (the position has many strategic possibilities; in handicap games, the stronger player's overall strength will likely prevail) — 手広い See semakusuru
    • Tebyoshi (Automatic play, Hasty move) — 手拍子
    • Tedokoro (important tactical fight) — 手どころ
    • Tedomari (Last play) — 手止まり
    • Tegachi (win in a capturing race) — 手勝ち
    • Teire (Reinforcing play) — 手入れ
    • Tejun (1. a series of moves; 2. order of play) — 手順
      • Tejun no myou (clever order of play) — 手順の妙
      • Tejun-zengo (mistaken order of play) — 手順前後
    • Temake (loss in a capturing race) — 手負け
    • Temodori (Going back to patch up) — 手戻り
    • Te naori (correcting handicap) — 手直り
    • Te nashi (there is no play) — 手なし
    • Tenaoshi ('move corrections'; game review by a stronger player) — 手直し
    • Te ni naru, Te ni suru (find a play inside opponent's territory) — 手になる, 手にする
    • Tenokori (some threat is remaining) — 手残り
    • Tenuki (No reply, playing elsewhere) — 手抜き
    • Tesuji (Skillful tactical play) — 手筋
    • Te-tsuki (the way a stone is physically played) — 手つき
    • Tewari (A technique for assessing plays) — 手割り
  • Teidan (Low dan; For professionals, 4 dan or lower; for amateurs, usually 3 dan or lower) — 低段
  • Tei-i (Low position) — 低位
  • Ten (intersections on the board) — 点
  • Tengen (literally 'Origin of heaven'; the center point of the board. Also name of a big title) — 天元
  • Tenkai (Development to open areas) — 展開
  • Tenka-kikazu, Tenka-ko (Game deciding ko) — 天下きかず, 天下コウ
  • Tennozan/Tennōzan) (Strategically decisive point or game in series) — 天王山
  • Teppeki — (Iron wall, flawless wall) — 鉄壁
  • Tetchuu (Iron pillar) — 鉄柱
  • Tobi (Jump) — 跳び, 飛び, トビ
    • Tobidashi (Jump out) — トビダシ See Large jump to avoid being sealed in
    • Tobikomi? (Jump into opponent's territory) — トビコミ
    • Tobikoshi (Jump getting nearer to the center than opponent's group) — トビコシ
    • Tobimagari (Jumping Turn) — トビマガリ
    • Tobiori, Tobisagari (Jump down) — トビオリ, トビサガリ
    • Tobitobi (parallel jumps by both sides) — トビトビ
    • Tobitsuke (Jump-attachment) — トビツケ
  • Tobitsuki (Jump Promotion? of ranks) — 飛付
  • Toochika/Tōchika (Pillbox) — トーチカ
  • Tokkuri (sake bottle shape) — トックリ
  • Tonbo ('dragonfly'; double enclosures from 4-4 point, 44-36-63 or 44-73-37) — トンボ
  • Tonton (an onomatopoeia; colloquial name for Oiotoshi) — トントン
  • Toru {verb}, Tori {noun} (capture) — 取る, 取り
    • Torazu Gomoku (Five points without capturing) — 取らず五目
    • Torazu Sanmoku (Three points without capturing) — 取らず三目
    • Toriban (turn to capture, in a ko fight) — 取り番
    • Torigo (amateuristic playing style only aiming at winning stones) — 取り碁
    • Torikaeshi (recapture) — 取り返し
    • Torikake (attack to kill, as opposed to Yoritsuki (attack to gain points)) — 取りかけ
    • Torikiru (capture completely, leaving no aji) — 取り切る
  • Touryou/Tōryō, resign) — 投了
  • Tsubure ('collapse'; locally disastrous result) — 潰れ, ツブレ
  • Tsugi (Connection) — 継ぎ, ツギ
  • Tsugi no itte ('next move'; practical whole-board problems asking the best move) — 次の一手
  • Tsuke (Attachment) — 付け, ツケ
  • Tsukiatari (Bump) — 突き当たり, ツキアタリ
  • Tsukidashi (poke through) — 突き出し, ツキダシ
  • Tsuki-jirushi (Moon Mark, a grade for shell stones) — 月印
  • Tsukinuki (penetrate through) — 突き抜き, ツキヌキ
  • Tsukuru (adjust territory shapes at the end) — 作る
    • Tsukurigo (a game ended by counting territories) — 作り碁
  • Tsume (Check) — 詰め, ツメ
    • Tsume-biraki (Checking extension) — 詰め開き, ツメビラキ
  • Tsumego (composed life and death problem) — 詰碁
  • Tsumeru {verb} (1. Play an approach move 2. Play a Tsume) — 詰める
  • Tsunagi (same as Tsugi) — 繋ぎ, ツナギ
  • Tsuppari (Bump) — 突っ張り, ツッパリ
  • Tsurai (Painful) — 辛い, つらい Note that 辛い has another reading Karai.
  • Tsuru no Sugomori (Crane's Nest Tesuji) — 鶴の巣ごもり

U (う), W (わ)

  • Uchi (inside) — 内
    • Uchidame (Inside liberties) — 内ダメ
    • Uchideshi (pupil living in his teacher's house) — 内弟子
    • Uchigiri (Inside cut) — 内ギリ
    • Uchi-osae (Inside block) — 内オサエ
    • Uchizuke (Inside attachment) — 内ヅケ
  • Uchi- (conjunctive form of utsu, to play)
    • Uchiageru {verb} (1. pick up prisoners 2. play a game to the finish) — 打ち上げる
    • Uchidoku ('gain by playing'; sente play with no negative effect) — 打ち得
    • Uchigo (actually played games of Go, as opposed to composed Tsumego) — 打碁
    • Uchikake (adjournment of a game) — 打ち掛け
    • Uchikaki (Throw in to make an eye false) — 打ち欠き, ウチカキ
    • Uchikawasu (exchange moves) — 打ち交わす
    • Uchikiru (1. finish a game 2. finish a local play) — 打ち切る
    • Uchikomi (1. Invasion) — 打ち込み, ウチコミ (2. beating down the opponent in handicap match) — 打ち込み
    • Uchikosu (play large points faster than the opponent) — 打ち越す
    • Uchimawasu (play important points around the board with initiative) — 打ち回す
    • Uchinuki (capture with prisoners picked up) — 打ち抜き, ウチヌキ
    • Uchisageru (beating down the opponent in handicap match) — 打ち下げる
    • Uchisugi (overplay) — 打ちすぎ
    • Uchitsugi (resuming a game after adjournment) — 打ち継ぎ
    • Uchiwake (tie result in a series of games) — 打ち分け
    • Uchizome (playing the first game in the new year, often with some celebration or ceremony) — 打ち初め
  • Uchuuryuu/Uchūryū (Cosmic style) — 宇宙流
  • Ue (Up; 1. nearer to the center of the board 2. nearer to White player) — 上
    • Uetsuke or Uwatsuke (attach to upper side) — 上ツケ
    • Uehane or Uwahane (hane to upper side) — 上ハネ
  • Uhen (right side of the board) — 右辺
  • Uke {noun}, Ukeru {verb} (to answer or respond) — 受け, 受ける
  • Ukiishi (floating stones) — 浮石, 浮き石
  • Uma no Kao — 馬の顔
  • Umebachi (originally name of a flower-shaped heraldry; 5-stone cross shape after connecting a ko) — 梅鉢 See resolve the ko.
  • Uragakari (3-4 point approach from the wrong direction) — 裏ガカリ
  • Usote (wrong move, as opposed to Honte) — 嘘手, ウソ手
  • Usui (thin) — 薄い
    • Usumi (thinness) — 薄み
  • Utte-gaeshi or Utte-gae (Snapback) — 打って返し, ウッテガエシ
  • Utsu {verb} (to play a move or a game) — 打つ
  • Uwate (stronger player in handicap game) — 上手
  • Wakare (result of a local fight or Joseki) — 分かれ, ワカレ
  • Wanryoku ('arm power'; reading ability) — 腕力 See Chikara
  • Warikomi (Wedge) — 割込み, ワリコミ
  • Wariuchi (Splitting move) — 割り打ち, ワリウチ
  • Watari (connection near the edge of the board) — 渡り, ワタリ

Y (や行), Z (ざずぜぞ)

  • Yagura nozoki (Tower peep) — 矢倉ノゾキ
  • Yakimochi ('jealousy'; invading opponent' moyo too early) — 焼きもち, ヤキモチ
  • Yararegatachi ('damaged shape'; clearly inferior result of a local fight) — やられ形
  • Yokotsuke (side-attachment) — 横ツケ
  • Yomi (mental reading of moves) — 読み, ヨミ
    • Yomiai, Yomikurabe (comparing both players' reading abilities in a complex tactical fight) — 読み合い, 読み比べ
    • Yomikachi (outreading the opponent) — 読み勝ち
    • Yomikiri (reading to the finish) — 読み切り
    • Yomimake (being outread by the opponent) — 読み負け
    • Yominuke (oversight in reading moves) — 読み抜け
    • Yomisuji (line of play already read) — 読み筋
  • Yonken-biraki (Four-space extension) — 四間ビラキ
  • Yonshi-rokkatsu ('four die, six live' 1. on the third line 2. on the second line in the corner) — 四死六活
  • Yoritsuki (1. point-gaining attack 2. catching up in the endgame) — 寄りつき, ヨリツキ
  • Yose (Endgame) — 寄せ, ヨセ, (obsolete) 侵分
  • Yose kou/Yose kō (Approach ko) — ヨセ劫, ヨセコウ
  • Yosen (Preliminary tournament) — 予選
  • Yotsume goroshi ('four point kill'; the rule for capturing a stone) — 四つ目殺し
  • Youchaku/Yōchaku (important move) — 要着
  • Youseki//Yōseki (pivotal stones) — 要石 (another reading is kaname-ishi)
  • Yousumi/Yōsu-mi — 様子見, ようす見
    • Yousu wo miru {verb} ('see the attitude') — ようすを見る Note: A similar expression Yousu wo kiku ようすを聞く ('hear' the attitude) is sometimes used for a more forceful move against which more than one reply is possible.
  • Youten/Yōten (Key point) — 要点
  • Youtou/Yōtō (name of a complex joseki) — 妖刀
  • Yowai ishi (Weak group, weak stone) — 弱い石
  • Yubi-un ('finger luck'; matter of luck in playing in time-scramble) — 指運, ユビ運
  • Yuki-jirushi (Snow Mark, a grade for shell stones) — 雪印
  • Yurui {adjective}, Yurumi {noun}, Yurumu {verb} (Slack) — ゆるい, ゆるみ, ゆるむ
    • Yurumeru {verb} (1. nobi against a de, not blocking its path 2. play intentionally inferior moves in a teaching game) — ゆるめる
    • Yurumishichou/Yurumishichō (Loose ladder) — ユルミシチョウ
  • Zahyou (coordinates on the board) — 座標
  • Zarugo (duffer's Go) — 笊碁, ザル碁
  • Zekkyoku (the last game played by a deceased player) — 絶局
  • Zenkyoku (1. Whole-board position 2. All games) — 全局
  • Zetsumyoushu (extraordinary move) — 絶妙手
  • Zetsusumi ('extreme corner', 1-1 point) — 絶隅
  • Zettai kou (ko threat the opponent must reply) — 絶対コウ
  • Zokusuji (crude line of play) — 俗筋
  • Zokushu (crude move) — 俗手
  • -zuke (vocalized form of Tsuke in compounds) — ヅケ

Appendices

Note on vocalization

Japanese word starting with h/k/s/t is often vocalized in compounds except on the first position. Examples: Hane > -bane, Hiraki > -biraki, Kake > -gake, Katachi > -gatachi, Keima > -geima, Kiri > -giri, Seki > -zeki, Seme > -zeme, Shimari > -jimari, Tsuke > -zuke.

Common expressions for evaluation

  • Winning: shousei 勝勢, hisshou 必勝 (sure-win)
  • Better: yuusei 優勢, yoshi よし, uchiyasui 打ちやすい, tariru 足りる, juubun 十分, atsui 厚い, omoshiroi 面白い, shiro/kuro mochi 白/黒持ち, shiro/kuro nori 白/黒乗り
  • Equal: gokaku 互角, gobu 五分, iishoubu いい勝負 (good match), iikagen いい加減 (roughly equal)
  • Close in the endgame: komakai 細かい, bisai 微細, gokubi 極微 (extremely close)
  • Unclear: fumei 不明, konton 混沌, yamijiai 闇試合 (very confused fight)
  • Worse: ressei 劣勢, hisei 非勢, warui 悪い, uchinikui 打ちにくい, tarinai 足りない, fujuubun 不十分, okureru 遅れる, nankyoku 難局
  • Losing: haisei 敗勢, hippai 必敗 (sure-loss), owari 終わり (the end)
  • End of a local fight: wakare 分かれ,ワカレ, ichidanraku 一段落
  • (adverbs): hobo ほぼ (almost), yaya やや (somewhat), wazukani わずかに (slightly)

Basic adjectives for conversation

  • good/bad: ii/warui いい/悪い
  • big/small: ookii/chiisai 大きい/小さい
  • wide/narrow: hiroi/semai 広い/狭い
  • high/low: takai/hikui 高い/低い
  • thick/thin: atsui/usui 厚い/薄い
  • safe/in danger: anzen/abunai 安全/危ない
  • strong/weak: tsuyoi/yowai 強い/弱い
  • light/heavy: karui/omoi 軽い/重い

/discussion

See also

Japanese help

More Japanese Go lists

Go terms in other languages

Miscellaneous


Japanese Go Terms last edited by hnishy on February 27, 2023 - 02:34
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