kung fu en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈkɔŋ ˈfuː/ rare, emulating Cantonese, also Singapore, Malaysia
- /ˈkʊŋ ˈfuː/ (rare)
- ko͝ong′ fo͞o′
- go͝ong′ fo͞o′
- (US) audio
- /ˈkʌŋ ˈfuː/
Etymology
From the Wade–Giles romanization of Mandarin 功夫 (gōngfu, “skill, accomplishment, martial art”): kung¹-fu⁵.
Meanings
-
(countable) A Chinese martial art.
Everybody was kung-fu fighting / Those kicks were fast as lightning
1974, Carl Douglas, “Kung Fu Fighting”, performed by Carl Douglas:
-
(countable, uncountable) The Chinese martial arts collectively.
Along the way, they meet Master Wong, who teaches them kung fu and imparts nuggets of Chinese philosophy, knowledge and training that they eventually use to defeat their nemesis and save their village.
2021 March 31, Melissa Chen, “Opinion ‘Kung Fu Cavemen’ isn’t racist — just the victim of moral panic by a self-righteous few”, in New York Post:
- (countable, slang, uncountable) A mastery of or expertise in a skill
- (countable, slang, uncountable) A mastery of or expertise in a skill ▸ A mastery of or expertise in computer programming, hacking, or cracking
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kung Fu | alternative | lexicographic | |
| gong-fu | alternative | lexicographic | |
| gung-fu | alternative | lexicographic | |
| kungfu | alternative | lexicographic | |
| gungfu | alternative | lexicographic | |
| kung fu | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| kung-fu | alternative | lexicographic | |
| gongfu | alternative | lexicographic | |
| gung fu | alternative | lexicographic | |
| gong fu | alternative | lexicographic |
Deriveds
wire fu · kung flu · gun fu · -fu
Synonyms
Translations (48)
or କଙ୍ଗ୍ ଫୁ (martial art) · ar كُونْج فُو (martial art) · ru гунфу́ (martial art) · sv kung fu (martial art) · kk кунг-фу (martial art) · km កុងហ្វូ (martial art) · ms kung fu (martial art) · he קוּנְג פוּ (martial art) · as কুংফু (martial art) · ja 功夫 (martial art) · cmn 功夫 (martial art) · ru кунг-фу́ (martial art) · ru кунфу́ (martial art) · vi kung fu (martial art) · nan-hbl 功夫 (martial art) · ja カンフー (martial art) · ro kung-fu (martial art) · th กังฟู (martial art) · ca kung-fu (martial art) · ug گۇمپا (martial art) · el κουνγκ φου (martial art) · pt kung fu (martial art) · bo དྲག་རྩལ (martial art) · et kung-fu (martial art) · tl kung fu (martial art) · hi कुंग फ़ू (martial art) · as কুম্ফু (martial art) · it kung fu (martial art) · ne कुङ फू (martial art) · hi कुंग फू (martial art) · pl kung-fu (martial art) · fr kung-fu (martial art) · hu kung fu (martial art) · yue 功夫 (martial art) · fa کونگ فو (martial art) · id kungfu (martial art) · vi công phu (martial art) · ja ゴンフー (martial art) · el Κουνγκ-Φου (martial art) · es kung-fu (martial art) · ko 쿵후 (martial art) · nl kung fu (martial art) · fi kung-fu (martial art) · eo kungfuo (martial art) · yo kọnfú (martial art) · de Kung-Fu (martial art) · ru кун-фу́ (martial art) · vi võ thuật Trung Quốc (martial art)