Kung Fu in Chinese
The Chinese word for kung fu is 功夫 (gōng fū). The Chinese word behind “kung fu”.
gōng fū
Kung Fu
What 功夫 means.
功夫 originally means skill earned through time and hard work, in anything from cooking to calligraphy. In English it came to mean Chinese martial arts, which in Chinese are usually called 武术.
- 功
- work, merit
- 夫
- effort, man
Simplified and traditional
功夫
功夫
功夫 is written the same way in simplified and traditional Chinese, so every Chinese reader recognises it.
About kung fu in Chinese
How do you write kung fu in Chinese?
Kung Fu is 功夫 in Chinese, pronounced gōng fū. Kung fu 功 means “work, merit”, 夫 means “effort, man”.
How do you pronounce 功夫?
Say gōng (first tone, high and level), fū (first tone, high and level). Mandarin tones change meaning, so it is worth listening to a native speaker once.
Is 功夫 different in traditional Chinese?
No. 功夫 is written the same way in simplified and traditional Chinese.
Is 功夫 a good Chinese tattoo?
Yes, it is a real, everyday Chinese word rather than a machine translation, so Chinese readers will understand it. Keep the characters in their order, top to bottom or left to right, and never mirrored. Choose a readable style such as Kaishu, bring a clean reference to your artist, and show it to a fluent reader before your appointment.