Chinese Go Terms

Keywords: Go term, Index page

An older version of this list of Chinese Go Terms is mirrored here.
See also Go terms.
Other lists:
Benjamin Barrett's multilingual go dictionary, which includes lots of Chinese Go terms.
The book Contemporary Go Terms.
The romanization given in this Chinese Go Terms list is in Hanyu Pinyin. If the simplified
characters and the traditional characters for a Chinese term are different, then the traditional
characters will be listed in parentheses. If you have a Chinese term in characters, do not read
Chinese, and want to find its meaning, copy the characters and paste them into the window at
the website
[1]
and you will get the pinyin version which you can look up in the list below.
Terms marked with an asterisk (*) have meanings that are not specific to Go.
A
ndng - settle*
B
bi - white*
bi fng - white player*
() bi - failure*
() bi zho - losing move
bn - hane
bn dun - hane through
bn li - rectangular six
bn ji - half-point ko
bng ji - pole connection
() bo wi - surround*
bo - thin*
boli - retain; preserve*
bo ch - capturing technique by atari
bn shn ji - local ko threat
bn shn ji ci - local ko threat
bn shu - proper move
bn zhng - heavy*
bng - collapse*
() bng ku - collapse*
b - checking extension
() b dng - nose tesuji
() b q - capturing race
() b si - tournament*
() bin - side*
() bin hu - variation*
() bin xing zhng gu li - mini chinese opening
() bin xng zhng gu li - mini chinese opening
() bin zho - unusual play
() bng - horizontal stretch
b dio - logical order of moves (moving reasonably, beneficially, and with restraint)
() b qing - reinforce*
() b j - opening
b l - disadvantageous*
b r - suicide
b r z - suicide
b t sn m - three points without capturing
b t w m - five points without capturing
C
ci xin - guessing the stones (Nigiri: random color choice before the game)
ci z - guessing the stones (Nigiri: random color choice before the game)
() cn ko - reference*
cnrn - bloody or merciless*
chi - extension
chi b - checking extension
chi r - two-space extension
chi sn - three-space extension
chi s - four-space extension
chi w - five-space extension
chi y - one-space extension
() chnro - harassment technique
() chng - stretch
() chng ko - think for a long time
() chng q - increase liberties
() chng shng - eternal life
() chng h dng sh - situational joseki
() cho d fi - very large knight's move
cho go m - 4-6 point
/ () cho sh f - lose by time
cho sh shng - win on time
chng gng - success*
chng l - possible*
chng tu - two-stone edge squeeze
ch - capture
() ch ku - loss*
ch q - jigo
() chng - push through
() chng f - overconcentrated
ch dun - 1 dan
() ch j - beginner level*
() ch tu - getting ahead
c - peep
c x - sequence*
() cu w - mistake*
() cu xio m - rotating 3-4 points
D
d - attach
d - atari
d ch - atari
() d r hun y - capture two recapture one
() d gu - adjourn game
d ji - ko
d r - invasion
() d sn hun y - capture three recapture one
d - large*
() d chng - big point
() d fi - large knight's move
d j gn - whole board thinking
() d lng - dragon*
() d m yng - large-scale framework
() d pn - large board (19x19)
() d q pn - large board (19x19)
d shn tu - large monkey jump
() d tu gu - two-stone edge squeeze
(da4 xue3 beng1) - large avalanche
(d y ling) - Da Ya Liang
d yn - eye with two or more spaces
() d zh zu - j group
() di gu - long l group
() dn gun - one-space jump
() dn gun - neutral point
() dn ji - half-point ko
() dn xng do - one-way street*
() dng - block*
do b w - bulky five
do bn w - bulky five
do bng w - bulky five
do w - bulky five
() do p - snapback
() do ti - reverse komi
() do tu xu - under the stones
d - low*
() d - enemy*
d - hold up; push against, to support, to resist*
dkng - to resist; resistance*
() d rn - enemy*
d - territory*
() d pn - territory*
d y - territory*
() din - placement; point
() din fng - eye-stealing tesuji
() din jio - corner invasion
() din m - counting
() din yn - placement inside opponent's eye
() dio zi - choshi
dng s - farmer's hat; pyramid four
() dng - bump
dng sh - joseki
dng xng - settle
() dng p q - mirror go
() du fng - carpenter's square
() d mio - byo-yomi
d - bridge under
() dun - cut*
dun - dan
() duc - countermeasure*
() du j - play game*
() du sh - capturing race
() du y - play game*
dn - to escape, flee ( todn); (disappear)*
du yun ji - multiple ko
E
() shu - bad move
() r jin chi - two-space extension
() r jin tio - two-space jump
() r lin xng - ni ren sei
r shu ji - two-step ko
F
() f zhn - develop*
f method, way (also xif)*
fn bn - counter hane
fn d - counter atari
fn gng - counter attack
() fn j - counter attack
() fn ji - counter pincer
fn t - recapture
fng f - technique*
fng s - square four
fng xing - direction*
fng xng - mouth shape
fng - defend*
fng shu - defend*
() fi - knight's move
() fi do - exception move to joseki, not necessarily hamete
() fi y - press
() fi zho - useless move
() fi z - useless stones
fn tu - splitting move
fn xin - even game
fng - seal in*
fng shu - sealed move
() fng su - seal in*
f q - floating stones
f z - floating stones
() f - lose*
() f pn - game review
G
gi nin - concept*
() gn ju - feeling*
go - high*
() go j - advanced level*
go m - 4-5 point
() gn j - base*
() gn j d - base*
gng - attack*
() gng j - attack*
(gngq) - shared liberty
() gng q - shared liberty
gng shu - attack and defence*
gng hu - seki
g q - floating stones
() gu jio - corner approach
gui - bend*
() gui zho - ghost move
() gun - one-space jump
gun z - endgame
() gu ji - tortoise shell
() gu z - rules*
gu shu - ghost move
() gn bo - squeeze
() gn d - squeeze
() gn d bo shu - squeeze
() gu fn - overplay
() gushu - national champion*
H
(Hngulibj) - Korean Fuseki
() ho din - good point
h q - draw*
hi - black*
hi fng - black player*
hi xin - Black plays first*
huz lin - Sake bottle shape
hu - thick*
() hu hu - regret*
() hu min tu ch - pushing from behind
() hu sh - thick*
() hu sh - influence*
() hu - after; later*
() hu shu - gote
() hu shu ji - a ko in which the opponent makes the first capture
() hu x shu dun - follow-up
() hu zhng xin - gote with hidden sente
h - tiger's mouth
h ku - tiger's mouth
h p - mutual damage
() h wi - mutual surrounding of territory
() hu jin ji - picnic ko
hu li - rabbity six
hu w - crossed five
() hun yun - transposition
() hun - slow*
() hun mn - slow*
() hun q ji - approach ko
(hunq zhngch) - loose ladder (full name)
() hun shu - slow
() hun zhng - loose ladder
() hun zhng z - loose ladder
hungyng p di - a yellow oriole captures the butterly =
PattingTheRaccoonsBelly, a 1st-line capturing technique
hu shu - take back*
hu t - recapture
hu q - take back*
hu q - living group
J
j - urgent*
() j - kyu
j su - urgent point
() j - bump into diagonal; choke; atekomi
j qio - technique*
() jsun: to count
[3]
/ to calculate / to compute; calculation; (reading/analysis)*
ji - excellent*
() ji - clamp; pincer
ji - net
ji ch - net
ji gng - pincer
ji ji - false ko threat
() ji shung hu - false seki
ji yn - false eye
ji yn hu - two-headed dragon
jin - diagonal
() jin chng - shoulder hit
() jin dng - diagonal attachment
() jin sh - solid
() jin h - miai
jio - teach*
() jio ch din - point
() jio din - point
() jio din - focal point*
() jio hun - exchange*
jio corner (angle, horn-shaped)*
jio ch - atari
() jio sh - teacher*
jio sh - classroom*
j bn gng - fundamentals*
() ji b gu - connect and die
ji - ko
ji ci - ko threat
() ji gu - result*
ji hu - live by ko
() ji q - life and death problem
() ji sh - kill by ko
ji zhng - ko fight
(ji d) - answer, solution*
() jn gu jio - carpenter's square
() jn j d l - double shortage of liberties also known as Golden
Chicken Standing on One Leg
() jn - tight*
() jn di gu - long l group without outside liberties
() jn ji - direct ko
() jn q - reduce liberties
() jn q ji - direct ko
() jn zho din - illegal point
() jng ch - unconditional kill (= clean, only)
() jng hu - unconditional life
() jng sh - unconditional death
() jng s - unconditional death
ji - rescue; save*
j - placement inside opponent's eye
() j l b - club*
j li - six-space killable eye shape
j sn - three-space killable eye shape
j s - four-space killable eye shape
j w - five-space killable eye shape
juzhn - decisive battle*
( ) ju qio - secrets of success / tricks of the trade*
K
k yn - falsify eye
() ki chi - extension
() ki hu - ponnuki
() ki ji - create ko
() ki j - opening
kn hu ji - picnic ko
kng - to resist, fight; to oppose to defy*
ko - attach one line higher than enemy stone
kng - empty*
() kng jin - space*
kng sn jio - empty triangle
kng - territory*
ku - attach at waist of knight's move
() ku dun - waist cut
kui - fast*
kui q - blitz game
() kun - loose; wide*
() kun di gu - long l group with outside liberties
() kun q - increase liberties
() kun q ji - approach ko
() ku - loss*
() ku sn - loss*
() ku d - enlarge; expand*
() ku zhng - enlarge; expand*
L
() li p ji - many move approach ko
() ln - checking extension; prevent opponent's advance*
() ln b - checking extension
() ln k - ranka
() lo sh - teacher*
lo sh tu yu - mouse stealing oil
() lixng pattern, type*
() lng zho - unexpected move
l - profit*
l - descent; stand
l yng - make use*
() lin - connect; continuous*
() lin bn - double hane
() lin hun ji - double ko
() lin ji - connect*
() lin q - pair go
() lin z - reluctance to sacrifice
() ling fn - equal*
() ling tu sh - two-headed dragon (literally, "two-headed snake")
() li sh - inferior*
() li xng - split shape
() lng - dragon*
() lu zho - oversight
lu z - playing stone on board
M
() mny - satisfied*
mn - slow*
() mng din - blind spot
mi hu li - rabbity six
mi hu w - crossed five
() mn ch - capturing technique by atari
() m n zhng gu li - mini chinese opening
mio shu - excellent move
() mio zho - excellent move
m fng q - mirror go
() m yng - territorial framework
m - point of territory
m wi - 3-5 point
N
() ni q - liberties surrounded exclusively by one player's stones
n gun z - reverse endgame move
n xin - reverse sente
n xin shu - reverse sente
() n zhun - overturn game
nin - connect*
nng xng - overconcentrated shape
() ni dun - crosscut
ni sh z - crosscut
() nishz chng yfng - extend in a crosscut
() ni yng tu - ladder
P
p - crawl*
() pn d - bridge under
() pn jio bn li - rectangular six in the corner
() pn jio q s - bent four in the corner
() po ji - throw-in ko
pi h - coordination*
png - attach to the side
pin y - profit*
() pin zho - trick play, hamete
png hng - balance*
p - break*
- pux dissection / self-analysis
pji - solution, answer to a problem*
() p - throw in
p tao li - rabbity six
() p - game record
p tng - common*
Q
() q zho - trick play, hamete
q bn - go board
() q fng - playing style
q h - stone container
q jn - key stones
q jng - key stones
q l - go theory
q l - strength in go
() q pn - go board
() q p - game record
q sh - stone
q shu - player*
() q sh - go book
q yun - go institute
q xng - shape
() q zhng - clock*
q z - stone
() q abandon, to discard, throw away
() qz - sacrifice
() q - liberty
() q h - fighting spirit
() q jn - shortage of liberties
- in front, before*
() qin xio - erasure
() qing - wall*
() qing - strong
() qing b - wall*
() qing q - strong group
qio shu - clever move
() qio zho - clever move
() qi dun - cut*
qn xio - erasure
() qng - light*
qng r - invasion
() qng yng - light*
qi hu - make life
q - bend
q ch - carpenter's square
q sn - bent three
q s - bent four
() q - peep
qun l - privilege
qurn - confirm/verify (indicates a diagram showing why the correct answer works)*
R
() rng z - handicap
() rng z q - handicap game
() rn sh - resign*
ru - weak*
ru q - weak group
S
() sn jin chi - three-space extension
() sn jin tio - three-space jump
sn ji - triple ko
() sn ji xn hun - triple ko
() sn lin xng - san ren sei
sn m zhng zhng - center of three stones
sn sn - 3-3 point
sn shu ji - two-move approach ko
sn z zhng zhng - center of three stones
() sh - kill*
() sh q - kill
() sh q - capturing race
shng - upper*
() shng j - advanced level*
shng xi tng xng - symmetrical position
sho - somewhat; a little*
() shn q - increase liberties
shn tu - monkey jump
shng s ji - all-dominating ko
() shng - win*
() shng f shu - all-or-nothing move
() shng zho - winning move
() sh bi - failure*
() sh d - solid territory
sh fn q - ten-game match
() sh ji - solid connection
sh t - two-stone edge squeeze
() sh zhn - actual game situation
() sh zhn shu - situational move
() sh - influence*
sh - house; room*
() sh l - influence*
() sh yng shu - probe
shu gun - play endgame
shu gun z - play endgame
() shu hu - last play
() shu q - reduce liberties
shu - defend*
shu - move
shu dun - technique*
shu g - reorder sequence
shu jio - corner enclosure
shu jn - tesuji
() shu shn - sequence
() shu tn - hand talk
shu xin - one stone handicap
shu z - handicap
shu z q - handicap game
() sh - book*
() sh - lose*
() sh bn - book*
shmf - territory scoring
shzf - area scoring
sh xng - comb formation
sh xng bn li - comb formation
() shung - bamboo joint
() shung ch - double atari
() shung d - double atari
() shung d ch - double atari
() shung do p - double snapback
() shung fng - both sides*
() shung fi yn - 4-4 point double low approach
() shung gu - double approach
() shung h - trumpet connection
() shung hu - seki
() shung jio ch - double atari
() shung ji - double ko
(shung zhng) - double ladder
() shn x - sequence*
s hu - life and death
() s hu t - life and death problem
s q - dead group
s z - dead stone
() s jin chi - four-space extension
s jio chun xng - occupying four corners and center
s ji - quadruple ko
() s ji xn hun - quadruple ko
() s lin xng - yon ren sei
() sng - slack*
() sng q - increase liberties
() sng q ji - approach ko
s shu - crude move
() su shu - hasty move
() su shu q - hasty move
() sn - loss*
() sn ji - losing ko threat
() sn sh - loss*
() sn x - sequence*
T
ti xing - Tower
() tn xng - flexibility*
tng - block*
to ji - two stage ko
to - escape*
todn - to escape, to run away, flee*
to shng - escape*
() tng nu - sabaki
t - remove from board
t ji - taking the ko
t z - remove from board
tin wng shn - tennouzan
tin xi d ji - all-dominating ko
tin xi ji - all-dominating ko
tin yun - tengen
tio - jump*
() ti m - komi
() ti zh - iron pillar*
tng - push up; stand*
tu xing - resign*
tu z - resign
() tu din - placement
() t - diagram*
tu - pull back
tu - underneath attachment
tuch - escape, break out
() tu g - under the stones
() tu xin - tenuki
W
w - wedge
wi m - 3-5 point
() wi q - outside liberty
() wn sn - bent three
() wn s - bent four
() wn nin ji - ten thousand year ko
() wi - surround*
() wi q - go
wi b - tail*
wi do - aji
() wn png - diploma
() wndang - stable; firm*
() wn yng shu - probe
() w gu b ch tu - crane's nest
() w l - overplay
() w yu ji - picnic ko
w z q - gomoku narabe
() w jin chi - five-space extension
() w lin xng - go ren sei
w w - 5-5 point
X
() x q - close game
xi ji - false ko threat
xi - lower*
xif - method*
xin - before; first*
xin shu - sente
xin shu ji - a ko in which the player makes the first capture
xin shu l - forcing move
() xin zhng hu - sente with hidden gote
xinjng - a trap*
xing b - elephant's move
() xing b fi - elephant's move
() xing fi - elephant's move
xing xio m - facing 3-4 points
xing yn - center of elephant's move
xio ji - ending the ko
xio - small*
() xio fi - knight's move
xio jin - diagonal
xio ln li - kobayashi opening
xio m - 3-4 point
() xio pn - small board (13x13 or smaller)
() xio q pn - small board (13x13 or smaller)
xio shn tu - small monkey jump
() xio zh zu - tripod group with extra leg
xio gu - effect; result*
xio l - efficiency*
() xn b j - new opening
xn shu - new move
xng - star point
xng wi - star point
xng - shape*
() xng sh - situation*
() xng sh pn dun - positional judgement
() xng zhung - shape*
xi c li - shusaku opening
() x shu - pass
() x zho - pass
() x pn - opening
() xu shng - student*
xu bng - avalanche*
() xn hun ji - double ko
Y
() y - push down*
() y l - pressure*
() yn q - increase liberties
yn - eye*
yn wi - eye potential; eye space
(yn q) - eye liberties
yn xng - eye shape; eye space
yo do - magic sword
() yo l ji - double ko
() yo din - vital point
yo z - key stones
() y y - amateur*
y fng d - one-sided territory
() y jin chi - one-space extension
() y jin tio - one-space jump
y shu ji - direct ko
() y z ji shung zhng - dual ladder breaker
() y wn shu - questionable move
y q - play game*
yn zhng - ladder breaker
() yng - win*
() yng sh - ing's
yng tu - first line descent
() yu sh - superior*
yu l - advantageous*
() yu yn sh w yn - eye kills no eye
() yu yn sh xi - eye kills no eye
yu - right*
() y wi - aji
y xng - dumpling shape
y zhu li - cosmic style
() yun z - principle*
yun shng - insei
Z
(zo) - jujube (Chinese Date Wood)*
() zh dng - iron pillar*
(chng) - stretch
() zhng g ni - oshitsubushi
() zhng s ni - oshitsubushi
() zho - move
zhn yn - real eye
() zhn - capping play
() zhn shn tu - dual ladder breaker
() zhn tu - capping play
, ; zhng, zhngsh - (Dan grade?) certificate, rank diploma
zhng - ladder
() zhng q - official challenge match
zhng z - ladder
zhng z ji - ladder ko
() zhng t - chain
zhng xng - settle
zhng ji - solution*
() zhng qu - correct*
() zhng sh - certificate*
() zhng zho - proper move
() zh do q - teaching game
zh r - straight two
zh sn - straight three
zh s - straight four
() zh y - professional*
zh c y shu - only move
zh g - managing isolated weak group
zhng - center*
() zhng - clock*
zhng f - center*
() zhng gu li - chinese opening
() zhng j - intermediate level*
() zhng j - end of game
() zhng pn - middle game
() zhng pn - endgame
zhng xn - center*
zhng yng - center*
zhng yun - center*
zhng - heavy*
() zhdng - (to take the) initiative*
() zhun y - professional*
() zhun hun - exchange*
() zhung do p - a move that threatens a snapback
() zhung ji - a move that threatens a ko
() zhung q - reduce self liberties
zhu - chase*
zhu b - chase*
z - stone; unit in chinese counting
z rn li - natural style
() z sh - suicide*
zu - left*
zu yu tng xng - symmetrical position
zu hu - make life
zu ji - create ko
zuzhn - combat*
zuo4 qi2 - 'arranging stones' - phase for counting (Chinese Rules)
When you encounter two characters with the same Hanyu Pinyin romanization, it is possible
that they represent different Chinese characters with the same pronunciation.
There are four main tones in Hanyu Pinyin (yng, yng, shng, q), as well as a light tone. The
light tone has no diacritical tone marks. Due to the difficulty in entering the diacritical tone
marks in computers, it is common to see the them replaced by numbers in the form ying1,
yang2, shang3 and qu4. Also, is often entered as v or uu for the same reason.
Footnotes
[1] Fantizi to jiantizi converter: this is also a character-to-pinyin converter, move the mouse
over any Chinese word to see the reading and definition.
[2] Shi is an especially interesting concept from a Chinese point of view as this monograph
shows: Geo-Strategic Lessons from Go.
[3] Source for translations:
MDBG
nciku - Chinese English Dictionary
WebSaru - Chinese English Dictionary
e.g. jsun = to count / to calculate / to compute (traditional: )
See also:
/Discussion
/Chinese Go Terms Sources
/Translation Requests
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