2007-12-01 05:04:12 · 3 answers · asked by Joe3Beets 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
Kung fu cannot be separated in meaning, otherwise it's ambiguous. The meaning is very broad. What they do in the Shaolin temple is Kung fu: practice, work, study, exercise, etc...
Chores in the house is also considered "Kung fu" in Chinese.
Kung fu = the "preparations you make to study for an exam", etc...
2007-12-02 12:11:08 · answer #1 · answered by bryan_q 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I saw a program about Kung Fu on Discovery Channel a few years back which translated the word as "Skill learned over time." That sounds like a good enough translation for me unless you are a fussy scholar of oriental languages.
2007-12-01 15:03:12 · answer #2 · answered by Brennus 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In Mandarin, kung fu is actually gÅngfu. å (gÅng) meaning achievement or merit, and 夫 (fÅ«) which translates into man. So its original meaning is somewhat different, referring to one's expertise in any skill, not necessarily martial.
2007-12-01 13:24:52 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋