Last updated July 7, 2009
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Chinese Loan Words
Here are some examples of how new words are phonetically introduced into the Chinese language.  External link: A more extensive list.
Post your favourites to this thread and I will add them here.
　
asprin 亞士匹靈 aa3 si6 pat1 ling4 beer 啤酒 be1 zau2
bus 巴士 baa1 si6 "bye bye" 拜拜 baai3 baai3
chocolate 朱古力 zyu1 gu2 lik6 coffee 咖啡 gaa3 fei1
salmon 三文魚 saam1 man4 jyu2 strawberry 士多啤梨 si6 do1 be1 lei
taxi 的士 dik1 si6 toast 多士 do1 si6

 

Language Note
啤酒 - here the loan word is be1 (beer) zau2 means alcohol.   拜拜 - this is the only western word that sounds the same in Chinese.   的士 used to be Cantonese only but it became so popular that taxis in China now sometimes have these characters on the side of the doors.   咖啡 is also pronounced gaa3 fe1.
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