pinyin

/ˈpɪn.jɪn/ Chinese Origin Language

Original Word

拼音

Mandarin (pīn yīn)

Entered English

1950s

First recorded usage in English

The Story Behind "pinyin"

From Mandarin 'pīn yīn' (拼音), literally 'spell sound'. The official romanization system for Standard Chinese, developed in the 1950s and adopted internationally in 1982.

Example Usage

"Children in China learn pinyin before they learn Chinese characters."

All Chinese Loanwords Look Up in Dictionary

More Chinese Loanwords

ketchup — 茄汁 Food & Drink · Late 17th century tea — 茶 Food & Drink · Mid 17th century typhoon — 台风 Nature · 16th century gung ho — 工合 Culture · 1940s kowtow — 叩头 Culture · Early 19th century brainwash — 洗脑 Politics · 1950s lychee — 荔枝 Food & Drink · 16th century dim sum — 点心 Food & Drink · Mid 20th century