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How do you say "chess" in Chinese?

国际象棋

guó jì xiàng qí

Noun Hanzi

In Chinese, "chess" is 国际象棋 (guó jì xiàng qí).

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Pronunciation

It's pronounced "guó jì xiàng qí", where "guó" is rising sharply like a question (tone 2); "jì" is falling fast and sharp, like a command (tone 4); "xiàng" is falling fast and sharp, like a command (tone 4), and finally "qí" is rising sharply like a question (tone 2).

Writing and usage

国际象棋 is written using hanzi. It's a noun, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.

Example sentence

他又在国际象棋上赢了我。

tā yòu zài guó jì xiàng qí shàng yíng le wǒ 。

He beat me at chess again.

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How to remember 国际象棋

Link the sound of "guó jì xiàng qí" to something in English that it faintly echoes, then picture that image next to "国际象棋" (guó jì xiàng qí).

Related words

Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.

Questions about 国际象棋

How do you pronounce 国际象棋?

It's pronounced "guó jì xiàng qí", where "guó" is rising sharply like a question (tone 2); "jì" is falling fast and sharp, like a command (tone 4); "xiàng" is falling fast and sharp, like a command (tone 4), and finally "qí" is rising sharply like a question (tone 2).

Is 国际象棋 formal or casual?

国际象棋 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.

How is 国际象棋 used in Chinese?

国际象棋 is used the same way as the equivalent English noun. For example: 他又在国际象棋上赢了我。 (He beat me at chess again.).

Where can I practice Chinese words for free?

You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Chess" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

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