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Firefly–Serenity Chinese Pinyinary
Chinese translations with standard Hanyu Pinyin romanization and Chinese characters for Firefly the TV series and Serenity the movie and comic books

Chinese Dialog

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Ni3 gao4su5 na4 niu2 ta1 you3 shuang1 mei3mu4?

ni3 gao4su5

you tell

  1. ni3: you (singular)
  2. gao4su5: to tell, to inform
    1. gao4 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: to tell, to inform
    2. su4 [used only in compound words]: to tell, to inform

na4 niu2

that cow

  1. na4: that, those
  2. niu2: a cow

ta1 you3

it has

  1. ta1: it
  2. you3: to have

shuang1 mei4mu4

beautiful eyes

  1. shuang1: two, a pair
  2. mei3mu4: beautiful eyes
    1. mei3: to be beautiful, to be pretty
    2. mu4 [used only in compound words]: an eye

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damp lung [Not Chinese]

English

damp lung

[name of a lung disease, perhaps tuberculosis (TB)]

Note:

  • Jayne sounds like “the damp long” instead of the the Damplung of the script. The captions (region 1 DVD) incorrectly say it’s Chinese.

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Dong3 ma5?

dong3 ma5

understand?

  1. dong3: to understand
  2. ma5: [marker for questions]

See also:

  • dong3 le5 ma5? (Serenity [novelization])
  • Dong3 le5 ma5? Ni3 chou2lian3, you3 mei2you3? (Serenity [movie])
  • dong3 ma5 (“The Train Job,” “Out of Gas,” “Heart of Gold”)

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tian1 xiao3de2

tian1 xiao3de2

[colloquial] [set phrase] [borrowed from non-Mandarin Chinese] [see note below] God knows!, Heaven knows!

  1. tian1: heaven, God
  2. xiao3de2: [borrowed from non-Mandarin Chinese] [see note below] to know
    1. xiao3: to know
    2. de2: [ending for one-syllable verbs]

Note:

  • Native Mandarin term: tian1 zhi1dao5 天知道 : [set phrase] God knows!, Heaven knows!; tian1: heaven, God; zhi1dao5 知道 : to know, to be aware of (zhi1: to know; dao4 a way)

See also:

  • Ai1ya1. Tian1 a5. (Serenity [movie])
  • Lao3tian1, bu4. (“Safe”)
  • Lao3tian1ye2. (“Ariel”)
  • Tian1sha1 de5 e4mo2. (“Ariel”)
  • tian1 xiao3de2 (“Bushwhacked,” “Safe”)
  • Wo3 de5 tian1, a5. (“Bushwhacked”)

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xiong1can2 sha1shou3

xiong1can2

to be ruthless, to be savage

  1. xiong1: to be brutal, to be ferocious
  2. can2 [used only in compound words]: ruthless, ferocious

sha1shou3

a (professional) killer, a hit-man

  1. sha1: to kill
  2. shou3 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: a professional, a person skilled at something

Notes:

  1. Kaylee sounds like “shiong tse sha sho” instead of the SHIONG-tsan SHA-sho of the script.
  2. Thank you to Firefly Chinese translator Jenny Lynn for the script English (and for confirming the Hanyu Pinyin romanization in this entry) before the script was published.

See also:

  • xiong1meng3 de5 kuang2ren2 (“Objects in Space”)

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Wo3 de5 ma1.

wo3 de5 ma1

My God!; [literally: My mother!]

  1. wo3 de5: my
    1. wo3: I
    2. de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: possessive (genitive), ’s, of]
  2. ma1: [colloquial] a mom, a mother

See also:

  • Wo3 de5 ma1. (“Bushwhacked”)
  • Wo3 de5 ma1 he2 ta1 de5 feng1kuang2 de5 wai4sheng5 dou1 (“Our Mrs. Reynolds”)
  • Wo3 de5 tian1, a5. (“Bushwhacked”)

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Cut Chinese Dialog

gou3shi3

gou3shi3

[insult] [offensive] crap (a worthless thing); [literally: [offensive] dog dung]

  1. gou3: a dog
  2. shi3: excrement, dung

See also:

  • gen1 hou2zi5 bi3 diu1 shi3 (“Heart of Gold”)
  • gou3shi3 (“Shindig,” “Safe” [Cut], “Out of Gas,” Serenity [novelization])
  • niu2shi3 (“War Stories”)
  • zheng1qi4 de5 gou3shi3dui1 (“Our Mrs. Reynolds” [Cut])

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Visible Chinese

Cha2

cha2

tea

See also:

  • Cha2 (Serenity [movie])

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Yi4sui4

yi4sui4

fragile, easily broken

  1. yi4 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: easy, easy to, easily
  2. sui4 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: to break into pieces

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Chou2duan4 Shang1dian4

chou2duan4 shang1dian4

a silk-and-satin shop

  1. chou2duan4: silks and satins
    1. chou2 [used only in compound words]: silk
    2. duan4 [used only in compound words]: satin
  2. shang1dian4: a store, a shop
    1. shang1 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: business, commerce
    2. dian4: a shop, a store

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Lan2ri4

Lan2ri4

Blue Sun [name of a fictional corporation]

  1. lan2: to be blue (the color)
  2. ri4 [used only in compound words]: [traditional] or [meaning borrowed from non-Mandarin Chinese] the sun

Note:

  • Also: tai4yang2: 太阳 (traditional: 太陽 ): the sun; tai4 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: great, grand; yang2 [used only in compound words]: the sun

See also:

  • Lan2ri4 (Firefly Official Site, Serenity: Firefly Class 03-K64; Leaves on the Wind)
  • Lan2ri4; Bing3 Qie3 Diu1; Zhong1 Wu1 Feng1 Zhu3 Wu1 Zha4 Tuo1 Wu1; Wan2 Zhi1 Jiu3; Chuan4 Pie3 Tuo1 Gai4 (Serenity Props and Merchandise)
  • Lan2ri4; Dan1 Zhi1 Zhong1 Zhu3 Jiu3 Zhong1 Chuan4 Tuo1 Wei2 Tuo1 Gai4; Chuan4 Pie3 Tuo1 Gai4 (Serenity Props and Merchandise)
  • Qing1ri4 (“Serenity, Part 1,” “Bushwhacked,” “Shindig,” “Ariel”)
  • Qing1tian2 (Serenity: The Shepherd’s Tale)
  • Shi4 ni3 de5; Ke3zhen1 ke3zhen1; Lan2ri4 (“The Message”)
  • Zhe4 ben3 shu1 shi4 yi1 ge5 Qing1ri4 he2zuo4 chu1ban3 (Firefly: The Official Companion, Volume Two)

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Shi4 ni3 de5; Ke3zhen1 ke3zhen1; Lan2ri4

shi4 ni3 de5

is your, is yours

  1. shi4: to be
  2. ni3 de5: your, yours (singular)
    1. ni3: you (singular)
    2. de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: possessive (genitive), ’s, of]

ke3zhen1 ke3zhen1

truly

  1. ke3: [marker for emphasis]
  2. zhen1: truly, indeed

Lan2ri4

Blue Sun [name of a fictional corporation]

  1. lan2: to be blue (the color)
  2. ri4 [used only in compound words]: [traditional] or [meaning borrowed from non-Mandarin Chinese] the sun

Note:

  • Also: tai4yang2: 太阳 (traditional: 太陽 ): the sun; tai4 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: great, grand; yang2 [used only in compound words]: the sun

See also:

  • Lan2ri4 (“The Message,” Firefly Official Site, Serenity: Firefly Class 03-K64; Leaves on the Wind)
  • Lan2ri4; Bing3 Qie3 Diu1; Zhong1 Wu1 Feng1 Zhu3 Wu1 Zha4 Tuo1 Wu1; Wan2 Zhi1 Jiu3; Chuan4 Pie3 Tuo1 Gai4 (Serenity Props and Merchandise)
  • Lan2ri4; Dan1 Zhi1 Zhong1 Zhu3 Jiu3 Zhong1 Chuan4 Tuo1 Wei2 Tuo1 Gai4; Chuan4 Pie3 Tuo1 Gai4 (Serenity Props and Merchandise)
  • Qing1ri4 (“Serenity, Part 1,” “Bushwhacked,” “Shindig,” “Ariel”)
  • Qing1tian2 (Serenity: The Shepherd’s Tale)
  • Zhe4 ben3 shu1 shi4 yi1 ge5 Qing1ri4 he2zuo4 chu1ban3 (Firefly: The Official Companion, Volume Two)

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Ping2jing4

ping2jing4

to be quiet (calm), to be tranquil

  1. ping2 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: calm, peaceful
  2. jing4: to be calm, to be still

See also:

  • Jing4 (Serenity [movie])
  • Jing3wei4; Ping2jing4 (Firefly Props and Merchandise)
  • Ning2jing4 (Serenity [movie], Serenity [novelization], Serenity comic books, Serenity: The Official Visual Companion, Serenity DVD Official Site)
  • Ping2 (“Jaynestown”)
  • Ping2an1 (Serenity Official Site)
  • Ping2jing4 (“Serenity, Part 1,” “The Train Job,” “Safe,” Firefly Press Kit)

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Wei1 Dian4, Fen1

wei1

[for this meaning, Chinese character doesn’t represent an independent word in Modern Standard Mandarin (Putonghua)] →
wei1xian3 危险 (traditional: 危險 ): danger, to be dangerous

  1. wei1 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: danger, dangerous
  2. xian3: to be dangerous

dian4

electricity, to get an electric shock

fen1

[used only in compound words]: vapor

Note:

  • Standard warning signs with electricity:
    • dang1xin1 chu4dian4 当心触电 (traditional: 當心觸電 ): careful: electric shock; dang1xin1: to be careful, to take care (dang1 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: appropriate [adjective]; xin1: feelings, the mind); chu4dian4: to get an electric shock (chu4: to touch; dian4: to get an electric shock)
    • jing3gao4: gao1ya1dian4 警告 高压电 (traditional: 警告 高壓電 ): warning: high voltage; jing3gao4: a warning (jing3 [used only in compound words]: to warn; gao4 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: to report, to notify); gao1ya1dian4: high voltage (gao1ya1: high voltage [gao1: to be high (of level); ya1 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: pressure [noun]]; dian4: electricity, to get an electric shock)
    • xiao3xin1you3dian4 小心有电 (traditional: 小心有電 ): careful: electricity; xiao3xin1: to be careful, to take care (xiao3: to be small; xin1: feelings, the mind); you3: to have, there is; dian4: electricity, to get an electric shock
    • you3dian4wei1xian3 有电危险 (traditional: 有電危險 ): electric shock risk; you3: to have, there is; dian4: electricity, to get an electric shock; wei1xian3: danger, to be dangerous (wei1 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: danger, dangerous; xian3: to be dangerous)

See also:

  • Wei1 (“Ariel,” “Trash,” “Objects in Space”)
  • Wei1 Dian4, Fen1 (“Serenity, Part 1,” “The Train Job,” “Shindig,” “Our Mrs. Reynolds,” “Out of Gas,” “Ariel,” “War Stories,” “Trash”)

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Wan2nao4

wan2nao4

[colloquial] a troublemaker, a rascal, to run wild [see note below]

  1. wan2: to play, to have fun
  2. nao4: to make noise, to stir up trouble

Note:

  • Usual form: wanr2nao4 玩儿闹 (traditional: 玩兒鬧 ): [colloquial] a troublemaker, a rascal, to run wild; wanr2: to play, to toy with (wan2: to play, to have fun; -r: [non-syllabic colloquial suffix] [preceding N is silent: wanr2nao4 means wan2nao4 has become “war2nao4]); nao4: to make noise, to stir up trouble

See also:

  • Wan2nao4 (“Jaynestown,” Serenity [movie])

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Dong1 Nan2 Xi1 Bei3

dong1

east

nan2

south

xi1

west

bei3

north

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Yu2

yu2

[Chinese character doesn’t represent an independent word in Modern Standard Mandarin (Putonghua)] →
xu1yu2 须臾 (traditional: 須臾 ): [written] a short moment, in an instant

  1. xu1: a little
  2. yu2 [used only in the compound word xu1yu2]

See also:

  • Yu2 (“Serenity, Part 1,” “Heart of Gold”)

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Lang2

lang2

[Chinese character doesn’t represent an independent word in Modern Standard Mandarin (Putonghua)] →
zou3lang2 走廊 : a corridor, a passageway

  1. zou3: to go, to walk
  2. lang2 [used only in compound words]: a corridor

See also:

  • Lang2 (“Serenity, Part 2”)

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萤火虫宁静中文拼音典
Ying2huo3chong2–Ning2jing4 Zhong1wen2 Pin1yin1-dian3
Firefly–Serenity Chinese Pinyinary