炮
pào
The English word "cannon" is translated into Chinese as 炮 (pào). Wiktionary also lists 大砲 / 大炮 (dàpào) and 加農炮 / 加农炮 (jiānóngpào).
Meaning: artillery piece (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 炮 | pào |
| 大砲 / 大炮 | dàpào |
| 加農炮 / 加农炮 | jiānóngpào |
| 加農 / 加农 | jiānóng |
炮 (pào) refers to an artillery piece. In modern Chinese, it is often used as a suffix for various types of artillery, such as 火炮 (huǒpào), meaning artillery or fire gun.
Which one should you use?
The word 炮 is the base form, while 大砲 or 大炮 can be used to mean "cannon". Additionally, 加農炮 or 加农炮 (also appearing as 加農 or 加农) can be used for this purpose. In entertainment or video games, you might encounter the informal term 霹雳炮, which translates to "thunder cannon".
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form 大砲 uses traditional characters, which is the standard in Taiwan and Hong Kong, while 大炮 uses simplified characters, which is the standard in Mainland China.
How do you pronounce it?
pào
Did you know?
- In many Chinese dialects, including Mandarin, the word 大炮 (dàpào) has evolved from a weapon into a slang term for someone who is loud, boastful, or an 'exaggerator'.
- The phrase 炮制 (pào zhì) uses the character for 'cannon' but refers to the traditional process of preparing herbal medicines with heat.
- In Chinese, the word 炮 also refers to firecrackers, as both make a loud explosive sound.
Examples in context
- 我们需要一个大炮来保护城墙的安全。We need a cannon to protect the safety of the city walls.
- 这个炮筒设计非常独特，能够发射更远的炮弹。This cannon barrel design is unique and enables the projection of projectiles over longer distances.
- 在游戏中，你可以使用霹雳炮来摧毁敌人的堡垒。In the game, you can use thunder cannons to destroy enemy fortresses.
- 那是一门旧炮。Nà shì yī mén jiù pào.That is an old cannon.
- 博物馆里有一尊大炮。Bówùguǎn lǐ yǒu yī zūn dà pào.There is a large cannon in the museum.
Example conversation
A man and a woman are visiting a historical military site.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen志强，你看那门炮！Zhìqiáng, nǐ kàn nà mén pào!Zhiqiang, look at that cannon!
- 志强 Zhiqiang它看起来非常沉重。Tā kàn qǐlái fēicháng chénzhòng.It looks very heavy.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen这门旧炮在历史上很有名。Zhè mén jiù pào zài lìshǐ shàng hěn yǒumíng.This old cannon is very famous in history.
- 志强 Zhiqiang难怪这里有这么多人。Nánguài zhèlǐ yǒu zhème duō rén.No wonder there are so many people here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cannon” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
