Some Chinese Words 
That Have Become Part of English
 

          Though the Chinese have had contacts with English-speaking peoples for several centuries, few Chinese words have entered the English language.  Those that have, however, are quite colorful.  The following are some examples:

chop suey -->   "Odds and ends" in Chinese.
chow mein -->  "Fried noodles" in Chinese.
kowtow -->  to show slavish respect; in Chinese, it means "to know
 the head" on  the ground in a deep bow.
lychee nuts -->  Nut-shaped fruit eaten fresh or dried.
pekoe -->  A popular tea.
pongee -->  A silk cloth.
sampan -->  A small flat-bottomed boat, usually with a single sail and
 a cabin made of mats.
shantung -->  A silk cloth.
tong -->  An association or club.
typhoon -->  "Big wind" in Chinese.

SOURCE: World Regional Studies: China (3rd. edition) by Michael & Hyman Kublin.  
                    Houghton Mifflin Co, 1991, p. 25.