Although Go almost certainly originated in China, the current English and Western technical vocabulary borrows a high proportion of terms from the Japanese language because it was through Japan that Go was introduced to Western culture.
Many of these terms are from a jargon used for technical go writing and to some extent specially developed for go journalism; in some cases the technical meaning of a word may differ from a dictionary meaning coming from ordinary usage. Some authors of English-language go materials avoid use of Japanese technical terms, and the way they are applied can differ in subtle ways from the original meanings.
| English | Japanese | Korean | Mandarin |
| aji | 味 (aji) | 맛 (mat) | 味 (wèi) |
| aji keshi | 味消し (aji keshi) | ||
| amashi | 余し (amashi) | ||
| atari | 当たり (atari) | 단수 (單手, dansu) | 打吃 |
| bad aji | |||
| bad shape | 悪形 (akugata) | 愚形 | |
| bamboo joint | タケフ (takefu) | 쌍립 (ssangnip) | 竹節／竹节 (zhújié) |
| block (move) | オサエ (osae) | ||
| capturing race race to capture |
攻め合い (semeai) | 수상전 (susangjeon) | |
| connection (move) | ツギ (tsugi) | 連／连 (lián), 接 (jiē), 粘 (zhān) | |
| contact play attachment touch |
ツケ (tsuke) | 靠 (kào)，碰 (pèng) | |
| cut (move) | キリ (kiri) | 切斷／切断 (qiēduàn) | |
| damezumari | ダメ詰まり (damezumari) | ||
| dumpling shape dango |
団子 (dango) | ||
| descend | サガリ (sagari) | 立 (lì) | |
| double gote | 両後手 (ryōgote) | 雙方後手／双方后手 | |
| double sente | 両先手 (ryōsente) | 雙方先手／双方先手 | |
| empty triangle | 空き三角 (aki sankaku) アキ三角 (aki sankaku) |
空三角 | |
| endgame yose |
終盤 (shūban) ヨセ (yose) |
終盤／终盘 官子 (guānzǐ) | |
| extend stretch |
ノビ (nobi) | 長／长 (cháng) | |
| fuseki | 布石 (fuseki) | 포석 (布石, poseok) | 佈局／布局 (bùjú) |
| five-five point gonogo |
五の五 (gonogo) | 五五 | |
| good aji | |||
| good shape | 良形 (ryōkei) | ||
| gote | 後手 (gote) | 후수 (後手, husu) | 後手／后手 (hòushǒu) |
| haengma | →模様 (moyō) | 행마 (行馬, haengma) →모양 (模樣, moyang) |
→模樣／模样 (múyàng) |
| hane wrap around bend |
ハネ (hane) | 扳 (bān) | |
| hanging connection | カケツギ (kaketsugi) | ||
| star point hoshi |
星 (hoshi) | 星 (xīng) | |
| joseki | 定石 (jōseki) | 정석 (定石, jeongseok) | 定式 (dìngshì) |
| kiai | 気合 (kiai) 気合い (kiai) |
氣合／气合 (qìhé) | |
| kikashi | 利かし (kikashi) | 先手利 | |
| knight's move keima |
ケイマ (keima) 小ゲイマ (kogeima) |
||
| ko | コウ (kō) 劫 (kō) |
패 (pae) | 劫 (jié) |
| komi | コミ (komi) | 덤 (deom) | 貼目／贴目 |
| komoku 3-4 point |
小目 (komoku) | 소목 (小目, somok) | 小目 |
| kosumi diagonal play |
小隅 (kosumi) コスミ (kosumi) |
尖 (jiān) | |
| kosumitsuke | コスミツケ (kosumitsuke) | 尖頂／尖顶 (jiāndǐng) | |
| korigatachi | 凝り形 (kotorigatachi) | ||
| ladder shicho |
シチョウ (shichō) | 征 (zhēng) | |
| large endgame | 大ヨセ (ōyose) | ||
| large knight's move ogeima |
大ゲイマ (ōgeima) | ||
| liberty | 呼吸点 (kokyūten) ダメ (dame) |
氣／气 (qì) | |
| life and death | 死活 (shikatsu) | 死活 (sǐhuó) | |
| miai | 見合い (miai) | 맛보기 (matbogi) | 見合／见合 |
| middlegame | 中盤 (chūban) | 중반 (中盤, jungban) | 中盤／中盘 (zhōngpán) |
| middlegame joseki | |||
| mokuhazushi 3-5 point |
目外し (moku hazushi) | 外目 | |
| framework moyo |
模様 (moyō) | 모양 (模樣, moyang) | 模樣／模样 (múyàng) |
| 3-6 point omokuhazushi |
大目外し (ōmoku hazushi) | ||
| one point jump ikken tobi |
一間トビ (ikken tobi) | ||
| opening | 序盤 (joban) | 序盤／序盘 | |
| 4-6 point otakamoku |
大高目 (ōtakamoku) | ||
| peep | ノゾキ (nozoki) | 刺 (cì) | |
| pincer | ハサミ (hasami) | 夾／夹 (jiā) | |
| point (location) | 目 (moku) | ||
| point (score) | 点 (ten) | ||
| ponnuki | ポン抜き (ponnuki) | ||
| probe yosu-miru |
様子見 (yōsumi) | ||
| pull back | ヒキ (hiki) | ||
| push (along) | オシ (oshi) | ||
| push (in) | 出 (de) | ||
| push and cut | 出切り (dekiri) | ||
| rank | 段級位 (dankyūi) | ||
| reverse sente | 逆先手 (gyakusente) | 逆先手 | |
| sabaki | 捌き (sabaki) | 騰挪／腾挪 (téngnuó) | |
| sansan 3-3 |
三々 (sansan) | 삼삼 (三三, samsam) | 三三 |
| seki mutual life |
セキ (seki) | 빅 (bik) | 雙活／双活 |
| self-atari | |||
| sente | 先手 (sente) | 선수 (先手, seonsu) | 先手 (xiānshǒu) |
| shape | 形 (katachi) | 形 (xíng) | |
| status | |||
| stone | 石 (ishi) | 棋子 (qízǐ) | |
| string chain block |
石 (ishi) | ||
| takamoku 5-4 |
高目 (takamoku) | 高目 | |
| center point tengen |
天元 (tengen) | 天元 (tiānyuán) | |
| thickness (1) | 厚み (atsumi) | ||
| thickness (2) | 厚さ (atsusa) | ||
| tiger's mouth | 虎口 (hǔkǒu) | ||
| tsumego | 詰碁 (tsumego) | 死活題／死活题 | |
| turn bend |
マガリ (magari) | 曲 (qū) | |
| two eyes | 二眼 (nigan) | ||
| sajung | →ダメ詰まり (dame tsumari) | 자충 (自充, jachung) |