先生
Chinese
editearly; prior; former early; prior; former; in advance; first |
to be born; to give birth; life to be born; to give birth; life; to grow; student; raw | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| simp. and trad. (先生) |
先 | 生 | |
| Literally: “one who was born earlier”. | |||
Etymology
editThe specific pronunciation of Taiwanese Hokkien 先生 (siăn-sé) is from Japanese 先生 (sensei) as evidenced by its pitch accent pronunciation. (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation
edit- Mandarin
- (Standard)
- (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): xian1 sen1
- (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): щянсын (xi͡ansɨn, I-I)
- Cantonese (Jyutping): sin1 saang1
- Gan (Wiktionary): xien1 sen
- Hakka
- Jin (Wiktionary): xie1 seng1
- Eastern Min (BUC): sĭng-săng
- Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): seng1 sa1 / seng1 sann1
- Southern Min
- Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): 1shi-san1
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: xiānshēng → xiānsheng (toneless final syllable variant)
- Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄢ ㄕㄥ → ㄒㄧㄢ ˙ㄕㄥ (toneless final syllable variant)
- Tongyong Pinyin: sianshe̊ng
- Wade–Giles: hsien1-shêng5
- Yale: syān-sheng
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shian.sheng
- Palladius: сяньшэн (sjanʹšɛn)
- Sinological IPA (key): /ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵/ → /ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ²/
- (Chengdu)
- Sichuanese Pinyin: xian1 sen1
- Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: xiansen
- Sinological IPA (key): /ɕiɛn⁵⁵ sən⁵⁵/
- (Dungan)
- Cyrillic and Wiktionary: щянсын (xi͡ansɨn, I-I)
- Sinological IPA (key): /ɕiæ̃²⁴ səŋ²⁴/
- (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Jyutping: sin1 saang1
- Yale: sīn sāang
- Cantonese Pinyin: sin1 saang1
- Guangdong Romanization: xin1 sang1
- Sinological IPA (key): /siːn⁵⁵ saːŋ⁵⁵/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Gan
- (Nanchang)
- Wiktionary: xien1 sen
- Sinological IPA (key): /ɕiɛn⁴² sɛn²/
- (Nanchang)
- Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
- Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: sîn-sâng
- Hakka Romanization System: xinˊ sangˊ
- Hagfa Pinyim: xin1 sang1
- Sinological IPA: /sin²⁴⁻¹¹ saŋ²⁴/
- (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
- Hakka Romanization System: sinˋ sangˋ
- Sinological IPA: /sin⁵³ saŋ⁵³/
- (Meixian)
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
- Jin
- (Taiyuan)+
- Wiktionary: xie1 seng1
- Sinological IPA (old-style): /ɕie¹¹ səŋ¹¹/
- (Taiyuan)+
- Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
- Bàng-uâ-cê: sĭng-săng
- Sinological IPA (key): /siŋ⁵⁵ (s-)naŋ⁵⁵/
- (Fuzhou)
- Puxian Min
- (Putian)
- Pouseng Ping'ing: seng1 sa1 [Phonetic: seng5 na1]
- Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: seng-saⁿ
- Sinological IPA (key): /ɬɛŋ⁵³³⁻¹¹ (ɬ-)na⁵³³/
- (Xianyou)
- Pouseng Ping'ing: seng1 sann1 [Phonetic: seng5 na1]
- Sinological IPA (key): /ɬɛŋ⁵⁴⁴⁻²¹ (ɬ-)na⁵⁴⁴/
- (Putian)
- Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Tong'an, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Lukang, Sanxia, Kinmen, Magong, Hsinchu, Singapore, Philippines)
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Yilan, Taichung, Singapore, Penang)
- (Hokkien: Tainan, Singapore)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sian-seⁿ
- Tâi-lô: sian-senn
- Phofsit Daibuun: siensvef
- IPA (Singapore): /siɛn⁴⁴⁻²² sẽ⁴⁴/
- IPA (Tainan): /siɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ sẽ⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sian-seng
- Tâi-lô: sian-sing
- Phofsit Daibuun: siensefng
- IPA (Zhangzhou): /siɛn⁴⁴⁻²² siɪŋ⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: Hui'an)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sen-siⁿ
- Tâi-lô: sen-sinn
- Phofsit Daibuun: sensvy
- IPA (Hui'an): /sen³³ sĩ³³/
- (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
Note: When following a surname, it is read in the neutral tone.
- (Teochew)
- Peng'im: sing1 sên1 / sêng1 sên1
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: sing seⁿ / seng seⁿ
- Sinological IPA (key): /siŋ³³⁻²³ sẽ³³/, /seŋ³³⁻²³ sẽ³³/
- (Teochew)
Note: sêng1 sên1 - Jieyang.
- Middle Chinese: sen sraeng
- Old Chinese
- (Baxter–Sagart): /*sˤər sreŋ|sreŋ/
- (Zhengzhang): /*sɯːn sʰleːŋ/
Noun
edit先生
- An honorific for adults, usually conferred on males: mister; sir; gentleman
- husband
- (literal, Classical) one who was born earlier
- 誕彌厥月，先生如達。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11th – 7th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
- Dàn mí jué yuè, xiānshēng rú dá. [Pinyin]
- When she had fulfilled her months,
Her first-born son [came forth] like a lamb.
诞弥厥月，先生如达。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]
- (literary) father and elder brother
- (literary) ancestor
- (literary) Taoist priest
- (Gan, Hakka, Min, dated in Mandarin and Jin) doctor
- (dialectal) traditional Chinese medicine physician
- (honorific in Mandarin, Jin; common in Cantonese, Gan, Hakka, Min) teacher
- 他在學堂的時候，先生問他：「直隸省的西邊是哪一省？」他說是陝西。先生說：「錯了，是山西，不是陝西。」他說：「陝西同山西，不是差不多嗎？」 [MSC, trad.]
- From: 1924, Hu Shih, Life of Mr. Close Enough
- Tā zài xuétáng de shíhòu, xiānshēng wèn tā: “Zhílì Shěng de xībiān shì nǎ yī shěng?” Tā shuō shì Shǎnxī. Xiānshēng shuō: “Cuò le, shì Shānxī, bùshì Shǎnxī.” Tā shuō: “Shǎnxī tóng Shānxī, bùshì chābùduō ma?” [Pinyin]
- When he went to school, the teacher asked him: "Which province is west of Zhili Province?" He answered Shaanxi. The teacher said: "Wrong, it is Shanxi, not Shaanxi." He said: "Would Shaanxi and Shanxi not be close enough?"
他在学堂的时候，先生问他：「直隶省的西边是哪一省？」他说是陕西。先生说：「错了，是山西，不是陕西。」他说：「陕西同山西，不是差不多吗？」 [MSC, simp.]
- (obsolete or Wu) female prostitute
Usage notes
editSome females are also referred with the term 先生, however, this term is reserved for older and highly respected ones, and almost for specific persons only, e.g. Soong Ching-ling, He Xiangning and Yang Jiang. For most instances 女士 (nǚshì, “Ms.”) is used. Whether this term can be used for females is still a topic being debated.
Synonyms
edit- (husband):
- (Taoist priest):
- (doctor):
- (teacher):
- (female prostitute):
Derived terms
edit- 人靚毋當命靚，跛腳仔嫁先生 / 人靓毋当命靓，跛脚仔嫁先生
- 先生人
- 先生囝
- 先生娘
- 先生媽 / 先生妈
- 先生嬸 / 先生婶
- 先生弟子
- 先生禮 / 先生礼
- 地理先生
- 好好先生
- 小先生 (xiǎoxiānsheng)
- 有狀元學生，無狀元先生 / 有状元学生，无状元先生
- 梵行先生
- 楮先生 (chǔxiānshēng)
- 第一先生
- 算命先生 (suànmìng xiānsheng)
- 算命先生半路亡，木匠先生無眠床 / 算命先生半路亡，木匠先生无眠床
- 紅先生 / 红先生
- 老先生 (lǎoxiānshēng)
- 風水先生 / 风水先生 (fēngshuǐ xiānshēng)
- 齒科先生 / 齿科先生
Descendants
editSino-Xenic (先生):
Others:
- → Amis: singsi (via Hokkien)
- → English: sinseh (via Hokkien)
- → Indonesian: sinse, singse, sengsai (via Hokkien)
- → Khmer: ស៊ិនសែ (sɨnsae) (via Teochew)
- → Sakizaya: singsi (via Hokkien)
- → Thai: ซินแส (sin-sɛ̌ɛ), จีนแส (jiin-sɛ̌ɛ) (via Teochew)
See also
editReferences
edit- (Hokkien) “先生”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.
- (Hakka) “Entry #1486”, in 臺灣客語辭典 [Dictionary of Taiwan Hakka] (overall work in Chinese and Hakka), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2022.
- (Puxian Min) 莆田市政协文化文史和学习委员会 [Culture, History and Learning Committee of Putian CPPCC], editor (2021), “先生”, in 莆仙方言大词典 [Comprehensive Dictionary of Puxian Dialect] (overall work in Mandarin and Puxian Min), Xiamen University Press, →ISBN, page 474.
Japanese
editEtymology 1
edit| Kanji in this term | |
|---|---|
| 先 | 生 |
| せん Grade: 1 |
せい Grade: 1 |
| kan'on | |
| Alternative spellings |
|---|
| せんせー センセー |
From Middle Chinese 先生 (MC sen|senH sraeng|sraengH, literally “born earlier”).
Pronunciation
editNoun
edit- an elder
- a scholar
- a teacher or a professor
- 1984 February 20 [1983 June 15], Motoka Murakami, “多感な季節の巻 [A Season Full of Emotions]”, in 六三四の剣 [Musashi’s Sword], 4th edition, volume 10 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN, pages 161–162:
- 学校のみんなも先生のことさ好いてる……母っちゃすきか⁉
- Gakkō no minna mo Sensei no koto sa suiteru…… Katcha suki ka⁉
- Everybody at school likes Sensei…… Ya like him, Ma⁉
- Mochiron suki yo‼ Honto ni ii sensei desu mono…
- Of course‼ He’s a very good teacher…
- Ora mo suki dā. N demo, Sensei wa Sensei dā… Ora no totcha ni wa narenē!
- Ah like him, too. But Sensei’s only Sensei… He could never be mah pa!
- E…⁉ Sore… hyotto shite, watakushi to Yaegashi Sensei ga kekkon surutte koto……⁉
- What…⁉ Wait… You think I’m gonna marry Yaegashi Sensei……⁉
- 学校のみんなも先生のことさ好いてる……母っちゃすきか⁉
- sensei (Japanese martial arts teacher)
- sir, a polite form of address to teachers, doctors, etc.
Usage notes
edit- This is a term of respect, reserved only for speaking about others, and considered somewhat impolite (immodest) to use when referring to oneself. Instead, the term 教師 (kyōshi, “teacher”, literally “teaching + teacher”) is considered more socially appropriate when referring to oneself.
- This is an example of a word that can be spelled with katakana to convey an informal conversational tone, as センセー.
Derived terms
edit- 大先生 (daisensei): great teacher, high authority
Descendants
edit- → English: sensei
- → French: sensei
- → Hokkien: siăn-sé
- → Korean: 센세이 (sensei)
- → Indonesian: sensei
- → Palauan: sensei
- → Portuguese: sensei
- → Spanish: sensei
- → Yami: sinsi
Suffix
edit- a title used after the name of teachers, doctors, lawyers, or certain other professionals
See also
edit- 師匠 (shishō): a master, a teacher
- 医師 (ishi): a medical doctor
- 教師 (kyōshi): a teacher
- 教授 (kyōju): a professor
- 弁護士 (bengoshi): an attorney, a lawyer
Etymology 2
edit| Kanji in this term | |
|---|---|
| 先 | 生 |
| しぇん Grade: 1 |
しぇい Grade: 1 |
| irregular | |
Noun
editReferences
edit- 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.
Korean
edit| Hanja in this term | |
|---|---|
| 先 | 生 |
Noun
editOkinawan
edit| Kanji in this term | |
|---|---|
| 先 | 生 |
| しん Grade: 1 |
しー Grade: 1 |
| on'yomi | |
Etymology
editFrom Middle Chinese 先生 (MC sen|senH sraeng|sraengH). Cognate with Japanese 先生 (sensei), Korean 선생 (seonsaeng), Jeju 선싕 (seonsuing).
Noun
edit先生 (shinshī)
Vietnamese
edit| chữ Hán Nôm in this term | |
|---|---|
| 先 | 生 |
Noun
edit先生
Categories:
- Hokkien terms borrowed from Japanese
- Hokkien terms derived from Japanese
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- Cantonese terms with audio pronunciation
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- zh:Family
- zh:Titles
- zh:Female
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