獅子

See also: 狮子

Chinese

		lion	child; son; (noun suffix) child; son; (noun suffix); small thing; seed; egg; 1st earthly branch; 11 p.m.–1 a.m., midnight
trad. (獅子)		獅	子
simp. (狮子)		狮	子
alternative forms		師子／师子

Etymology

See 獅／狮 (shī).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): shīzi

  (Zhuyin): ㄕ ˙ㄗ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): si¹ zi³

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): сызы (sɨzɨ, I-I)

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): si¹ zi²

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): lhu¹ du²

• Gan (Wiktionary): si¹ zi
• Jin (Wiktionary): si¹ zeh
• Northern Min (KCR): sú-cǔ
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): sai-chú
• Wu (Northern, Wugniu): ¹sy-tsy
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): si¹ zi

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)
    • Hanyu Pinyin: shīzi
    • Zhuyin: ㄕ ˙ㄗ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: shihzi̊h
    • Wade–Giles: shih¹-tzŭ⁵
    • Yale: shr̄-dz
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shy.tzy
    • Palladius: шицзы (šiczy)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ d͡z̥z̩²/
    • Homophones:

      [Show/Hide]
      edit edit 獅子／狮子 蝨子／虱子

  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: si¹ zi³
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: sz
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sz̩⁵⁵ t͡sz̩⁵³/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: сызы (sɨzɨ, I-I)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sz̩²⁴ t͡sz̩²⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: si¹ zi²
    • Yale: sī jí
    • Cantonese Pinyin: si¹ dzi²
    • Guangdong Romanization: xi¹ ji²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /siː⁵⁵ t͡siː³⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: lhu¹ du²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬu³³ tu⁵⁵/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: si¹ zi
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sz̩⁴² t͡sz̩²/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: si¹ zeh
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /sz̩¹¹ t͡səʔ²/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: sú-cǔ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /su⁵⁴ t͡su²¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sai-chú
    • Tâi-lô: sai-tsú
    • Phofsit Daibuun: saizuo
    • IPA (Taipei): /sai⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡su⁵³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /sai⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡su⁴¹/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai, Suzhou)
    • Wugniu: ¹sy-tsy
    • MiniDict: sy^平 tsy
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹sr-tsr
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /sz̩⁵⁵ t͡sz̩²¹/
    • Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /sz̩⁴⁴ t͡sz̩/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: si¹ zi
    • Sinological IPA ^(key) (old-style): /si³³ t͡si³/
    • Sinological IPA ^(key) (new-style): /ɕi³³ t͡ɕi³/

---

• Middle Chinese: srij tsiX

Rime
Character	獅	子
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	生 (21)	精 (13)
Final (韻)	脂 (17)	之 (19)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	疏夷切	即里切
Baxter	srij	tsiX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʃˠiɪ/	/t͡sɨX/
Pan Wuyun	/ʃᵚi/	/t͡sɨX/
Shao Rongfen	/ʃiɪ/	/t͡sieX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʂji/	/t͡sɨX/
Li Rong	/ʃji/	/t͡siəX/
Wang Li	/ʃi/	/t͡sĭəX/
Bernard Karlgren	/ʂi/	/t͡siX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	shī	zǐ
Expected Cantonese Reflex	si1	zi2

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*sri  ʔslɯʔ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	子	子
Reading #	1/2	2/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	zǐ	zǐ
Middle Chinese	‹ tsiX ›	‹ tsiX ›
Old Chinese	/*[ts]əʔ/	/*tsəʔ/
English	1st earthly branch	child; gentleman, master
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	獅	子
Reading #	1/1	1/1
No.	11437	17857
Phonetic component	師	子
Rime group	脂	之
Rime subdivision	2	0
Corresponding MC rime	師	子
Old Chinese	/*sri/	/*ʔslɯʔ/
Notes	古作師

獅子

Noun

獅子

1. lion (Classifier: 隻／只 m c; 頭／头 m)

   • 天王道：「那廂因你欲為人師，所以惹出這一窩獅子來也。」 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     天王道：「那厢因你欲为人师，所以惹出这一窝狮子来也。」 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Wu Cheng'en, Journey to the West, 16^th century CE, translation from The Journey to the West (2012), by Anthony C. Yu

     Tiānwáng dào: “Nà xiāng yīn nǐ yù wéi rénshī, suǒyǐ rě chū zhè yī wō shīzǐ lái yě.” [Pinyin]

     “It’s precisely because you desired to act as someone’s teacher,” said the devarāja, “that you got into trouble with a den of lions.”

2. (Buddhism) Buddha; bodhisattva

   獅子吼／狮子吼  ―  shīzǐhǒu  ―  words of the Buddha

   獅子座／狮子座  ―  shīzǐzuò  ―  throne of the Buddha

3. (architecture) Short for 石獅子／石狮子 (shíshīzi, “foo dog”).

   • 趕快改改風水，在門口安裝一對獅子吧。 [MSC, trad.]
     赶快改改风水，在门口安装一对狮子吧。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 1997, 邱傑, 《台灣黑白切》, page 46

     Gǎnkuài gǎigǎi fēngshuǐ, zài ménkǒu ānzhuāng yī duì shīzi ba. [Pinyin]

     Quickly change the fengshui; let's install a pair of foo dogs at the entrance.

   • 一些工廠或大型店鋪，都會擺放一對大獅子，而擺放獅子的地方，未必是煞方，這時，獅子便會產生招財的力量。 [MSC, trad.]
     一些工厂或大型店铺，都会摆放一对大狮子，而摆放狮子的地方，未必是煞方，这时，狮子便会产生招财的力量。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2005, 菜夫子, 《家居的奧秘》

     Yīxiē gōngchǎng huò dàxíng diànpù, dōu huì bǎifàng yī duì dà shīzi, ér bǎifàng shīzi de dìfang, wèibì shì shàfāng, zhèshí, shīzi biàn huì chǎnshēng zhāocái de lìliàng. [Pinyin]

     Some factories or big stores would put a pair of large foo dogs, and where the foo dogs are put may not be shafang. At this time, foo dogs would create the power of bringing wealth in.

   • 在清代，只有身為皇家貴族或官至某高品級才可以在門口放獅子，否則只有在官衙門等「尊貴」之地才可放獅子。 [MSC, trad.]
     在清代，只有身为皇家贵族或官至某高品级才可以在门口放狮子，否则只有在官衙门等「尊贵」之地才可放狮子。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2010, 蔣匡文, 《建築師揀樓智慧》, page 98

     Zài Qīngdài, zhǐyǒu shēnwéi huángjiā guìzú huò guān zhì mǒu gāo pǐnjí cái kěyǐ zài ménkǒu fàng shīzi, fǒuzé zhǐyǒu zài guānyá mén děng “zūnguì” zhī dì cái kě fàng shīzi. [Pinyin]

     In the Qing dynasty, only the royalty and nobility or officials of certain high ranks could put foo dogs at their entrance, otherwise foo dogs were only put in "honourable" places such as the entrance of a yamen.

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 獅子 (“lion”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		獅子, 獅
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		獅子
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	獅子
	Taiwan	獅子
	Ulanhot	獅子
	Tongliao	獅子
	Chifeng	獅子
	Hulunbuir (Hailar)	獅子
	Harbin	獅子
	Singapore	獅子
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	獅子
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Yantai (Muping)	獅子
Central Plains Mandarin	Wanrong	獅子
	Zhengzhou	獅子
	Xi'an	獅子
	Xining	獅子
	Xuzhou	獅子
	Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)	獅子
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	獅子
	Bayanhot	獅子
	Lanzhou	獅子
	Ürümqi	獅子
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	獅子
	Chongqing	獅子
	Wuhan	獅子
	Guiyang	獅子
	Liuzhou	獅子
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	獅子
	Yangzhou	獅子
	Hefei	獅子
Cantonese	Guangzhou	獅子
	Hong Kong	獅子
	Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou)	獅子
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou)	獅子
	Hong Kong (Ting Kok)	獅仔
	Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau)	獅子
	Macau	獅子
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	獅子
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	獅子
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	獅子
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	獅子
	Foshan	獅子
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	獅子
	Foshan (Shunde)	獅子
	Foshan (Sanshui)	獅子
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	獅子
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	獅子
	Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou)	獅子
	Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka)	獅子
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	獅子
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	獅子
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	獅子
	Taishan	獅子
	Kaiping (Chikan)	獅子
	Enping (Niujiang)	獅
	Heshan (Yayao)	獅子
	Dongguan	獅子
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	獅
	Yangjiang	獅子
	Danzhou	獅子
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	獅子
	Singapore (Guangfu)	獅子
	Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu)	獅子
Gan	Nanchang	獅子
	Lichuan	獅仔
Hakka	Meixian	獅仔
	Xingning	獅哩
	Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua)	獅
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	獅仔
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	獅仔
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	獅子
	Wuhua (Huacheng)	獅哩
	Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua)	獅子
	Jiexi	獅
	Luhe	獅
	Yudu	獅子
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	獅仔
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	獅仔
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	獅仔
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	獅
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	獅仔
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	獅
	Hong Kong	獅子
	Senai (Huiyang)	獅子
Huizhou	Jixi	獅
Jin	Taiyuan	獅子
	Xinzhou	獅子
	Taibus (Baochang)	獅子
	Linhe	獅子
	Jining	獅子
	Hohhot	獅子
	Baotou	獅子
	Dongsheng	獅子
	Haibowan	獅子
Northern Min	Jian'ou	獅子
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	獅
Southern Min	Xiamen	獅, 獅仔
	Quanzhou	獅
	Zhangzhou	獅, 獅仔
	Zhao'an	獅
	Kaohsiung	獅
	Yilan	獅
	Changhua (Lukang)	獅
	Taichung	獅
	Taichung (Wuqi)	獅
	Tainan	獅
	Taitung	獅
	Hsinchu	獅
	Penghu (Magong)	獅
	Penang (Hokkien)	獅
	Singapore (Hokkien)	獅, 獅仔
	Manila (Hokkien)	獅, 獅仔
	Chaozhou	獅
	Shantou	獅
	Jieyang	獅
	Bangkok (Teochew)	獅
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	獅
	Singapore (Teochew)	獅
	Wenchang	獅
	Haikou	獅
Puxian Min	Putian	獅
	Xianyou	獅
Central Min	Yong'an	獅子
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)	獅子
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	獅子
Wu	Shanghai	獅子
	Shanghai (Chongming)	獅子
	Suzhou	獅子
	Danyang	獅子
	Hangzhou	獅子
	Ningbo	獅子
	Wenzhou	獅子
	Jinhua	獅子
Xiang	Changsha	獅子
	Shuangfeng	獅子

Derived terms

• 人中獅子／人中狮子 (rén zhōng shīzi)
• 河東獅子／河东狮子 (hédōngshīzi)
• 獅子口／狮子口 (Shīzikǒu)
• 獅子吼／狮子吼 (shīzihǒu)
• 獅子大開口／狮子大开口 (shīzi dà kāikǒu)
• 獅子山／狮子山 (Shīzǐshān)
• 獅子山共和國／狮子山共和国 (Shīzǐshān Gònghéguó)
• 獅子座／狮子座 (Shīzizuò)
• 獅子搏兔／狮子搏兔
• 獅子狗／狮子狗 (shīzigǒu)
• 獅子舞／狮子舞 (shīziwǔ)
• 獅子頭／狮子头 (shīzitóu)
• 石獅子／石狮子 (shíshīzi)
• 雪獅子向火／雪狮子向火

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (獅子):

• → Japanese: 獅子(しし) (shishi)
• → Korean: 사자(獅子) (saja)
• → Vietnamese: sư tử (獅子)

Others:

• → Bouyei: siyzij
• → English: Shih Tzu
  • → Japanese: シーズー (shīzū)
• → Zhuang: saeceij

Proper noun

獅子

1. (astrology, astronomy) Short for 獅子座／狮子座 (Shīzizuò, “Leo”).
2. (～鄉) Shizi (a mountain indigenous township in Pingtung County, Taiwan)

See also

• 老虎 (lǎohǔ)
• 獅虎／狮虎 (shīhǔ)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
獅	子
し Jinmeiyō	し Grade: 1
on'yomi

Alternative spelling
師子

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 獅子 (MC srij tsiX, literally “lion + (diminutive suffix)”)

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) しし [shíꜜshì] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ɕi̥ɕi]

Noun

獅(し)子(し) or 獅子(シシ) • (shishi) 

1. Synonym of ライオン (raion, “lion”) (big cat Panthera leo)
   • 1999 July 5, “レオ・ウィザード [Leo Wizard]”, in BOOSTER 3, Konami:

     黒(くろ)いマントをはおった魔(ま)術(じゅつ)師(し)。正(しょう)体(たい)は言(こと)葉(ば)を話(はな)すシシ。

     Kuroi manto o haotta majutsushi. Shōtai wa kotoba o hanasu shishi.

     A wizard in a black cloak who is actually a talking lion.

   • 2007 October 20, Izawa, Hiroshi with Yamada, Kotaro, “最(さい)終(しゅう)話(わ)　それぞれの道(みち)へ [Final Chapter: Epilog]”, in ファイアーエムブレム 覇者の剣 [Fire Emblem: Sword of Champions], Jump Remix edition, volume 5 (fiction), Tokyo: Shueisha, →ISBN, page 350:

     若(わか)き獅(し)子(し)ロイ

     Wakaki Shishi Roi

     Roy, Young Lion

2. (by extension from the notion of lions being "kings") the Buddha, a Buddha
3. short for 獅子舞 (shishimai), a traditional Chinese lion dance
4. short for 獅子頭 (shishigashira), the lion mask traditionally worn for the lion dance
5. short for 除夜の獅子 (joya no shishi, “New Year's lion”), a person dressed in costume as for a lion dance who goes door to door begging on New Year's Eve
6. a guardian statue commonly found outside temples and shrines, often with a komainu statue, the tradition for which is said to have come over from the Korean peninsula

Usage notes

This term is generally not used in modern Japanese when referring to the animal; the English-derived ライオン (raion) is typically used instead.

Synonyms

• (animal): ライオン (raion)
• (Buddha): 仏(ほとけ) (hotoke)

Derived terms

• 獅(し)子(し)猿(ざる) (shishizaru): lion tamarin

Related terms

• (statue): 狛(こま)犬(いぬ) (komainu)

Proper noun

獅(し)子(し) • (Shishi) 

1. the name of the lion dance 囃子 (hayashi, “musical accompaniment”) in various noh and kabuki plays
2. the first piece of music played in a 伎楽 (gigaku) performance (more commonly spelled 師子)

References

• Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN

Korean

Hanja in this term
獅	子

Noun

獅子 • (saja) (hangeul 사자)

1. hanja form^? of 사자 (“lion”)

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
獅	子

Noun

獅子

1. chữ Hán form of sư tử (“lion”).