sensei

See also: -sensei

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 先生(せんせい) (sensei, “teacher; elder”), from Middle Chinese 先生 (MC sen sraeng, “master, elder”), from 先 (MC sen, “earlier, first”) + 生 (MC sraeng, “born”). Compare modern Mandarin 先生 (xiānshēng, “Mr.”). Doublet of sinseh, from Hokkien 先生 (sin-seⁿ).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɛnseɪ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛnseɪ

Noun

sensei (plural sensei or senseis)

1. A martial arts instructor; especially one for a Japanese martial art.

   Synonyms: sifu, shifu

2. A Japanese (language) teacher (sometimes used as a suffix attached to the name of a teacher, principally in translations from Japanese).
3. A teacher, guide or mentor, in the context of Japan.

Related terms

• sinseh

Translations

martial arts instructor

• Arabic: مُدَرِّب (ar) m (mudarrib)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 師傅 / 师傅 (si¹ fu⁶, si¹ fu²)

  Hokkien: 師傅 / 师傅 (zh-min-nan) (sai-hū)

  Mandarin: 師傅 / 师傅 (zh) (shīfu, shīfù)

• Finnish: mestari (fi)
• French: sensei (fr) m
• Galician: sensei
• German: Sensei m
• Greek: σενσέι (el) m (senséi)
• Indonesian: sensei
• Japanese: 先生 (ja) (せんせい, sensei)
• Korean: 선생(先生) (ko) (seonsaeng), 선생님 (ko) (seonsaengnim) (honorific)
• Persian: سنسی (sensey)
• Portuguese: sensei (pt) m
• Russian: сэнсэ́й (ru) m (sɛnsɛ́j), ма́стер (ru) m (máster), сенсе́й (ru) m (senséj)
• Spanish: sensei (es) m, senséi m (proper use of accent marks)

Japanese language teacher

• French: sensei (fr) m
• German: Sensei m
• Indonesian: sensei
• Japanese: 先生 (ja) (せんせい, sensei)
• Persian: سنسی (sensey)
• Portuguese: sensei (pt) m
• Russian: сэнсэ́й (ru) m (sɛnsɛ́j)

teacher in the context of Japan

• Japanese: 先生 (ja) (せんせい, sensei)
• Korean: 센세이 (sensei)

Anagrams

• Essien, Neises, Neisse, Nessie, Nieses, Sinese, in esse, insees, sees in, seines

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 先生 (sensei).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sɛn.sej/

Noun

sensei m (plural senseis)

1. sensei (martial arts instructor)

Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 先生(せんせい) (sensei, “teacher; elder”), from Middle Chinese 先生 (sen-ʂænɡ, “master, elder”), from 先 (“earlier, first”) + 生 (“born”). Compare Min Nan 先生 (sin-seⁿ, “doctor, physician, teacher”). Doublet of sinse.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sen.sei/
• Hyphenation: sén‧séi

Noun

sensei (plural sensei)

1. a martial arts instructor
2. a Japanese (language) teacher
3. a suffix attached to the name of a teacher (principally in translations from Japanese)

   Yamada-sensei

Related terms

• sinse

Further reading

• “sensei” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Japanese

Romanization

sensei

1. Rōmaji transcription of せんせい

Palauan

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 先生 (sensei).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sɛnsɛi/

Noun

sensei

1. teacher

References

• sensei in Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary, at tekinged.com.
• sensei in Palauan-English Dictionary, at trussel2.com.
• sensei in Lewis S. Josephs, Edwin G. McManus, Masa-aki Emesiochel (1977) Palauan-English Dictionary, University Press of Hawaii, →ISBN, page 305.

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 先生 (sensei).

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /sẽˈsej/ [sẽˈseɪ̯]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /sẽˈsɐj/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /sẽˈsɐj/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /sẽˈsej/
  • (Central Portugal) IPA^(key): /sẽˈsej/
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /sẽˈse/

• Hyphenation: sen‧sei

Noun

sensei m or f by sense (plural senseis)

1. sensei (martial arts instructor)
2. sensei (a Japanese teacher or master)

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 先生 (sensei).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsensei/ [ˈsẽn.sei̯]
  • Rhymes: -ensei
  • Syllabification: sen‧sei
• IPA^(key): /ˈsense/ [ˈsẽn.se]
  • Rhymes: -ense

Noun

sensei m (plural senseis)

1. sensei (martial arts instructor)