tiên sinh
Vietnamese
editEtymology
editSino-Vietnamese word from 先生, composed of 先 (“fore-”) and 生 (“born”).
Pronunciation
edit- (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [tiən˧˧ sïŋ˧˧]
- (Huế) IPA(key): [tiəŋ˧˧ ʂɨn˧˧] ~ [tiəŋ˧˧ sɨn˧˧]
- (Saigon) IPA(key): [tiəŋ˧˧ ʂɨn˧˧] ~ [tiəŋ˧˧ sɨn˧˧]
Noun
edit- (Chinese fiction) you, a senior or knowledgeable person
Usage notes
edit- Currently only used in period or wuxia dramas or to refer to certain historical figures. The modern sense of the Chinese 先生 (xiānshēng, “Mr.”) is simply expressed with ông, hence "ông Dương" rather than *"Dương tiên sinh".