先生

Chinese

		early; 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

Etymology

From 先 (xiān, Old Chinese *sɯːn(s), "before, ahead") and 生 (shēng, OC *shleːŋ, *sreŋs, "to be born"), i.e. "one who was born earlier". Attested in Shijing ("first child"), Yili ("elder brother"), Classic of Rites ("teacher"), Mengzi ("a knowledgeable elder").

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xiānshēng

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄢ ㄕㄥ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): sin¹ saang¹
• Gan (Wiktionary): xien¹ sen
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): sîn-sâng
• Jin (Wiktionary): xie¹ seng¹
• Min Dong (BUC): sĭng-săng
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): sian-siⁿ / sin-seⁿ / sian-seⁿ / sian-seng

  (Teochew, Peng'im): sing¹ sên¹

• Wu (Wiktionary): xi san (T1)

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese, Beijing)⁺
    • Pinyin: xiānshēng → xiānsheng (toneless final syllable variant)
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄢ ㄕㄥ → ㄒㄧㄢ ㄕㄥ˙ (toneless final syllable variant)
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shian.sheng
    • IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵/ → /ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ²/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: sin¹ saang¹
    • Yale: sīn sāang
    • Cantonese Pinyin: sin¹ saang¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: xin¹ sang¹
    • IPA ^(key): /siːn⁵⁵ sɑːŋ⁵⁵/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: xien¹ sen
    • IPA ^(key): /ɕiɛn⁴² sɛn²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: sîn-sâng
    • Hakka Romanization System: xin´ sang´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: xin¹ sang¹
    • IPA: /ɕin²⁴⁻¹¹ saŋ²⁴/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: xie¹ seng¹
    • IPA (old-style): /ɕie¹¹ sə̃ŋ¹¹/
• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: sĭng-săng
    • IPA ^(key): /siŋ⁵⁵ ^(s-)naŋ⁵⁵/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Lukang, Sanxia, Kinmen, Magong, Hsinchu)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sian-siⁿ
    • Tâi-lô: sian-sinn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: siensvy
    • IPA (Xiamen): /ɕiɛn⁴⁴⁻²² ɕĩ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /ɕiɛn³³ ɕĩ³³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /ɕiɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ ɕĩ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /ɕiɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ ɕĩ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kinmen): /ɕiɛn⁴⁴⁻²² ɕĩ⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Yilan, Taichung)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sin-seⁿ
    • Tâi-lô: sin-senn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: sinsvef
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /ɕin⁴⁴⁻²² sɛ̃⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Tainan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sian-seⁿ
    • Tâi-lô: sian-senn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: siensvef
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sian-seng
    • Tâi-lô: sian-sing
    • Phofsit Daibuun: siensefng
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /ɕiɛn⁴⁴⁻²² ɕiɪŋ⁴⁴/

Note: When following a surname, it is read in the neutral tone.

• • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: sing¹ sên¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: sing seⁿ
    • IPA ^(key): /siŋ³³⁻²³ sẽ³³/
• Wu
  • (Shanghainese)
    • Wiktionary: xi san (T1)
    • IPA ^(key): /ɕi⁵⁵ sã²¹/

Noun

先生

1. mister; sir

   王先生來了。 / 王先生来了。  ―  Wáng xiānshēng lái le.  ―  Mr. Wang came.

   王先生來矣。 / 王先生来矣。 [Min Nan]  ―  Ông--sian-seⁿ lâi--ah. [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  Mr. Ong came.

2. (formal) husband
3. (Gan, Hakka, Min, dated in Mandarin and Jin) doctor

   • 大哥說：「今天請何先生來，給你診一診。」 [MSC, trad.]

     大哥说：“今天请何先生来，给你诊一诊。” [MSC, simp.]

     From: 1918: Lu Xun, A Madman's Diary

     Dàgē shuō: “Jīntiān qǐng Hé xiānshēng lái, gěi nǐ zhěn yī zhěn.” [Pinyin]

     My elder brother said, "Today, I've invited Dr. He to come and give you a check up."

4. (Cantonese, Gan, Hakka, Min, dated in Mandarin, honorific in Jin) 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.]

     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.]

     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?"

   • 先生講，學生恬恬聽。 [Min Nan, trad.]

     先生讲，学生恬恬听。 [Min Nan, simp.]

     Sian-siⁿ kóng, ha̍k-seng tiām-tiām thiaⁿ. [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

     The teacher speaks, and the students silently listen.

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 醫生 (“doctor; physician”) [map]
Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		醫生、醫師
Mandarin	Beijing	大夫、醫生
	Taiwan	醫生、大夫
	Tianjin	大夫、醫生
	Jinan	大夫、先生 TCM
	Xi'an	大夫、先生 TCM
	Wuhan	醫生、先生 TCM
	Chengdu	醫生、老師 TCM、先生 TCM
	Yangzhou	醫生、先生 TCM、郎中 TCM
	Hefei	醫生、先生 TCM、郎中 TCM
Cantonese	Guangzhou	醫生、先生 TCM
	Hong Kong	醫生、醫師 TCM
	Taishan	醫生
	Yangjiang	醫生、先生
Gan	Nanchang	醫師、郎中
Hakka	Meixian	醫生、先生
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	先生、醫生、醫師
	Liudui (S. Sixian)	先生、醫生、醫師
	Hsinchu (Hailu)	先生、醫生、醫師
	Dongshi (Dabu)	先生、醫生、醫師
	Zhuolan (Raoping)	先生、醫生、醫師
	Yunlin (Zhao'an)	先生、醫生
Jin	Taiyuan	大夫、先生 TCM
Min Bei	Jian'ou	醫生、先生 TCM
Min Dong	Fuzhou	醫生、先生 TCM
Min Nan	Xiamen	醫生、先生
	Quanzhou	醫生、先生
	Zhangzhou	醫生、先生
	Taipei	醫生、先生
	Kaohsiung	醫生、先生
	Tainan	醫生、先生
	Taichung	醫生、先生
	Hsinchu	醫生、先生
	Lukang	醫生、先生
	Sanxia	醫生、先生
	Yilan	醫生、先生
	Kinmen	先生
	Magong	醫生、先生
	Penang	醫生、老君
	Singapore	醫生、老君
	Philippines (Manila)	醫生
	Chaozhou	醫生、先生 TCM
Wu	Shanghai	醫生、郎中 TCM
	Suzhou	醫生、郎中、先生 TCM
	Wenzhou	醫生、先生 TCM
Xiang	Changsha	醫生、醫師 TCM、郎中 TCM、先生 TCM
	Shuangfeng	醫師、郎中 TCM
Note	TCM: doctor practising traditional Chinese medicine

Dialectal synonyms of 老師 (“teacher”) [map]
Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		師
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		教師
Mandarin	Beijing	老師
	Taiwan	老師
	Jinan	老師、先生
	Xi'an	老師、先生
	Wuhan	老師、教師
	Chengdu	老師、先生
	Yangzhou	教師、先生、老師
	Hefei	教師、老師、先生
Cantonese	Guangzhou	老師、先生
	Hong Kong	老師、先生、阿Sir male、搣匙 female
	Taishan	老師、先生
	Yangjiang	老師、先生
Gan	Nanchang	老師、先生
Hakka	Meixian	老師、先生
Jin	Taiyuan	老師、先生
Min Bei	Jian'ou	老師、先生
Min Dong	Fuzhou	先生、老師
Min Nan	Xiamen	先生、老師
	Quanzhou	先生、老師
	Zhangzhou	先生、老師
	Taipei	先生、老師
	Kaohsiung	先生、老師
	Tainan	先生、老師
	Taichung	先生、老師
	Hsinchu	先生
	Lukang	先生、老師
	Sanxia	先生、老師
	Yilan	先生、老師
	Kinmen	先生
	Magong	先生
	Penang	先生、老師
Wu	Shanghai	老師、教師、教書先生
	Suzhou	教師、教書先生
	Wenzhou	教師、教書先生、先生
Xiang	Changsha	老師、教書先生
	Shuangfeng	老師、教書先生

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (先生):

• Japanese: 先生 (せんせい) (sensei)
• Korean: 선생 (先生, seonsaeng)
• Vietnamese: tiên sinh (先生)

See also

• 太太 (tàitai)
• (Mr.): 氏 (shì)

References

• (Min Nan) “Entry #2069”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan] (in Chinese and Min Nan), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2011.

---

Japanese

Kanji in this term
先	生
せん Grade: 1	せい Grade: 1
on'yomi

Etymology

From Middle Chinese compound 先生 (sen sræng, literally “first + to be born”).

Pronunciation

• On’yomi: Kan’on
• (Tokyo) せんせ​い [sèńséꜜè] (Nakadaka - [3])
• IPA^(key): [sẽ̞ɰ̃se̞ː]

Noun

先生 (hiragana せんせい, rōmaji sensei)

1. one who was born earlier: an elder
2. one who excels at a subject: a scholar
3. one who teaches: a teacher or professor
4. sensei (Japanese martial arts teacher)
5. sir, a polite form of address to teachers, doctors, etc.

Usage notes

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.

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 大先生 (だいせんせい) (daisensei): great teacher, high authority

Suffix

先生 (hiragana せんせい, rōmaji -sensei)

1. a title used after the name of teachers, doctors, lawyers, or certain other professionals

See also

• 師匠 (ししょう) (shishō): a master, a teacher
• 医師 (いし) (ishi): a medical doctor
• 教師 (きょうし) (kyōshi): a teacher
• 教授 (きょうじゅ) (kyōju): a professor
• 弁護士 (べんごし) (bengoshi): an attorney, a lawyer

References

• 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, ISBN 4095102535.

---

Korean

Hanja in this term
先	生

Noun

先生 • (seonsaeng) (hangeul 선생)

1. Hanja form^? of 선생, “teacher”.

---

Vietnamese

Hán tự in this word
先	生

Noun

先生

1. Hán tự form of tiên sinh, “teacher”