武士

Chinese

		martial; military	scholar; warrior; knight
simp. and trad. (武士)		武	士

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): wǔshì

  (Zhuyin): ㄨˇ ㄕˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): mou⁵ si⁶
• Min Nan (POJ): bú-sū / bú-sǐr

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wǔshì
    • Zhuyin: ㄨˇ ㄕˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wǔshìh
    • Wade–Giles: wu³-shih⁴
    • Yale: wǔ-shr̀
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: wuushyh
    • Palladius: уши (uši)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /u²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)
    • Jyutping: mou⁵ si⁶
    • Yale: móuh sih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: mou⁵ si⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: mou⁵ xi⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mou̯¹³ siː²²/
    • Homophones:

      edit edit 冇事 武士 獅虎／狮虎

• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bú-sū
    • Tâi-lô: bú-sū
    • Phofsit Daibuun: bwsu
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /bu⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ su³³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /bu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ su³³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /bu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ su²²/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bú-sǐr
    • Tâi-lô: bú-sǐr
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /bu⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ sɯ²²/

Noun

武士

1. warrior; fighter
2. soldier
3. (historical) member of a powerful military caste (in medieval Europe or Japan); samurai
4. (historical) palace guard

Synonyms

• (warrior):

edit

• 勇士 (yǒngshì)
• 武人 (wǔrén)
• 健兒／健儿 (jiàn'ér)
• 壯士／壮士 (zhuàngshì)

• 戰士／战士 (zhànshì)
• 虎賁／虎贲 (hǔbēn) (archaic)
• 鬥士／斗士 (dòushì)

• (soldier):

edit

Synonyms of 武士

• 兵人 (bīngrén) (literary)
• 兵仔 (Min Nan, Hakka)
• 兵勇 (bīngyǒng) (dated)
• 兵卒 (bīngzú) (dated)
• 兵士 (bīngshì)
• 兵跤仔 (Min Nan, dated)
• 士人 (shìrén) (archaic)
• 士兵 (shìbīng)
• 士卒 (shìzú) (archaic)
• 大兵 (dàbīng) (dated, sometimes derogatory)

• 旌旗 (jīngqí) (figurative, literary)
• 武人 (wǔrén)
• 武夫 (wǔfū) (literary)
• 甲士 (jiǎshì) (archaic)
• 兵員／兵员 (bīngyuán)
• 師徒／师徒 (shītú) (Classical Chinese)
• 戰士／战士 (zhànshì)
• 營兵／营兵 (Min Nan, dated)
• 軍人／军人 (jūnrén)
• 軍士／军士 (jūnshì)

• (samurai): 日本武士

Derived terms

• 武士刀 (wǔshìdāo)
• 武士道 (wǔshìdào)
• 白武士 (báiwǔshì)

• 圓桌武士／圆桌武士
• 鐵甲武士／铁甲武士

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Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
武	士
ぶ Grade: 5	し Grade: 5
kan’on

From 伏 (bushi), found in terms such as 山伏 (yamabushi, “mountain hermit”) and 野伏 (nobushi, “hermit; brigand”). Fushi is the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, stem or continuative form) of 伏す (fusu, “to bow down, to prostrate”). The kanji are ateji (当て字), according to Shinobu Orikuchi. However, 武士 itself is first attested in the Nara period.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ぶ​し [búꜜshì] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [bɯ̟ᵝɕi]

Noun

武(ぶ)士(し) • (bushi) 

1. a person who serves a lord or a master
   1. samurai

      武(ぶ)士(し)は食(く)わねど高(たか)楊(よう)枝(じ)

      bushi wa kuwanedo takayōji

      a samurai, even when he has not eaten, uses a toothpick like a lord

   2. warrior

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 武(ぶ)士(し)気質(かたぎ) (bushi-katagi)
• 武(ぶ)士(し)詞(ことば) (bushi-kotoba)
• 武(ぶ)士(し)団(だん) (bushidan)
• 武(ぶ)士(し)道(どう) (bushidō)
• 武(ぶ)士(し)の商(しょう)法(ほう) (bushi no shōhō)
• 古(こ)武(ぶ)士(し) (kobushi)

Proverbs

• 武(ぶ)士(し)に二(に)言(ごん)なし (bushi ni nigon nashi)
• 武(ぶ)士(し)は相(あい)身(み)互(たが)い (bushi wa aimitagai)
• 花(はな)は桜(さくら)木(ぎ)人(ひと)は武(ぶ)士(し) (hana wa sakuragi hito wa bushi)

Proper noun

武(ぶ)士(し) • (Bushi) 

1. a place name
2. a surname

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
武	士
もののふ
Grade: 5	Grade: 5
jukujikun

/mo₂no₂no₂be₁/ → */mo₂no₂no₂bu/ → */mo₂no₂no₂pu/ → /mononopu/ → /mononofu/

From Old Japanese.

From the 物部氏 (Mononobe-uji, “Mononobe clan”), by re-interpretation of the kun-reading of 部 (be) to the kanyōon reading of fu. (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

The kanji are jukujikun (熟字訓).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ものの​ふ [mònónóꜜfù] (Nakadaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [mo̞no̞no̞ɸɯ̟ᵝ]

Noun

武士(もののふ) • (mononofu) 

1. a person who serves a lord or a master
   1. samurai
   2. warrior
   • 1885, 外(と)山(やま)正(まさ)一(かず) (Toyama Masakazu) (lyrics), “抜(ばつ)刀(たう)隊(たい) (Battōtai)”:

     皇(み)國(くに)の風(かぜ)と武士(もののふ)

     mikuni no kaze to mononofu

     imperial wind and warriors

   • 1911, 加藤明勝 (lyrics), “歩兵の本領”:

     軍(ぐん)旗(き)守(まも)る武士(もののふ)

     gunki mamoru mononofu

     warriors protecting their flag

   • 1987 March 20 [Feb 20 1987], Fujiko Fujio, “超兵器ガ壱號 [Super-Weapon Guh Mk. I]”, in カンビュセスの籤(くじ) [Cambyses’s Drawing] (藤子不二雄 ＳＦ全短編; 1), volume 1 (fiction), 2nd edition, Tokyo: Chuokoronsha, →ISBN, 第一章, page 99:

     「忠(チュウ)臣(シン)ハ二(ニ)君(クン)ニ仕(ツカ)エズ」ト海(カイ)堂(ドウ)サン教(オシ)エタデショ　今(イマ)デハ日(ニッ)本(ポン)ガ私(ワタシ)ノ祖(ソ)国(コク)　不(フ)名(メイ)誉(ヨ)ナ追(ツイ)放(ホウ)ヨリ名(メイ)誉(ヨ)アル死(シ)ヲ選(エラ)ビマス　武士(モノノフ)ノ死(シ)ニザマヲ見(ミ)トドケテクダサイ

     “Chūshin wa nikun ni tsukaezu” to Kaidō-san oshieta desho Ima de wa Nippon ga watashi no sokoku Fumeiyo na tsuihō yori meiyo aru shi o erabimasu Mononofu no shinizama o mitodokete kudasai

     You taught me that “loyal servants do not serve two masters”, right? Japan is now my motherland. I would rather choose honored death over dishonored exile. Please watch me die like a samurai.

2. (historical) an official who served in the upper court in the pre-Heian period (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?)

Derived terms

• 武士(もののふ)の道(みち) (mononofu no michi)

See also

• 物(ものの)部(べ) (Mononobe)

Etymology 3

Various nanori readings.

Proper noun

Kanji in this term
武	士
たけ Grade: 5	し Grade: 5

武(たけ)士(し) • (Takeshi) 

1. a place name
2. a surname
3. a male given name (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?)

武士(たけひと) • (Takehito) 

1. a male given name (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?)

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Korean

Hanja in this term
武	士

Noun

武士 • (musa) (hangeul 무사)

1. Hanja form^? of 무사 (“warrior”).

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Vietnamese

Hán tự in this term
武	士

Noun

武士

1. chữ Hán form of võ sĩ (“combat sport contender; warrior; samurai”).

Derived terms

• 武士道 (võ sĩ đạo)