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)⁺
    • Pinyin: wǔshì
    • Zhuyin: ㄨˇ ㄕˋ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: wuushyh
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wǔshìh
    • IPA ^(key): /u˨˩˦꜕꜖꜖ ʂʐ̩˥˩/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)
    • Jyutping: mou⁵ si⁶
    • Yale: móuh sih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: mou⁵ si⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: mou⁵ xi⁶
    • IPA ^(key): /mou̯˩˧ siː˨/
    • 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): /bu˦˩꜓꜓ su˧˧/
    • IPA (Taipei): /bu˥˧꜓꜓ su˧˧/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /bu˥˧꜓꜓ su˨˨/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bú-sǐr
    • Tâi-lô: bú-sǐr
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /bu˥˥˦꜕꜓ sɯ˨˨/

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

• 健兒／健儿 (jiàn'ér)
• 勇士 (yǒngshì)
• 壯士／壮士 (zhuàngshì)
• 戰士／战士 (zhànshì)

• 武人 (wǔrén)
• 虎賁／虎贲 (hǔbēn)
• 鬥士／斗士 (dòushì)

• (soldier):

edit

Synonyms of 武士

• 兵仔 (Min Nan, Hakka)
• 兵卒 (bīngzú)
• 兵士 (bīngshì)
• 兵跤仔 (Min Nan, dated)
• 士兵 (shìbīng)
• 士卒 (shìzú) (archaic)
• 大兵 (dàbīng) (dated, sometimes derogatory)
• 師徒／师徒 (shītú) (Classical Chinese)

• 戰士／战士 (zhànshì)
• 旌旗 (jīngqí) (figuratively, literary)
• 武人 (wǔrén)
• 武夫 (wǔfū) (literary)
• 營兵／营兵 (Min Nan, dated)
• 甲士 (jiǎshì) (archaic)
• 軍人／军人 (jūnrén)
• 軍士／军士 (jūnshì)

Derived terms

• 圓桌武士／圆桌武士
• 武士刀 (wǔshìdāo)

• 武士道 (wǔshìdào)
• 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: 4
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

• On’yomi: Kan’on
  • (Tokyo) ぶ​し [búꜜshì] (Atamadaka – [1])
  • IPA^(key): [bɯ̟ᵝɕi]

Noun

武士 (hiragana ぶし, rōmaji bushi)

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

      武 (ぶ)士 (し)は食 (く)わねど高楊 (たかよう)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)
• 武士団 (ぶしだん) (bushidan)
• 武士道 (ぶしどう) (bushidō)
• 武士 (ぶし)の商法 (しょうほう) (bushi no shōhō)
• 古 (こ)武 (ぶ)士 (し) (kobushi)

Proverbs

• 武士 (ぶし)に二言 (にごん)なし (bushi ni nigon nashi)
• 武士 (ぶし)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

武士 (hiragana ぶし, rōmaji Bushi)

1. a place name
2. a surname​.

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
武	士
Grade: 5	Grade: 4
Irregular

/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

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

Noun

武士 (hiragana もののふ, rōmaji mononofu)

1. a person who serves a lord or a master
   1. samurai
   2. warrior
   • 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:

     「忠臣ニハ二君仕エズ」ト海堂サン教エタデショ　今デハ日本ガ私ノ祖国　不名誉ナ追放ヨリ名誉アル死ヲ選ビマス　武士モノノフノ死ニザマヲ見トドケテクダサイ

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

     Kaidō-san taught me that “royal 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: 4

武士 (hiragana たけし, rōmaji Takeshi)

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

武士 (hiragana たけひと, rōmaji 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. Hán tự form of võ sĩ (“combat sport contender; warrior; samurai”).

Derived terms

• 武士道 (võ sĩ đạo)