View source for 先生

==Chinese==
{{zh-forms|lit=one who was born earlier}}
{{zh-wp|yue:先生 (搞清楚)|zh}}

===Etymology===
{{rfe|zh}}

===Pronunciation===
{{zh-pron
|m=xiānshēng,tl=y
|m-s=xian1sen1
|dg=щян1сын1
|c=sin1 saang1
|g=xien1 sen
|h=pfs=sîn-sâng;hrs=h:sinˋ sangˋ;gd=xin1 sang1
|j=xie1 seng1
|md=sĭng-săng
|mn=xm,qz,ta,tp,kh,lk,sx,km,mg,hc,sg:sian-siⁿ/zz,yl,tc,sg,pn:sin-seⁿ/tn,sg:sian-seⁿ/zz:sian-seng/ha:sen-siⁿ/tw:siăn-sé
|mn_note=When following a surname, it is read in the neutral tone
|mn-t=sing1 sên1/sêng1 sên1
|mn-t_note=sêng1 sên1 - Jieyang
|w=sh:1shi san1
|ma=zh-xiānsheng.ogg
|ca=zh-yue-先生.opus
|mc=1,1
|oc=1,1;1+3,1
|cat=n
}}

===Noun===
{{head|zh|noun}}

# {{n-g|An honorific for adults, usually conferred on males:}} [[mister]]; [[sir]]; [[gentleman]]
#: {{zh-x|王 先生 來 了。|'''Mr.''' Wang has come.|M-TW}}
#: {{zh-x|王 %先生 來 %矣。|'''Mr.''' Ong has come.|MN}}
#: {{zh-x|^陳 先生{sheng} 被 原單位 派遣 到 連鎖 公司 工作。|'''Mr.''' Chen was sent by his former organization to work at a chain company.}}
# [[husband]]
# {{lb|zh|literal|Classical}} one who was [[born]] earlier
#* {{zh-x|誕 彌 厥 月，先生 如 達。|When she had fulfilled her months,<br>Her '''first-born son''' [came forth] like a lamb.|ref=Shijing}}
# {{lb|zh|literary}} father and elder brother
# {{lb|zh|literary}} [[ancestor]]
# {{lb|zh|literary}} Taoist priest
# {{lb|zh|Gan|Hakka|Min|dated|_|in|Mandarin|&|Jin}} [[doctor]]
#* {{zh-x|大哥 說：「^今天 請 ^何 先生 來，給 你 診 一 診。」|My elder brother said, "Today, I've invited '''Dr.''' He to come and give you a check up."|ref='''1918''', {{w|Lu Xun}}, ''[[s:Translation:Call to Arms (Lu Xun)/A Madman's Diary|A Madman's Diary]]''}}
# {{lb|zh|honorific|_|in|Mandarin|Jin|;|common|_|in|Cantonese|Gan|Hakka|Min}} [[teacher]]
#: {{zh-x|先{Sian}生{siⁿ} 講，學生 恬恬 聽。|The teacher speaks, and the students silently listen.|MN|a=Taiwanese_Kana_Example.ogg}}
#* {{zh-x|^列子 曰：「嘻，子 之 先生 死 矣，弗 活 矣。」||CL|ref=Zhuangzi}}
#* {{zh-x|他 在 學堂 的 時候，先生 問 他：「^直隸 省{Shěng} 的 西邊 是 哪 一 省{shěng}？」^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？」|When he went to school, the '''teacher''' asked him: "Which province is west of [[Hebei|Zhili]] Province?" He answered [[Shaanxi]]. The '''teacher''' said: "Wrong, it is [[Shanxi]], not Shaanxi." He said: "Would Shaanxi and Shanxi not be close enough?"|ref='''1924''', {{w|Hu Shih}}, ''[[s:zh:差不多先生傳|Life of Mr. Close Enough]]''}}
# {{lb|zh|obsolete|or|Wu}} female prostitute
# {{lb|zh|Singapore Hokkien}} [[traditional]] [[Chinese]] [[physician]]

====Usage notes====
Some females are also referred with the term {{l-self|zh|先生|tr=-}}, however, this term is reserved for older and highly respected ones only, e.g. {{w|Soong Ching-ling}}, {{w|He Xiangning}} and {{w|Yang Jiang}}. For most instances {{l|zh|女士|t=Ms.}} is used. Whether this term can be used for females is still a topic being debated among scholars.

====Synonyms====
* {{s|husband}}
{{zh-dial|丈夫}}
* {{s|Taoist priest}}
{{syn-saurus|zh|道士}}
* {{s|doctor}}
{{zh-dial|醫生}}
* {{s|teacher}}
{{zh-dial|老師}}
* {{s|female prostitute}}
{{syn-saurus|zh|妓女}}

====Derived terms====
{{col3|zh|好好先生|算命先生|先生禮|先生媽|先生娘|先生人|有狀元學生，無狀元先生|風水先生|算命先生半路亡，木匠先生無眠床|齒科先生|第一先生|楮先生|老先生|紅先生|小先生|梵行先生}}

====Descendants====
{{CJKV||せんせい|jdesc=y|선생|tiên sinh|しんしー|선싕|jje2=선셍|jje3=선승}}
''Others'':
* {{desc|bor=1|en|sinseh}} {{q|via Hokkien}}
* {{desc|bor=1|id|sinse|singse|sengsai}} {{q|via Hokkien}}
* {{desc|bor=1|km|ស៊ិនសែ}} {{q|via Teochew}}
* {{desc|bor=1|th|ซินแส|จีนแส}} {{q|via Teochew}}

====See also====
* {{zh-l|太太}}
* {{zh-l|女士}}
* {{sense|Mr.}} {{zh-l|氏}}

====References====
* {{q|Min Nan}} {{thcwd|2069}}

{{cat|cmn|Beginning Mandarin}}
{{C|zh|Family|Titles|Female|People|Prostitution}}

==Japanese==

===Etymology 1===
{{ja-kanjitab|せん|せい|yomi=kanon}}
From {{der|ja|sort=せんせい|ltc|-}} {{ltc-l|先生|lit=born earlier}}.

====Pronunciation====
{{ja-pron|せんせい|acc=3|acc_ref=DJR}}

====Noun====
{{ja-noun|せんせい}}

# an [[elder]]
# a [[scholar]]
# a [[teacher]] or a [[professor]]
#* {{quote-book|ja
|title={{wj|六三四の剣|[六](ム)[三](サ)[四](シ)の[剣](けん)}}
|pages=161–162
|author=w:Motoka Murakami
|chapter={{lj|[多](た)[感](かん)な[季](と)[節](き)の[巻](まき)}}
|trans-chapter=A Season Full of Emotions
|trans-title={{w|Musashi no Ken|Musashi’s Sword}}
|genre=fiction
|edition=4th
|location=Tokyo
|publisher=Shogakukan
|date=Feb 20 1984
|origdate=Jun 15 1983
|volume=10
|isbn=4-09-120640-9}}
#*: {{ja-usex|学%校のみんなも'''先%生'''のことさ好いてる……母っちゃすきか⁉|^がっ%こう の みんな も '''^せん%せい''' の こと さ すいてる…… ^かっちゃ すき か⁉|Everybody at school likes Sensei…… Ya like him, Ma⁉}}{{ja-usex|もちろん好きよ‼ほんとにいい'''先%生'''ですもの…|^もちろん すき よ‼ ^ほんと に い.い '''せん%せい''' です もの…|Of course‼ He’s a very good teacher…}}{{ja-usex|オラもすきだあ。んでも、'''先%生'''は'''先%生'''だあ…オラの父っちゃにはなれねえ！|^オラ も すき だあ。^ん でも、'''^せん%せい''' は '''^せん%せい''' だあ… ^オラ の とっちゃ に は なれねえ！|Ah like him, too. But Sensei’s only Sensei… He could never be mah pa!}}{{ja-usex|え…⁉それ…ひょっとして、私と八%重%樫'''先%生'''が結%婚するってこと……⁉|^え…⁉ ^それ… ひょっと して、わたくし と ^や%え%がし '''^せん%せい''' が けっ%こん するって こと……⁉|What…⁉ Wait… You think I’m gonna marry Yaegashi Sensei……⁉}}
# [[sensei]] {{gloss|Japanese martial arts teacher}}
# [[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 {{m|ja|教師|tr=kyōshi||teacher|lit=teaching + teacher}} is considered more socially appropriate when referring to oneself.
* {{U:ja:infkata|センセー}}

=====Derived terms=====
* {{ja-r|大%先%生|だい%せん%せい}}: great teacher, high authority

=====Descendants=====
* {{desc|en|sensei|bor=1}}
* {{desc|fr|sensei|bor=1}}
* {{desc|nan-hbl|siăn-sé|bor=1}}
* {{desc|ko|센세이|bor=1}}
* {{desc|id|sensei|bor=1}}
* {{desc|pau|sensei|bor=1}}
* {{desc|pt|sensei|bor=1}}
* {{desc|es|sensei|bor=1}}
* {{desc|tao|sinsi|bor=1}}

====Suffix====
{{ja-pos|suffix|せんせい}}

# a title used after the name of teachers, [[doctor]]s, [[lawyer]]s, or certain other [[professional]]s

====See also====
* {{ja-r|師%匠|し%しょう}}: a [[master]], a [[teacher]]
* {{ja-r|医%師|い%し}}: a medical [[doctor]]
* {{ja-r|教%師|きょう%し}}: a teacher
* {{ja-r|教%授|きょう%じゅ}}: a professor
* {{ja-r|弁%護%士|べん%ご%し}}: an [[attorney]], a [[lawyer]]

===Etymology 2===
{{ja-kanjitab|しぇん|しぇい|yomi=irr}}

====Noun====
{{ja-noun|しぇんしぇい}}

# {{lb|ja|Hakata}} [[teacher]], [[professor]]

===References===
<references/>
:* {{R:Shogakukan}}

==Korean==
{{ko-hanjatab}}

===Noun===
{{ko-noun|hj|hangeul=선생}}

# {{hanja form of|선생|[[teacher]]}}

==Okinawan==
{{ryu-kanjitab|しん|しー|yomi=on}}

===Etymology===
From {{der|ryu|ltc|-}} {{ltc-l|先生}}. Cognate with {{cog|ja|先生|tr=sensei}}, {{cog|ko|선생}}, {{cog|jje|선싕}}.

===Noun===
{{ryu-head|noun|しんしー}}

# [[teacher]]

==Vietnamese==
{{vi-hantutab}}

===Noun===
{{vi-noun}}

# {{vi-Han form of|tiên sinh}}