先生 xiānsheng — Mr, sir

Meanings

1. 1

   Mr, sir

   A polite title for a man. Unlike English, it follows the surname — 王先生 is "Mr Wang" — and it can also be used alone to address a man you do not know.

   noun
2. 2

   husband

   noun

   With a possessive in front, 先生 means "husband": 她先生 is "her husband".

Character breakdown

• 生

  shēng (first tone, high and level)

  to be born; to grow; to give birth to; life; raw, uncooked; unfamiliar, strange

  5 strokesRadical 生

Example sentences

• 先生，请问医院在哪儿？/先生，請問醫院在哪兒？Xiānsheng, (first tone, high and level) qǐngwèn (third tone, dipping) yīyuàn (first tone, high and level) zài (fourth tone, falling) nǎr? (third tone, dipping)···

  Excuse me, sir — where is the hospital?

• 她先生是中国人。/她先生是中國人。Tā (first tone, high and level) xiānsheng (first tone, high and level) shì (fourth tone, falling) Zhōngguó (first tone, high and level) rén. (second tone, rising)···

  Her husband is Chinese.

Similar words

Words containing 生

• 学生/學生xuésheng (second tone, rising)student, pupil
• 发生/發生fāshēng (first tone, high and level)to happen, to occur
• 医生/醫生yīshēng (first tone, high and level)doctor, physician
• 生日shēngrì (first tone, high and level)birthday
• 生气/生氣shēngqì (first tone, high and level)to get angry, to be cross
• 生病shēngbìng (first tone, high and level)to fall ill, to be sick