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

• 生活shēng (first tone, high and level) huó (second tone, rising)life
• 生shēng (first tone, high and level)to be born
• 学生/學生xuésheng (second tone, rising)student, pupil
• 产生/產生chǎnshēng (third tone, dipping)to produce, to give rise to, to arise
• 生命shēng (first tone, high and level) mìng (fourth tone, falling)life
• 发生/發生fāshēng (first tone, high and level)to happen, to occur
• 人生rén (second tone, rising) shēng (first tone, high and level)life (one's time on earth)
• 医生/醫生yīshēng (first tone, high and level)doctor, physician
• 一生yī (first tone, high and level) shēng (first tone, high and level)all one's life; throughout one's life
• 生日shēngrì (first tone, high and level)birthday
• 女生nǚ (third tone, dipping) shēng (first tone, high and level)schoolgirl
• 生气/生氣shēngqì (first tone, high and level)to get angry, to be cross
• 出生chū (first tone, high and level) shēng (first tone, high and level)to be born
• 生物shēng (first tone, high and level) wù (fourth tone, falling)organism
• 生产/生產shēng (first tone, high and level) chǎn (third tone, dipping)childbirth
• 生病shēngbìng (first tone, high and level)to fall ill, to be sick
• 生存shēng (first tone, high and level) cún (second tone, rising)to exist