宗师 (zōng shī) — great master (of an art or discipline), grandmaster

Definition

宗师 (zōngshī) is the highest honorific for a founding or leading figure in an art, martial art, or scholarly discipline — stronger than 师傅 and grander than 大师.

noun
great master (of an art or discipline)grandmaster
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 宗师。
    Zhè wèi wǔ shù zōng shī jiāo chū le hěn duō yōu xiù de xué shēng.
    This martial arts grandmaster has trained many outstanding students.
  • 宗师，。
    Tā bèi yù wéi yí dài zōng shī, yǐng xiǎng le zhěng gè huà tán.
    He is hailed as a great master of his generation, influencing the entire art world.
  • 宗师。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō miáo xiě le yí wèi shū fǎ zōng shī de chuán qí rén shēng.
    This novel depicts the legendary life of a calligraphy grandmaster.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

宗zōngschool or lineage
师shīmaster

宗 points to a school or lineage, and 师 is a master, together a grandmaster.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 宀宀miánhouse
  • 示示shìspirit tablet

宗 pairs 宀, a house, with 示, a spirit tablet, to show an ancestral shrine or temple.

Open 宗 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 師; 师 is its simplified writing.

  • 𠂤𠂤𠂤
  • 帀帀zā

The traditional form 師 combines 𠂤 and 帀; the simplified 师 is not the form explained here.

Open 师 →

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