拜师 (bài shī) — to formally become a pupil or apprentice under a master (often with a ritual)

Definition

拜师 is the formal, ritual-bound act of becoming someone's apprentice — usually in traditional arts like martial arts, medicine, or music. Pairs with the verb object 师 (拜……为师) and signals a lifelong teacher-disciple bond.

verb
to formally become a pupil or apprentice under a master (often with a ritual)

Examples

  • 拜师。
    Tā jué dìng bài shī xué xí wǔ shù.
    He decided to formally become a pupil under a master to learn martial arts.
  • 。
    Wǒ xiǎo shí hou bài guò yí wèi lǎo xiān sheng wèi shī.
    When I was young, I formally became an apprentice to an old gentleman.
  • 拜师，，。
    bài shī Zhī hòu, yào zūn zhòng shī fu, qín fèn xué xí.
    After formally becoming an apprentice, you must respect your master and study diligently.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

拜bàipay respects
师shīmaster

拜 means pay respects, 师 means master, and the action is directed toward taking someone as a teacher.

Characters in this word

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

拜 combines 扌 (hand, written fully as 手) with 𠦪 (herbs), showing a hand holding herbs as a gift.

Open 拜 →

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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