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师傅 (shī fu) — polite title for a skilled worker or professional (e.g. driver, chef, carpenter); respectful form of address for an older man

Definition

An everyday polite address for a skilled worker (driver, chef, repairperson) or any older man you don't know. 大师 is reserved for a great master in an art or field, not used casually.

noun
polite title for a skilled worker or professional (e.g. driver, chef, carpenter)respectful form of address for an older man
Measure word · 个, 位, 名
Easily confused

Examples

  • 师傅，？
    shī fu, Qǐng wèn qù huǒ chē zhàn zěn me zǒu?
    Sir, may I ask how to get to the train station?
  • ，。
    Wǒ men gōng sī yǒu wèi lǎo shī fu, jì shù tè bié hǎo.
    There's an experienced master worker at our company whose skills are especially good.
  • 师傅。
    Zhè wèi shī fu zuò de cài zhēn hǎo chī.
    This chef makes really delicious food.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

师shīteacher
傅fùmaster

'师' and '傅' both refer to a teacher or master, so together they mean a skilled master.

Characters in this word

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 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
尃
尃fū傅fù
Same sound today

傅 is built from 亻, a standing person, beside 尃, which supplies the sound fū.

Open 傅 →
Appears in
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