Definition
师父 (shī fu) refers to a master who personally teaches a skill, craft, or religion, emphasizing a teacher-student bond (e.g., martial arts, carpentry). It differs from 师傅 (shī fu, HSK4), a polite title for any skilled worker (driver, chef) without a teaching relationship, and from 大师 (dà shī, HSK6), which denotes a highly accomplished great master in a field.
noun
master (teacher of a skill, martial arts, or religion)(in Taiwan) variant of 师傅 (skilled worker, polite term for driver or worker)
Easily confused
- 师傅shī fusound-alikepolite title for a skilled worker or professional (e.g. driver, chef, carpenter)
Examples
- 师父。Zhè wèi shī fu jiāo le wǒ sān nián tàijíquán.This master taught me tai chi for three years.
- 师父。Sìmiào lǐ de shī fu měitiān qīngchén dōu yào sòng jīng.The master in the temple chants sutras every morning.
- 师父，。Tā bài le yí wèi mùjiang shī fu, xué le wǔ nián shǒuyì.He apprenticed with a carpenter master and learned the craft for five years.
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