绅士
shenshi
The English word 'gentleman' is translated into Chinese as 绅士 (shenshi).
绅士 is a noun used to describe a man who is well-bred, well-mannered or charming.
Meaning: well-bred, well-mannered, or charming man (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
shenshi
Did you know?
- In modern internet slang, calling someone a 绅士 can sometimes be a playful or ironic way to refer to someone who is a 'closet pervert' or has 'dirty thoughts'. It is often used in the phrase 绅士的行为 (gentlemanly behavior) to mock someone's hidden, slightly inappropriate interests.
- While 绅士 is the standard translation, if you want to describe a man with a high level of moral character or 'nobility of spirit' in a more classical sense, you might use the word 君子 (junzi).
- The word 绅士 is composed of two characters that originally referred to the landed gentry and local scholars of imperial China. While it now means 'gentleman', it carries a historical weight of social status and education.
Examples in context
- 我只知道那个绅士的名字。I know that gentleman only by name.This sentence is useful for stating that you only know the name of the 绅士.Tatoeba #5085546 by Jubilee11, translation #5085493 by Airvian
- 他衣着像个绅士，言行举止却像个小丑。His dress is that of a gentleman, but his speech and behavior are those of a clown.This sentence is useful for contrasting a man's gentlemanly appearance with his clownish behavior.Tatoeba #10695939 by GlossaMatik, translation #286863 by CM
- 他看上去是个十足的绅士。He looks every inch a gentleman.This sentence is useful for describing someone who appears to be a complete 绅士.Tatoeba #334980 by fucongcong, translation #292010 by CH
- 李先生，请问您的名字是什么?Mr. Li, may I ask for your name?
- 张先生，你觉得这个想法如何?Mr. Zhang, what do you think about this idea?
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Haoran and Yuting are talking about a man they just met.
- 浩然 Haoran你觉得刚才那位先生怎么样？Nǐ juéde gāngcái nà wèi xiānshēng zěnmeyàng?What did you think of that gentleman just now?
- 雨婷 Yuting他真是个真正的绅士。Tā zhēnshì gè zhēnzhèng de shēnshì.He is truly a real gentleman.
- 浩然 Haoran没错，他很有礼貌。Méicuò, tā hěn yǒu lǐmào.Exactly, he is very polite.
- 雨婷 Yuting现在的年轻人很少这么绅士了。Xiànzài de niánqīngrén hěn shǎo zhème shēnshì le.Few young people are such gentlemen nowadays.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
