先生
xiānsheng
In Chinese, 先生 (xiānsheng) is the way to say "mister".
先生 is the most common and widely used term for "Mister" in Chinese. It can be used as a title paired with a surname, or as a standalone noun to mean "gentleman" or "sir" in formal contexts. Additionally, in certain older or more formal speech, 先生 can be used to refer to one's husband.
Meaning: title of adult male (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of the characters 先 (first) and 生 (birth/life/person), which literally mean "the first person" or "born first" to serve as a respectful way to address a gentleman.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using 先生 as a title for a specific person, place the surname before the title, such as 王先生 (Mr. Wang).
How do you pronounce it?
xiānsheng
Did you know?
- The phrase is deeply rooted in the 詩經, or 'Book of Odes', which is one of the oldest existing collections of Chinese poetry.
- In modern business, if you use 先生 for a man who is actually much younger than you, it might come across as overly stiff or even slightly sarcastic due to its formal weight.
- In certain classical contexts, 先生 was used to address philosophers or scholars, making the word a synonym for 'great teacher' rather than just a way to address a stranger.
Examples in context
- 為什麼有意大利小姐卻沒有意大利先生？Why is there a Miss Italy but no Mister Italy?This sentence is useful for illustrating the use of 先生 in the context of a title.Tatoeba #834536 by Martha, translation #516615 by kebukebu
- 张先生Mr. Zhang
- 王先生在辦公室。Wáng xiān sheng zài bàn gōng shì.Mr. Wang is in the office.
- 這位先生是誰？Zhè wèi xiān sheng shì shuí?Who is this gentleman?
Example conversation
A woman asks a man about a client at a business event.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen俊杰，請問這位先生是？Jùn jié, qǐng wèn zhè wèi xiān sheng shì?Junjie, may I ask who this gentleman is?
- 俊杰 Junjie他是我們的客戶，李先生。Tā shì wǒ men de kè hù, Lǐ xiān sheng.He is our client, Mr. Li.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen原來是李先生啊。Yuán lái shì Lǐ xiān sheng a.Oh, so it is Mr. Li.
- 俊杰 Junjie妳快去跟他打個招呼吧。Nǐ kuài qù gēn tā dǎ gè zhāo hū ba.Go and say hello to him quickly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mister” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 先生, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
