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先生

xiān sheng

HSK 1 · word 395 of 3,000

Meaning

• teacher
• gentleman; sir; mister (Mr.)
• husband

Measure word

位 wèi

Example sentence

Characters in 先生

• 先 xiān beforehand; first; earlier
• 生 shēng to grow; to give birth; to produce; to be born

先 first plus 生 born. Literally born earlier, hence an elder and then a respectful title — used for Mr and, in older usage, a teacher.

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