sensei

See also: -sensei

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 先生せんせい(せんせい) (sensei, “teacher; elder”), from Middle Chinese 先生せんせい (MC sen sraeng, “master, elder”), from 先さき (MC sen, “earlier, first”) + 生せい (MC sraeng, “born”). Compare modern Mandarin 先生せんせい (xiānshēng, “Mr.”). Doublet of sinseh, from Hokkien 先生せんせい (sin-seⁿ).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɛnseɪ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛnseɪ

Noun

sensei (plural sensei or senseis)

1. A martial arts instructor; especially one for a Japanese martial art.

   Synonyms: sifu, shifu

2. A Japanese (language) teacher (sometimes used as a suffix attached to the name of a teacher, principally in translations from Japanese).
3. A teacher, guide or mentor, in the context of Japan.

Translations

martial arts instructor

• Arabic: مُدَرِّب (ar) m (mudarrib)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 師傅しふ／师傅 (si¹ fu⁶, si¹ fu²)

  Hokkien: 師傅しふ／师傅 (zh-min-nan) (sai-hū)

  Mandarin: 師傅しふ／师傅 (zh) (shīfu, shīfù)

• Finnish: mestari (fi)
• French: sensei (fr) m
• Galician: sensei
• German: Sensei m
• Greek: σενσέι (el) m (senséi)
• Indonesian: sensei
• Japanese: 先生せんせい (ja) (せんせい, sensei)
• Korean: 선생(先生せんせい) (ko) (seonsaeng), 선생님 (ko) (seonsaengnim) (honorific)
• Persian: سنسی (sensey)
• Portuguese: sensei (pt) m
• Russian: сэнсэ́й (ru) m (sɛnsɛ́j), ма́стер (ru) m (máster), сенсе́й (ru) m (senséj)
• Spanish: sensei (es) m, senséi m (proper use of accent marks)

Japanese language teacher

• French: sensei (fr) m
• German: Sensei m
• Indonesian: sensei
• Japanese: 先生せんせい (ja) (せんせい, sensei)
• Persian: سنسی (sensey)
• Portuguese: sensei (pt) m
• Russian: сэнсэ́й (ru) m (sɛnsɛ́j)

teacher in the context of Japan

• Japanese: 先生せんせい (ja) (せんせい, sensei)
• Korean: 센세이 (sensei)

Anagrams

• Essien, Neises, Neisse, Nessie, Nieses, Sinese, in esse, insees, sees in, seines

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 先生せんせい (sensei).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sɛn.sej/

Noun

sensei m (plural senseis)

1. sensei (martial arts instructor)

Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 先生せんせい(せんせい) (sensei, “teacher; elder”), from Middle Chinese 先生せんせい (sen-ʂænɡ, “master, elder”), from 先さき (“earlier, first”) + 生せい (“born”). Compare Min Nan 先生せんせい (sin-seⁿ, “doctor, physician, teacher”). Doublet of sinse.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sen.sei/
• Hyphenation: sén‧séi

Noun

sensei (first-person possessive senseiku, second-person possessive senseimu, third-person possessive senseinya)

1. a martial arts instructor.
2. a Japanese (language) teacher.
3. a suffix attached to the name of a teacher (principally in translations from Japanese)

   Yamada-sensei

Related terms

• sinse

Further reading

• “sensei” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Japanese

Romanization

sensei

1. Rōmaji transcription of せんせい

Palauan

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 先生せんせい (せんせい sensei).

Noun

sensei

1. teacher

References

• sensei in Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary, at tekinged.com.
• sensei in Palauan-English Dictionary, at trussel2.com.
• sensei in Lewis S. Josephs, Edwin G. McManus, Masa-aki Emesiochel (1977) Palauan-English Dictionary, University Press of Hawaii, →ISBN, page 305.

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 先生せんせい (sensei).

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /sẽˈsej/ [sẽˈseɪ̯]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /sẽˈsɐj/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /sẽˈsɐj/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /sẽˈsej/
  • (Central Portugal) IPA^(key): /sẽˈsej/
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /sẽˈse/

• Hyphenation: sen‧sei

Noun

sensei m or f by sense (plural senseis)

1. sensei (martial arts instructor)
2. sensei (a Japanese teacher or master)

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 先生せんせい (sensei).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsensei/ [ˈsẽn.sei̯]
  • Rhymes: -ensei
  • Syllabification: sen‧sei
• IPA^(key): /ˈsense/ [ˈsẽn.se]
  • Rhymes: -ense

Noun

sensei m (plural senseis)

1. sensei (martial arts instructor)