Writing
先生 (xiānsheng) — how to say "mr." in Chinese
先生
Mr., sir
noun
Character composition
先
first; before
生
to be born; life
Radicals / Keys
生
Life
#100 · shēng · 5 strokes
儿
Son, legs
#10 · ér · 2 strokes
Collocations
先生们
xiānshengmen
gentlemen
Examples
王先生是我的老师，他很好。
Mr. Wang is my teacher, he is very good.
王先生
Mr. Wang.
Mnemonic
[xiānsheng-] Santa Claus is at a workshop, where elves are first (先) creating new life (生) by bringing toys to life. Suddenly, Santa notices the Chinese name for Mr., 先生, engraved on a toy train. With a jolly laugh, Santa exclaims, "Ho ho ho, Mr. 先生, you're part of the magic!" 🎅🎁
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "mr." in Chinese?
"mr." in Chinese is 先生 (xiānsheng).
What does 先生 mean in Chinese?
先生 (xiānsheng) means "Mr., sir".
How is 先生 pronounced?
It is pronounced xiānsheng (written as xiansheng). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How to write mr in Chinese?
It is written 先生: 先 has 6 strokes, 生 has 5 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order of each character and lets you trace it.
What HSK level is 先生?
先生 belongs to the HSK 1 vocabulary list.
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