Etymology Explorer › Japanese

Where does “先生” come from?

先生 (Japanese) comes from Middle Chinese 先生, from Middle Chinese 生 — born.

先生 (Japanese): an elder; a scholar; a teacher or a professor

Definitions

  1. an elder; a scholar; a teacher or a professor

Ancestry of “先生”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Chinese先生master, elder
2Middle Chinese生born

Words derived from “先生”

  • sensei
  • sensei
  • sensei
  • sense
  • sensei
  • sensey
Every word from Middle Chinese 生 →