Definition
先生 (xiānsheng) is a polite term for 'Mr.' or 'sir' when addressing a man, and also means 'husband' in formal or polite contexts. It is more formal than 老公 (lǎogōng, colloquial 'hubby') and less specific than 丈夫 (zhàngfu, neutral 'husband'). As a title, it is used with surnames, like 王先生.
noun
Mr.(formal) sirhusband (often used in polite or formal contexts)
Measure word · 位
Examples
- 先生，！xiān sheng, nǐ hǎo!Hello, sir!
- 先生。Wǒ de xiān sheng shì yīshēng.My husband is a doctor.
- 先生？Nà ge xiān sheng shì shéi?Who is that gentleman?
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