Shifu (salutation)

Chifu is a redirect to this article. For the Romanian journalist see Iulian Chifu .

This article covers respectful Chinese salutation for teachers and masters in general, especially in Chinese martial arts. For the Chinese anarchist, see Liu Shifu .

The term " Shifu " ( Chinese  師傅  /  师傅 , also 師父  /  师父 Pinyin Shīfù Jyutping Si ¹ fu ² Cantonese Si Fu ) is generally used in the Chinese language as a respectful form of address for a master or teacher who is a person (e.g. a student the calligraphy or an apprentice in the craft ) a specific skill transmitted. In the Chinese martial arts ( Wushu ) or in teaching professions , it shows the special respect for the teacher (traditionally “master”) as a “fatherly teacher” ( 師父  /  师父  - “literally teacher-father”). In Chinese , the term is also used in the spiritual and religious context by laypeople (students) in relation to monks and nuns in Buddhism , Daoism or Confucianism . In the appropriate background, the term “Shifu” in German can occasionally be translated as “Reverend” (see term, salutation dàshī ¹ 大師  /  大师  - “Grand Master, great“ Buddhist ”master, venerable monk, Reverend”).

The two Chinese spellings of Shīfù are linguistically generally interchangeable and ultimately have the same meaning. Sometimes the term Shifu is used slightly differently in everyday life in Mandarin or Cantonese . The actual difference is marginal. The spelling of Shīfù ( 師傅  /  师傅 ) literally means "teacher-master" and is mostly used as a respectful form of address for every (older) adult with special manual skills, such as a cook or taxi driver . Shīfù as a term and salutation is mainly used for traditional crafts. While in academic professions the salutation or the term Laoshi ( 老師  /  老师 , lǎoshī  - "teacher", Cantonese 先生 , xiānsheng , Jyutping sin ¹ saang ¹ ) is common.

Contextual terms and salutation (selection)

• Shīzǔ ( 師祖  /  师祖 , Jyutping Si ¹ zou ² ) - professional forefathers of a master teacher or a teaching profession, hence literally “master ancestors”, “teaching forefathers”.
• Shīgōng ( 師 公  /  师 公 , Jyutping Si ¹ gung ¹ ) - teacher of one's own master or teacher of one's own teacher, therefore literally older "master-respect person", older "teaching-respect person".
• Shībó ( 師伯  /  师伯 , Jyutping Si ¹ baak ³  - "literally senior teaching brother of the master") - technically "older teaching brother" ^{2 of} the master, therefore literally older "master uncle", old "teaching uncle".
• Shīshū ( 師叔  /  师叔 , Jyutping Si ¹ suk ¹  - “literally junior teaching brother of the master”) - technically “younger teaching brother” ^{3 of} the master, hence literally younger “master uncle”, young “teaching uncle”.
• Shīmǔ ( 師母  /  师母 , Jyutping Si ¹ mou ² , more rarely 師娘  /  师娘 , shīniáng , Jyutping Si ¹ noeng ⁴ ) - wife of the master or teacher, hence literally “master mother”, “teaching mother”.
• Shīxiōng ( 師兄  /  师兄 , Jyutping Si ¹ hung ¹  - "literally senior apprentice brother") - technically "older" male apprentice ² , hence colloquially also called "big apprentice brother".
• Shīdì ( 師弟  /  师弟 , Jyutping Si ¹ dai ^{6 * 2}  - "literally junior apprentice brother") - technically "younger" male apprentice ³ , hence also called "little apprentice brother".
• Shījiě ( 師姐  /  师姐 , Jyutping Si ¹ ze ²  - “literally senior apprentice sister” ) - technically “older” female apprentice ² , hence also called “big apprentice sister”.
• Shīmèi ( 師妹  /  师妹 , Jyutping Si ¹ mui ^{6 * 2}  - "literally junior apprentice sister" ) - technically "younger" female apprentice ³ , hence also called "little apprentice sister".

Source: John Kang - translation into German by Christian Wiethe

annotation

¹ The term or salutation “dàshī” in the spiritual and religious context is related to the term shīfù . The term denotes a great “Buddhist”, “Daoist” or “Confucian” master, a venerable monk (nun, priest, priestess) or a person of great spiritual learning or ability.

² A “professionally older person” is a person who belongs to the older “training year”. The true biological age of the person does not play a role in the terminology.

³ A “professionally younger person” is a person who belongs to the younger “apprenticeship year”. The true biological age of the person does not play a role in the terminology.

Trivia

Depending on the context, the Japanese equivalent for “Shifu” is “Shisho” (Japanese. 師 匠 ). or “ Sensei ” (Japanese 先生 ) In Indian , the term “ guru ” usually stands for a spiritual master or teacher. In Tibetan , the term lama is closest to the Chinese dàshī ¹ or the Indian guru .

Pop Culture

In the US-American CGI animation film Kung Fu Panda , one of the animated characters is called "Master Shifu".

See also

• Family structure of the past in Wing Chun

Web links

• T.Schlaméus: What is the basis of respect for the Kung Fu master? - Origins of master worship in Chinese martial arts
• Zhenwu - 真 武: Chinese Martial Arts in Osnabrück - Sifu, Thoughts on the Chinese Martial Arts Pt1 - November 20, 2007
• Wingchun -Elsner: Questions and Answers - Sifu, Trainer, Instructor or Teacher - What is the title "Shifu" all about? - 2009 (German, English)
• John Kang: Master or Sifu in Chinese Martial Arts - Taijiquan and Qigong Article 2013 ( Memento of February 13, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
• Taijiquan -Leippert: 師 (师) 父! Shifu! - 08/09/2019

Individual evidence

1. ^ Term 師傅 / 师傅 - shīfū. In: www.zdic.net. Retrieved December 12, 2019 (Chinese, English).  
2. ^ Term "師父 / 师父 - shīfū". In: www.zdic.net. Retrieved December 12, 2019 (Chinese, English).  
3. ↑ ^{a b} John Crescione, 24 October 2007: Bai Si - Art of the Disciple ( Memento of 4 March 2016 Internet Archive ). In: www.w1ng.com, accessed December 12, 2019. (English)
4. ↑ ^{a b} Term “師 / 师 - shī”. In: www.zdic.net. Retrieved December 12, 2019 (Chinese, English).  
5. ↑ term "父- fū". In: www.zdic.net. Retrieved December 12, 2019 (Chinese, English).  
6. ↑ Term "大師 / 大师 - dàshī". In: www.zdic.net. Retrieved December 12, 2019 (Chinese, English).  
7. ↑ term "傅- fū". In: www.zdic.net. Retrieved December 12, 2019 (Chinese, English).  
8. ↑ term "老師/老师- lǎoshī". In: www.zdic.net. Retrieved December 12, 2019 (Chinese, English).  
9. ↑ term "先生- Xiansheng". In: www.zdic.net. Retrieved December 12, 2019 (Chinese, English).  
10. ^ ^{A b} John Kang (translation into German by Christian Wiethe): Master or Sifu in the Chinese Martial Arts - Taijiquan and Qigong Article ( Memento from February 13, 2013 in the Internet Archive ). In: www.wu-taichi.info, accessed March 4, 2020.
11. ↑ term "師祖/师祖- shīzǔ". In: www.zdic.net. Retrieved December 12, 2019 (Chinese, English).  
12. ↑ Term "師 公 / 师 公 - shīgōng". In: www.zdic.net. Retrieved December 12, 2019 (Chinese, English).  
13. ↑ term "師伯/师伯- Shibo". In: www.zdic.net. Retrieved December 12, 2019 (Chinese, English).  
14. ↑ term "師叔/师叔- Shishu". In: www.zdic.net. Retrieved December 12, 2019 (Chinese, English).  
15. ↑ term "師母/师母- shīmǔ". In: www.zdic.net. Retrieved December 12, 2019 (Chinese, English).  
16. ↑ term "師兄/师兄- Shixiong". In: www.zdic.net. Retrieved December 12, 2019 (Chinese, English).  
17. ↑ term "師弟/师弟- Shidi". In: www.zdic.net. Retrieved December 12, 2019 (Chinese, English).  
18. ↑ term "師姐/师姐- Shijie". In: www.zdic.net. Retrieved December 12, 2019 (Chinese, English).  
19. ↑ term "師妹/师妹- shimei". In: www.zdic.net. Retrieved December 12, 2019 (Chinese, English).  
20. ^ Term "師 匠 - shisho". In: tangorin.com. Retrieved December 12, 2019 (German, Japanese).  
21. ^ Term "師 匠 - shisho". In: Wadoku . Retrieved December 12, 2019 (German, Japanese).  
22. ^ Term "先生 - sensei". In: tangorin.com. Retrieved December 12, 2019 (German, Japanese).  
23. ^ Term "先生 - sensei". In: Wadoku . Retrieved December 12, 2019 (German, Japanese).