sensei

/ˈsɛnseɪ/

sensei

English Noun Top 7,293

American (Lessac) (medium)

Female 0.7s

American (Amy) (medium)

Female 0.9s

American (Ryan) (medium)

Male 0.7s

Definition

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

Etymology

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