Shih-Fu
/ˈʃiː.fuː/noun
A Chinese martial-arts teacher or respected master, especially in English-language usage influenced by Cantonese or older romanization systems.
Did you know?Chinese 師傅 can address not only martial-arts teachers but also skilled craftspeople, mechanics, and other experts, making it a broader respect title than “master.”
Etymological Timeline
Classical Chinese
Chinese
師傅
“A teacher, tutor, or skilled master; literally a paired honorific for someone who instructs or possesses expertise.”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
sje pjuH
“Reconstructed pronunciation of 師傅, retaining the sense of teacher, instructor, or master.”
19th–20th Century
Cantonese
si1 fu6
“A respectful form of address for a teacher, craftsperson, or martial-arts instructor.”
20th Century
Wade–Giles English
shih-fu
“An English transliteration used for the Chinese title, particularly in writing about kung fu and Chinese martial arts.”
Modern English
English
shih-fu
“A martial-arts teacher or master; the spelling is now less common than sifu or shifu.”