Sifu
/ˈsiːfuː/noun
A Cantonese term of respect for a skilled teacher or master, especially in martial arts or traditional crafts.
Did you know?Sifu is commonly written 師父, combining “teacher/master” with “father,” reflecting a traditional relationship of apprenticeship, discipline, and filial respect.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Sinitic
Old Chinese
*s.rəʔ
“Reconstructed ancestor of 師, meaning teacher, master, or military leader”
Proto-Sinitic
Old Chinese
*paʔ
“Reconstructed ancestor of 父, meaning father”
1st Millennium BCE
Classical Chinese
師父
“Teacher-father; a respectful title for a master or spiritual or practical instructor”
Medieval Chinese
Middle Chinese
śi b́ɨ́o
“Teacher-father, continuing the respectful master–disciple sense”
19th–20th Century
Cantonese
sīfu / sifu
“Master or teacher, especially in traditional trades and martial arts”
Modern English
English
sifu
“A Cantonese loanword for a respected teacher or martial-arts master”