先生
Mr.; sir; husband
xiānsheng
What does 先生 mean?
先生 (xiānsheng) is the polite Chinese term for an adult man, equivalent to English 'Mr.' or 'sir.' It appears in three main contexts: (1) Address — calling out to a stranger: 先生，请问… ('Sir, may I ask…'); (2) Title with a surname — 王先生 (Mr. Wang); (3) Husband — 我先生 ('my husband'), a polite way for women to refer to their spouse. Literally 'first born' / 'one born earlier,' the term originally meant 'teacher / scholar' and still carries respectful undertones.
The second syllable is neutral tone (xiānsheng, not xiānshēng). It pairs with 太太 (tàitai, 'Mrs.' / 'wife') and 女士 (nǚshì, 'Ms.' / 'lady') in formal settings.
Note: 先生 is polite and slightly formal — used to address adult men you don't know, or to refer to one's own husband. With younger men or close acquaintances, native speakers usually use a name + 哥 (gē) or just the given name instead.
Character breakdown
first; earlier; before
born; to be born; life
Memory hook: Literally 'first born' — originally a respectful term for an elder or teacher, now broadened to any adult man.
Measure word for 先生
Example sentences
王先生是我的老师。
Wáng xiānsheng shì wǒ de lǎoshī.
Mr. Wang is my teacher.
neutral
先生，请问洗手间在哪儿？
Xiānsheng, qǐng wèn xǐshǒujiān zài nǎr?
Sir, may I ask where the bathroom is?
polite
我先生是中国人。
Wǒ xiānsheng shì zhōngguó rén.
My husband is Chinese.
neutral
这位先生想喝水。
Zhè wèi xiānsheng xiǎng hē shuǐ.
This gentleman would like some water.
polite
Common phrases with 先生
Synonyms
When referring to a husband, 丈夫 is the neutral and most common word: 我丈夫 ('my husband'). 先生 sounds slightly more polite or formal in this use, common among older speakers and in writing.
老公 is casual / affectionate for 'husband' — what wives say at home or to friends. 先生 is the polite version you'd use in formal introductions.
Don't confuse 先生 with
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