Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sifu

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.04 in modern English

Syllables
si-fu
IPA
7
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A master or teacher in the context of martial arts, especially kung fu and tai chi.

noun

A spiritual father in esoteric contexts.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Cantonese 師傅／师傅 (si1 fu6-2, “master”) and 師父／师父 (si1 fu6-2, “my master”), both also conveying the sense of teacher.

Inflected Forms

sifus (plural) shifu (alternative)

Synonyms

sensei guru

Questions

What does sifu mean?
A master or teacher in the context of martial arts, especially kung fu and tai chi.
Where does sifu come from?
From Cantonese 師傅／师傅 (si1 fu6-2, “master”) and 師父／师父 (si1 fu6-2, “my master”), both also conveying the sense of teacher.

How to pronounce sifu

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “sifu”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “sifu”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “sifu” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.