师傅 (shīfu) · master

师傅 (shīfu) means “master; skilled worker; driver (address)”. It is written with 2 characters: 师 (teacher) + 傅 (tutor). It is an HSK 4 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).

How 师傅 is built

The characters

师 shī · teacher

What 师 is made of

刂dāo — knife
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 亅 — hook
帀zā — to rotate
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 巾jīn — cloth
  - 冂 — frame
  - 丨 — vertical stroke

Origin hint: To skillfully wield 帀 a knife 刂 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

傅 fù · tutor

What 傅 is made of

亻rén — person
尃fū — to announce
- 甫fǔ — to begin
  - 十 — ten
  - 用yòng — to use
- 寸cùn — inch

Example sentences

师傅，去火车站多少钱？Shīfu, qù huǒchēzhàn duōshao qián?Driver, how much is it to the train station?

王师傅修理电视很有经验。Wáng shīfu xiūlǐ diànshì hěn yǒu jīngyàn.Master Wang is very experienced at repairing TVs.

Questions about 师傅

What does 师傅 mean?

师傅 (shīfu) means “master; skilled worker; driver (address)”.

How do you pronounce 师傅?

师傅 is pronounced shīfu.

Which HSK level is 师傅?

师傅 is in HSK 4 (exam 2025) and Old HSK 4.

Related words

Learn 师傅 with its group

It is part of Old HSK 4 · Group 39: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.

Open the group