What does “shishou” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “shishou” to mean ‘master’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese movies, video games, novels, manga, anime, and the like. In this blog post, however, I will explain it in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to understand “shishou” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meanings of “shishou”
Let me start with the definition and meanings of “shishou”.
- shishou – 師匠 (ししょう) : a noun meaning ‘master’ or ‘mentor’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
Normally this noun refers to masters, those who play important roles and have significant impacts on their pupils even outside the classroom. So, this noun covers a wider range than the others just meaning ‘teacher’ in Japanese.
The definition and meanings are not that difficult, I think. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.
Shishou in kanji
The kanji expression of “shishou” consists of the following two kanji characters:
- 師 : a kanji character used to mean ‘master’, ‘mentor’, or just ‘teacher’ in Japanese. This can also be found in other words like “kyoushi“.
- 匠 : a kanji character used to mean ‘artisan’, ‘craftsman’, or such in Japanese.
These two kanji characters tell us that “shishou” literally means ‘master and artisan’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meanings, but still very close, I think.
When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about the meanings of the expressions they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “shishou” through the detailed kanji check above.
So far, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “shishou” together with its kanji characters. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “master” in Japanese
kanojo wa watashi no shishou desu – 彼女は私の師匠です (かのじょはわたしのししょうです)
She is my master.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “kanojo” to make the subject in the sentence.
- watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
- no – の : a case particle used after a noun or pronoun to make its possessive case. In the example, this is used after “watashi” to make its possessive case, “watashi no“, which means ‘my’ in Japanese.
- desu – です : an auxiliary verb used after a noun or adjective to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese desu form. In the example, this is used after “watashi no shishou” to make it sound polite.
This is a typical usage of “shishou”. In this example, it works together with “watashi no” to say “my master” in Japanese.
Example #2: another usage of “shishou”
boku no shishou wa totemo tsuyoi – 僕の師匠はとても強い (ぼくのししょうはとてもつよい)
My master is very strong.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males.
- totemo – とても : an adverb of degree meaning ‘very’, ‘much’, ‘so’, or such in Japanese. In the example, this works in front of “tsuyoi” to emphasize its meaning.
- tsuyoi – 強い (つよい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘strong’ in Japanese.
This is another typical usage of “shishou”. In this example, it works together with “boku no” to say “my master” in Japanese. When we want to say “master” in Japanese, anyway, this noun is a very good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “shishou” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- shishou – 師匠 (ししょう) : a noun meaning ‘master’ or ‘mentor’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Normally this noun refers to masters, those who play important roles and have significant impacts on their pupils even outside the classroom. So, this noun covers a wider range than the others just meaning ‘teacher’ in Japanese. These two kanji characters literally mean ‘master and artisan’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meanings, but still very close, I think.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
