sin1 saang1先生

Jyutpingsin1 saang1

Yalesīn sāang

名詞Very common

Definition

Mister; sir; a polite form of address for a man.

colloquialpeoplefamily

How it's used

Beyond the standard title for a man, this term is frequently used as a respectful way to address a male stranger in public, similar to how one might use 'sir' in English. It is also the standard word for 'husband' in many contexts, though it carries a slightly more formal or traditional tone compared to using 老公.

Measure word

go3個go

Examples

ceng2請man6問can4陳sin1先saang1生喺hai2唔m4喺hai2度dou6呀？

Excuse me, is Mr. Chan here?

go2嗰wai6位sin1先saang1生hou2好ci5似soeng2想wan2搵nei5你wo5喎。

That gentleman seems to be looking for you.

Common phrases

can4陳sin1先saang1生

Mr. Chan

lei2李sin1先saang1生

Mr. Lee

Common mistake

Avoid using this term to address a male teacher, as the specific term for a teacher is 老師 regardless of gender. Using 先生 to refer to a teacher can cause confusion as it primarily denotes a gentleman or a husband.