King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Japanese symbol for “teacher”

Romaji: sensei
teacher; instructor; master

In Japanese, teacher is , read (sensei).

Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.

Meanings

  1. n teacher; instructor; master
  2. n, n-suf sensei; title or form of address for a teacher, master, doctor, lawyer, etc.
  3. n intimate or teasing form of address
  4. n one's elder

Kanji and stroke order

before, ahead, previous
on: セン
kun: さき、ま.ず
6 strokes · JLPT 4
life, genuine, birth
on: セイ、ショウ
kun: い.きる、い.かす、い.ける、う.まれる
5 strokes · JLPT 4

Other Japanese words for “teacher”

WordReadingMeaning
きょうし kyoushiteacher; instructor
きょういん kyouinteacher; instructor; teaching staff
きょうゆ kyouyu(licensed) teacher
きょうかん kyoukanteacher; instructor; professor
おんし onshiteacher (to whom one owes a debt of gratitude); mentor; one's former teacher

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

WordReadingMeaning
ゆうせん yuusenpreference; priority; precedence
せんぱい senpaisenior (at school, work, etc.); superior; elder
せんじつ senjitsuthe other day; a few days ago
せんしゅう senshuulast week; the week before
せんげつ sengetsulast month
せいかつ seikatsulife; living
じんせい jinsei(one's) life
がくせい gakuseistudent (esp. a university student)

See also: Chinese symbol for “teacher”.

Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.

Last posts

  1. Choosing Your First Tai Chi Sword Wood or Metal
  2. Selecting a Bokken for Outdoor Training
  3. Are Unvarnished Bokken Better for Grip Than Lacquered Ones
  4. Best Wooden Butterfly Knives for Wing Chun Form Practice
  5. Choosing a Bokken Set for Training Quality and Durability
  6. Best Lightweight Bokken for Older Students and Senior Aikido
  7. Choosing a Bokken for Koryu Practice by School Requirements
  8. Choosing a Bokken Tsuba and Stopper Set for Training
  9. Cotton vs Polyester Hakama Which Is Easier to Maintain
  10. Choosing Your First Bokken for Serious Samurai Training