sifu

Sifu is a term used in Chinese languages to mean master or teacher, particularly a skilled practitioner in a discipline such as martial arts. It is a respectful form of address used by students toward their teacher or mentor. In Mandarin, the equivalent is shifu (师父); in Cantonese, it is si fu (師父). The term can also denote a respected craftsman or expert in non-martial contexts.

The characters behind the word convey authority and guidance: shi (師) meaning teacher or master, and fu (父) meaning father. Usage varies by region and context. In Chinese martial arts schools, a sifu may grant rank, teach forms, and oversee training; in some communities, older or senior instructors are addressed as sifu, sometimes with additional honorifics for especially senior masters. The term is not a generic synonym for any teacher and often carries cultural expectations of lineage, tradition, and apprenticeship within a school.

In popular culture, the term has appeared as the title of a 2022 video game, Sifu, developed by Sloclap. The game features martial arts-inspired combat and centers on a young kung fu student pursuing revenge, with an aging mechanic that permanently changes the protagonist after each death. While the game uses martial arts aesthetics and the mentor-student motif, it is not a documentary representation of real-world sifu practice.