From Cantonese 師傅/师傅 (si1 fu6-2, “master”) and 師父/师父 (si1 fu6-2, “my master”), both also conveying the sense of teacher.
sifu (plural sifu or sifus)
- A master or teacher in the context of martial arts, especially kung fu and tai chi.
1998, Dana Stabenow, Fire and Ice, page 134:Who is -- don't get cute with me, you dumb bastard, I'm your sifu.
- A spiritual father in esoteric contexts.
Borrowed from Arabic [Term?].
-sifu (infinitive kusifu)
- to praise, admire
Conjugation of -sifu
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Positive present
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-nasifu
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Subjunctive
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-sifu
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Negative
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-sifu
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Imperative singular
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sifu
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Infinitives
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Imperatives
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Tensed forms
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Habitual
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husifu
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Positive past
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positive subject concord + -lisifu
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Negative past
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negative subject concord + -kusifu
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Positive present (positive subject concord + -nasifu)
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Singular
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Plural
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1st person
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ninasifu/nasifu
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tunasifu
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2nd person
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unasifu
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mnasifu
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3rd person
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m-wa(I/II)
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anasifu
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wanasifu
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other classes
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positive subject concord + -nasifu
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Negative present (negative subject concord + -sifu)
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Singular
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Plural
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1st person
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sisifu
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hatusifu
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2nd person
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husifu
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hamsifu
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3rd person
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m-wa(I/II)
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hasifu
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hawasifu
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other classes
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negative subject concord + -sifu
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Positive future
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positive subject concord + -tasifu
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Negative future
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negative subject concord + -tasifu
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Positive subjunctive (positive subject concord + -sifu)
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Singular
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Plural
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1st person
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nisifu
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tusifu
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2nd person
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usifu
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msifu
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3rd person
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m-wa(I/II)
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asifu
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wasifu
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other classes
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positive subject concord + -sifu
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Negative subjunctive
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positive subject concord + -sisifu
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Positive present conditional
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positive subject concord + -ngesifu
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Negative present conditional
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positive subject concord + -singesifu
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Positive past conditional
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positive subject concord + -ngalisifu
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Negative past conditional
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positive subject concord + -singalisifu
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Perfect
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positive subject concord + -mesifu
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"Already"
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positive subject concord + -meshasifu
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"Not yet"
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negative subject concord + -jasifu
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"If/When"
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positive subject concord + -kisifu
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"If not"
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positive subject concord + -siposifu
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Consecutive
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kasifu / positive subject concord + -kasifu
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Consecutive subjunctive
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positive subject concord + -kasifu
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Some forms not commonly seen in modern Standard Swahili are absent from the table. See Appendix:Swahili verbs for more information.
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