(lǎo shī) - teacher in Mandarin

lǎoshī

Traditional: 老師

HSK 1

#619 of 2,700Core 1000

Translation

teacher

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Word origin

老师 means teacher. 老 (lǎo) is a respectful prefix (an elder with a stick). 师 (shī) means master or teacher; simplified from 師, which depicts a gathering or troop, hence one who leads and instructs.

Origin: compound
Root: 老 (lǎo, respectful prefix) + 师 (shī, master)

Stroke order

老

师

Examples

。

Our teacher is very kind to the students.

，。

Teacher, I have a question.

。

He is a teacher loved by his students.

。

The maths teacher explains things very clearly.

。

She wants to become a primary school teacher.

老师 (lǎo shī) means teacher and is both the occupational title and a common form of address. 老 is an honorific prefix (literally old, conveying respect) and 师 means master or teacher. In Chinese schools and universities 老师 is used as an address for any teacher, similar to how students say sir or miss in English. It can follow a surname: 王老师 (Teacher Wang). In broader culture, 老师 is used respectfully for any professional with expertise.

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Used in

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Mandarin · Free printables

老师: worksheet, infographic and listicle

Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "老师" (teacher): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.

This word is taught in chapter 9, lesson 2: 老师, 总统, 伤害 and 7 more words.