profesor
/pɾofeˈsoɾ/
In Spanish, professor is profesor.
A profesor is a teacher or faculty member at a college or university, regardless of their formal rank. Unlike in English, where 'professor' is strictly reserved for higher education, the Spanish term profesor/a is used for both university professors and high school teachers.
Meaning: teacher or faculty member at a college or university, regardless of formal rank (noun)
Which one should you use?
While profesor is used for university-level instructors, the word maestro/a is typically used for primary or elementary school teachers.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, the term docente is used to refer to a professor or teacher in general.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of the noun is profesora. To refer to a group of male professors or a mixed-gender group, use the plural form profesores. If the group consists only of female professors, use the plural form profesoras.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɾofeˈsoɾ/
Did you know?
- The Spanish profesor comes from the Latin word professor, which meant someone who declares or acknowledges something publicly.
- In a university setting, a student might refer to a professor as el profe to be more casual and friendly, which is a common shorthand in many Spanish-speaking cultures.
- Although maestro/a is common for primary school, in many regions, calling someone a maestro/a is a high honor that implies they are a master of a specific craft or art.
Examples in context
- No soy tu profesor.I'm not your professor.This sentence is useful for denying a relationship to a professor.Tatoeba #6674883 by arh, translation #9179773 by DJ_Saidez
- Es un gran profesor.He's a great professor.This sentence is useful for describing a professor's quality.Tatoeba #6674915 by arh, translation #11498038 by ksjdragon
- Ella es mi profesora.She's my professor.This sentence is useful for identifying a female professor.Tatoeba #3100338 by marcelostockle, translation #490772 by FeuDRenais
- ¿Dónde está el profesor de matemáticas?Where is the math professor?
- La profesora de literatura tiene una gran habilidad para explicar conceptos complejos.The literature professor has a great ability to explain complex concepts.
- ¡Hola profe! ¿Podría aclarar esta duda que tengo en química?Hi professor! Could you clarify this doubt I have in chemistry?
- Mi profe de historia nos contó una anécdota interesante hoy en clase.My history professor told us an interesting anecdote today in class.
- 89 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena are talking about their university classes.
- Alejandro¿Quién es tu profesor de historia?Who is your history professor?
- ElenaEl profesor Martínez es muy inteligente.Professor Martínez is very intelligent.
- AlejandroEs un profesor muy estricto, ¿no?He is a very strict professor, right?
- ElenaSí, pero enseña muy bien.Yes, but he teaches very well.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry profesor, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries profesor, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
