선생님
seonsaengnim[sʰʌ̹nsʰɛŋnim]
The English phrase "sensei" (referring to a teacher in a Japanese context) is translated into Korean as 선생님 (seonsaengnim).
선생님 is typically used for teachers, professors or those who are considered experts in their field.
Meaning: teacher in the context of Japan (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
seonsaengnim
Did you know?
- The term 선생님 is often used as a polite way to address a complete stranger, such as a middle-aged man, even if they have no connection to teaching. It functions similarly to calling someone 'sir' in certain polite English contexts.
- The Hanja characters used in 선생 (先生) literally mean 'born before'. This implies that a teacher is someone who has entered the world before you and thus possesses greater wisdom and experience.
- The suffix -님 (-nim) in 선생님 is so powerful that it can be attached to almost any professional title to elevate the person's status. For example, a doctor is often addressed as 의사 선생님 (uisa seonsaengnim).
Examples in context
- 일본의 선생님은 정말 친절해요.ilbon-ui seonsaengnim-eun jeongmal chinjeolhaeyo.The Japanese teacher is very kind.
- 그 선생님은 일본어를 가르치십니다.geu seonsaengnim-eun ilboneo-reul gareuchisimnida.That teacher teaches Japanese.
- 일본 드라마에 나오는 선생님이에요.ilbon deurame naoneun seonsaengnim-ieyo.It is a teacher appearing in a Japanese drama.
Example conversation
Subin and Hyunwoo are talking about their language classes.
- 수빈 Su-bin현우 씨, 일본어 수업은 어때요?Hyeonu ssi, ilboneo sueob-eun eottaeyo?Hyunwoo, how is your Japanese class?
- 현우 Hyeon-woo선생님이 정말 잘 가르쳐 주셔요.seonsaengnim-i jeongmal jal gareuchyeo jusyeoyo.The teacher explains things very well.
- 수빈 Su-bin와, 좋은 선생님을 만나셨네요.wa, joeun seonsaengnim-eul mannasyeonneyo.Wow, you've found a good teacher.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo네, 매일 수업이 기다려져요.ne, maeil sueob-i gidaryeojyeoyo.Yes, I look forward to class every day.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 선생님, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 선생님, CC BY-SA 4.0.
