Ways to say it
| Egyptian Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| مدرس | medarres | male |
| مدرسة | medarresa | female |
| أستاذ | ustaz | respectful address, male |
Students directly address or refer to a teacher as أستاذ (ustaz) for a man or أستاذة (ustaza) for a woman, a respectful title used constantly in schools.
What does it mean word for word?
مدرس comes from درس, 'to study, to teach', while أستاذ is a broader title of respect also used for professors and senior professionals.
Which one should you use?
مدرس describes the job itself, as in 'he works as a teacher'. أستاذ or أستاذة is what you actually call that person, whether teacher, professor or sometimes even a respected stranger.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Both are polite, أستاذ carries slightly more deference and is used when speaking directly to the person.
Is it said differently in some regions?
These words are used the same way throughout Egypt.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both nouns take the feminine ending -ة for a woman, مدرسة and أستاذة.
How do you pronounce it?
مدرسة meaning 'female teacher' is pronounced the same as مدرسة meaning 'school', context tells them apart.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Calling a teacher by their first name alone, without أستاذ or أستاذة, can sound disrespectful in a school setting.
When do people say it?
Private after-school lessons with a مدرس are extremely common in Egypt, often seen as necessary to prepare for exams.
Did you know?
- أستاذ originally entered Arabic from Persian, where it meant 'master' or 'craftsman', before becoming the everyday word of respect for teachers and professionals.
Examples in context
- أمي مدرسة لغة عربية.ommi medarresa logha arabeyya.My mother is an Arabic language teacher.
- الأستاذ شرح الدرس كويس.el-ustaz sharah el-dars kwayyes.The teacher explained the lesson well.
- باخد درس خصوصي عند مدرس رياضيات.bakhod dars khosoosi and medarres reyadeyyat.I take a private lesson with a math teacher.
Example conversation
A student named Yara asks her classmate Omar about their new teacher.
- Yaraالأستاذ الجديد عامل إيه؟el-ustaz el-gedeed amel eih?What's the new teacher like?
- Omarكويس، بيشرح بهدوء.kwayyes, beyishrah bi-hodoo'.Good, he explains calmly.
- Yaraأحسن من المدرسة اللي فاتت؟ahsan min el-medarresa elli fatet?Better than the last teacher?
- Omarمختلف بس برضو كويس.mukhtalif bas barda kwayyes.Different, but also good.
