先生
senseikanji, standard
The kanji for "teacher" is 先生 (sensei). It is also used as a polite title for doctors, lawyers and other respected professionals. It is also called 教師 (kyōshi) and 教員 (kyōin).
Meaning: teacher (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 先生 | sensei | kanji, standard |
| 教師 | kyōshi | kanji, formal |
| 教員 | kyōin | kanji, formal |
教師 (kyōshi) and 教員 (kyōin) describe the profession in writing and official texts. In speech, a student calls their teacher 先生 (sensei).
How does it change in a sentence?
Add 先生 (sensei) after a name instead of さん (san), as in 田中先生 (Tanaka-sensei).
Did you know?
- The characters of 先生 literally mean "born before", someone who came earlier.
Examples in context
- 田中先生は優しいです。Tanaka-sensei wa yasashii desu.Mr. Tanaka is kind.
- 私の先生は英語の教師です。Watashi no sensei wa eigo no kyōshi desu.My teacher is an English teacher.
Example conversation
Student Aoi greets her teacher Mr. Tanaka in the hallway.
- Aoi先生、おはようございます。Sensei, ohayō gozaimasu.Good morning, teacher.
- Mr. Tanakaおはよう、アオイさん。Ohayō, Aoi-san.Good morning, Aoi.
- Aoi今日も頑張ります。Kyō mo ganbarimasu.I will do my best today.
