nombre del profesor
/nombɾe del pɾofesoɾ/from spelling rules
The English phrase "teachers name" is translated into Spanish as nombre del profesor.
This phrase refers to the name of a person who teaches students. While profesor is a general term for a teacher, you might use maestro if you are specifically referring to a primary or elementary school teacher.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of nombre (name), del (a contraction of de el, meaning "of the") and profesor (teacher).
Which one should you use?
The term profesor is a general term for a teacher, whereas maestro is often used specifically for primary or elementary school teachers.
How does it change in a sentence?
If the teacher is female, you must change the article and the noun to nombre de la profesora. To make the phrase plural, both the noun and the article must be pluralized, resulting in nombres de los profesores.
How do you pronounce it?
/nombɾe del pɾofesoɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly place the noun profesor before nombre as in English, but Spanish requires the "noun + de + noun" structure.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, using a profesor or maestro as a title is so common that students may never actually learn the nombre of their teacher.
- The word profesor is a learned borrowing from the Latin professor, which originally referred to someone who publicly declared their profession or faith.
- While profesor is used for most teachers, the term maestro can also mean a master of a craft or a great musician, such as a conductor.
Examples in context
- Buenas tardes, Doña Rodríguez. ¿Puede repetir la pregunta, por favor?Good afternoon, Doña Rodriguez. Can you repeat the question, please?
- No recuerdo el nombre del profesor.I don't remember the teacher's name.
- ¿Cuál es el nombre del profesor de inglés?What is the name of the English teacher?
- Escribí el nombre del profesor en la pizarra.I wrote the teacher's name on the board.
Example conversation
Two students are talking about their new class.
- Mateo¿Sabes el nombre del profesor?Do you know the teacher's name?
- ElenaNo, no sé el nombre del profesor.No, I don't know the teacher's name.
- MateoEs un profesor muy amable.He is a very kind teacher.
- ElenaEspero conocerlo pronto.I hope to meet him soon.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries del, nombre, profesor, CC BY-SA 4.0.
