私人教師 / 私人教师
sīrén jiàoshī
In Chinese, the phrase for tutor is 私人教師 / 私人教师 (sīrén jiàoshī). If unsure, use 私人教師 / 私人教师. Wiktionary also lists 家庭教師 / 家庭教师 (jiātíng jiàoshī).
Meaning: one who teaches another (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 私人教師 / 私人教师 | sīrén jiàoshī |
| 家庭教師 / 家庭教师 | jiātíng jiàoshī |
The term is used to describe someone who teaches another person. Related verbs include 輔導 / 辅导 or 个人辅导, which mean to instruct or teach, especially to an individual or a small group.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 私人教師 / 私人教师 is composed of 私人 (private) and 教師 (teacher).
Which one should you use?
While both terms refer to a tutor, 私人教師 / 私人教师 emphasizes the private nature of the service. In contrast, 家庭教師 / 家庭教师 emphasizes that the teaching takes place within a home setting.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
sīrén jiàoshī
Did you know?
- In mainland China, the government has recently banned for-profit tutoring companies to reduce the financial burden on parents and the pressure on students. This has turned the professional 私人教師 into a clandestine industry in some cities.
- The character 師 in 教師 originally referred to a military commander or a master of a craft. It implies a level of mastery and leadership that goes beyond simply delivering information.
- In certain contexts, the word 家教 / 家教 can also refer to 'family values' or 'domestic education', shifting the meaning from a person to the concept of upbringing.
Examples in context
- 他是一位杰出的导师。He is an outstanding mentor.
- 我雇了一位家庭教师来辅导我的孩子。I hired a tutor to help educate my child.
- 明天我找个老师帮助我学习汉语。Tomorrow, I will find a tutor to help study Chinese.
- 她是一个亲切而努力的辅导员。She is a kind and dedicated tutor.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tutor” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
