¿quién es tu profesor?
The English phrase 'who is your teacher?' is translated into Spanish as ¿quién es tu profesor?
This phrase is used to ask for the identity of the person who provides a student's instruction.
Which one should you use?
In Spanish, you use quién to refer to people, whereas using qué would be used for objects or definitions. You can also use maestro as a synonym for profesor, though profesor is more common in academic settings.
How does it change in a sentence?
If the teacher is female, you must use the feminine form profesora instead of profesor, as in ¿quién es tu profesora? To ask the plural form 'who are your teachers?', change quién to quiénes, es to son and tu profesor to tus profesores, creating ¿quiénes son tus profesores?
Did you know?
- The word profesor is a learned borrowing from the Latin professor, which originally referred to someone who publicly declared their faith or expertise.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, students address their profesor using the formal usted instead of tú to show respect, even when talking about them in the third person.
- While profesor is common in schools, the word maestro is often used specifically for primary school teachers or as a mark of deep respect for a master of a craft.
Example conversation
Two students are chatting in the school hallway.
- SofíaHola Javier, ¿quién es tu profesor?Hi Javier, who is your teacher?
- JavierMi profesor es el señor García.My teacher is Mr. García.
- SofíaÉl es muy bueno explicando todo.He is very good at explaining everything.
- JavierSí, me gusta mucho su clase.Yes, I like his class a lot.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries es, profesor, quién, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
