老师
lǎoshī
Teacher · trad. 老師
老师 (lǎoshī) is the standard and most common way to say "teacher" in Mandarin Chinese. It's widely used for educators at all levels, from kindergarten to university, and also for instructors in various fields.
What does 老师 (lǎoshī) mean?
老师 (lǎoshī) means “teacher” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “old master.”
When to use it
Neutral and respectful. It's very common to address a teacher directly as 老师, or by their surname followed by 老师 (e.g., 王老师, Teacher Wang). 教师 (jiàoshī) is a more formal term referring to the profession itself rather than a person you would address directly.
How to pronounce it
Sounds roughly like “LAOW-shrr.” The first syllable, 老, is a falling-rising tone, and the second syllable, 师, is a high-level tone.
Other ways to say it
- 老师好lǎoshī hǎohello teacher (common greeting)
- 李老师Lǐ lǎoshīTeacher Li (addressing a teacher by surname)
- 教师jiàoshīeducator / instructor (formal, refers to the profession)
Examples
我的老师很友善。
wǒde lǎoshī hěn yǒushàn.
My teacher is very friendly.
老师，请问这个字怎么写？
lǎoshī, qǐngwèn zhège zì zěnme xiě?
Teacher, excuse me, how do you write this character?
他想成为一名中文老师。
tā xiǎng chéngwéi yīmíng Zhōngwén lǎoshī.
He wants to become a Chinese teacher.
Pro tip: In Chinese culture, it's a sign of respect to address teachers directly as 老师, or by their surname plus 老师 (e.g., 张老师), rather than just their surname or first name.
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