教师

• Pinyin: jiào shī
• Hanzi breakdown: 教 (jiào) — to teach; 师 (shī) — master, teacher, specialist

Meaning

Teacher. A formal term for someone who teaches as a profession.

More formal than 老师. Used in official contexts, documents, job titles, and when discussing the teaching profession in general. 教师节 (Teachers' Day) is celebrated on September 10th in China.

Examples

1. 她是一名小学教师。 She is an elementary school teacher.
2. 教师是一个很重要的职业。 Teaching is a very important profession.
3. 我的妈妈当了二十年教师。 My mom has been a teacher for twenty years.

Usage Guide

Context: education, professions, official

Tone: respectful

Do Say

• 她是一位优秀的教师。(She is an excellent teacher.)
• 教师节快乐！(Happy Teachers' Day!)

Don't Say

• 不要当面叫老师为教师 (Don't address a teacher as 教师 to their face — use 老师 as a respectful form of address; 教师 is for talking about the profession)

Origin & History

Compound of 教 (to teach) and 师 (master, teacher, specialist). Both characters relate to teaching and expertise.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal