教授

• Pinyin: jiào shòu
• Hanzi breakdown: 教 = 孝 (filial) + 攵 (strike/action) — to teach by example; 授 = 扌(hand) + 受 (receive) — to bestow or impart

Meaning

Professor. A senior academic teacher at a university or research institution.

A title for senior academic teachers at universities. Also can be used as a verb meaning to teach or instruct, though the noun usage is far more common. In China, 教授 is the highest regular academic rank, above 副教授 (associate professor) and 讲师 (lecturer). Used as both a title and a form of address.

Examples

1. 王教授今天给我们上了一堂非常精彩的课。 Professor Wang gave us an extremely wonderful class today.
2. 她的梦想是将来成为一名大学教授。 Her dream is to become a university professor in the future.
3. 这位教授在人工智能领域非常有名。 This professor is very famous in the field of artificial intelligence.

Usage Guide

Context: education, academia, university

Tone: respectful

Do Say

• 张教授，请问您什么时候有空？(Professor Zhang, when are you available?)
• 我想请教授帮我写推荐信。(I would like to ask the professor to write me a recommendation letter.)

Don't Say

• 我的小学教授很好 (Don't use 教授 for primary school teachers — use 老师; 教授 is specifically for university-level professors)

Origin & History

A compound of 教 (to teach) and 授 (to give/impart), originally meaning the act of teaching and imparting knowledge, later becoming a professional academic title.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal