Meaning of 老师
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- teacher
How to use 老师
老师 is the everyday word for teacher, and students also use it as a title, putting the surname first: 王老师 (Wáng lǎoshī) means Teacher Wang. It is common to greet a teacher with just 老师好 (lǎoshī hǎo). Example: 我的老师是中国人。(Wǒ de lǎoshī shì Zhōngguó rén.) My teacher is Chinese.
老 (lǎo) means old and 师 (shī) means master or expert, so a 老师 is the experienced master who teaches you. In this word 老 shows respect, not age, so even a young teacher is a 老师.
Common mistake: Learners often put the title before the name like in English, saying 老师王. The correct order is surname plus title: 王老师. Also note 老 is third tone, but before another word it is often said as a half third tone, so do not drag it out.
老师 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
老 lǎo · prefix used before the surname of a per… · 6 strokes
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师 shī · teacher · 6 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 老师.
| 老人 | lǎorén | old man or woman; the elderly |
| 老朋友 | lǎo péngyou | old friend; (slang) period |
| 老是 | lǎoshì | always |
| 教师 | jiàoshī | teacher |
| 老年 | lǎonián | elderly; old age |
| 老王 | Lǎo Wáng | |
| 老板 | lǎobǎn | boss; proprietor |
| 工程师 | gōngchéngshī | engineer |
| 老太太 | lǎotàitai | elderly lady (respectful); esteemed mother |
| 老百姓 | lǎobǎixìng | ordinary people; the "person in the street" |
| 老头儿 | lǎotóur | see 老頭子|老头子[lao3 tou2 zi5] |
| 老婆 | lǎopo | (coll.) wife |
Questions about 老师
What does 老师 mean?
老师 (lǎoshī) means "teacher" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 老师?
老师 is made of 2 characters: 老 (6 strokes), 师 (6 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 老师 an HSK word?
Yes. 老师 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 老师 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 老师 is written 老師.
What is the difference between 老师 and 教师?
Both mean teacher. 老师 is the everyday word and is used as a form of address. 教师 (jiàoshī) is more formal and describes the profession, as in 教师节 (Jiàoshī Jié), Teachers' Day, but you would not call someone 教师 to their face.
Can 老师 be used for people who are not school teachers?
Yes. In modern China 老师 is often used as a polite title for people in artistic, academic, or media work, or for anyone you want to show respect to as more knowledgeable. For example, a student might call a skilled coworker 李老师 (Lǐ lǎoshī) even outside a classroom.