Teacher in Different Languages
Discover 'Teacher' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Teacher
Afrikaans onderwyser | ||
Albanian mësues | ||
Amharic አስተማሪ | ||
Arabic مدرس | ||
Armenian ուսուցիչ | ||
Assamese শিক্ষক | ||
Aymara yatichiri | ||
Azerbaijani müəllim | ||
Bambara karamɔgɔ | ||
Basque irakaslea | ||
Belarusian настаўнік | ||
Bengali শিক্ষক | ||
Bhojpuri गुरूजी | ||
Bosnian učiteljice | ||
Bulgarian учител | ||
Catalan mestre | ||
Cebuano magtutudlo | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 老师 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 老師 | ||
Corsican prufessore | ||
Croatian učitelj, nastavnik, profesor | ||
Czech učitel | ||
Danish lærer | ||
Dhivehi މުދައްރިސު | ||
Dogri मास्टर | ||
Dutch leraar | ||
English teacher | ||
Esperanto instruisto | ||
Estonian õpetaja | ||
Ewe nufiala | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) guro | ||
Finnish opettaja | ||
French prof | ||
Frisian ûnderwizer | ||
Galician profesor | ||
Georgian მასწავლებელი | ||
German lehrer | ||
Greek δάσκαλος | ||
Guarani mbo'ehára | ||
Gujarati શિક્ષક | ||
Haitian Creole pwofesè | ||
Hausa malami | ||
Hawaiian kumu | ||
Hebrew מוֹרֶה | ||
Hindi अध्यापक | ||
Hmong tus kws qhia ntawv | ||
Hungarian tanár | ||
Icelandic kennari | ||
Igbo onye nkuzi | ||
Ilocano maestra | ||
Indonesian guru | ||
Irish múinteoir | ||
Italian insegnante | ||
Japanese 先生 | ||
Javanese guru | ||
Kannada ಶಿಕ್ಷಕ | ||
Kazakh мұғалім | ||
Khmer គ្រូ | ||
Kinyarwanda mwarimu | ||
Konkani शिक्षक | ||
Korean 선생님 | ||
Krio ticha | ||
Kurdish mamoste | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) مامۆستا | ||
Kyrgyz мугалим | ||
Lao ຄູອາຈານ | ||
Latin magister | ||
Latvian skolotājs | ||
Lingala molakisi | ||
Lithuanian mokytojas | ||
Luganda omusomesa | ||
Luxembourgish enseignant | ||
Macedonian наставник | ||
Maithili शिक्षक | ||
Malagasy mpampianatra | ||
Malay cikgu | ||
Malayalam അധ്യാപകൻ | ||
Maltese għalliem | ||
Maori kaiako | ||
Marathi शिक्षक | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯑꯣꯖꯥ | ||
Mizo zirtirtu | ||
Mongolian багш | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) ဆရာ | ||
Nepali शिक्षक | ||
Norwegian lærer | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) mphunzitsi | ||
Odia (Oriya) ଶିକ୍ଷକ | ||
Oromo barsiisaa | ||
Pashto ښوونکی | ||
Persian معلم | ||
Polish nauczyciel | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) professor | ||
Punjabi ਅਧਿਆਪਕ | ||
Quechua yachachiq | ||
Romanian profesor | ||
Russian учитель | ||
Samoan faiaoga | ||
Sanskrit अध्यापकः | ||
Scots Gaelic tidsear | ||
Sepedi morutiši | ||
Serbian учитељ | ||
Sesotho mosuoe | ||
Shona mudzidzisi | ||
Sindhi استاد | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) ගුරු | ||
Slovak učiteľ | ||
Slovenian učitelj | ||
Somali macalin | ||
Spanish profesor | ||
Sundanese guru | ||
Swahili mwalimu | ||
Swedish lärare | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) guro | ||
Tajik муаллим | ||
Tamil ஆசிரியர் | ||
Tatar укытучы | ||
Telugu గురువు | ||
Thai ครู | ||
Tigrinya መምህር | ||
Tsonga mudyondzisi | ||
Turkish öğretmen | ||
Turkmen mugallym | ||
Twi (Akan) ɔkyerɛkyerɛni | ||
Ukrainian вчитель | ||
Urdu استاد | ||
Uyghur ئوقۇتقۇچى | ||
Uzbek o'qituvchi | ||
Vietnamese giáo viên | ||
Welsh athro | ||
Xhosa utitshala | ||
Yiddish לערער | ||
Yoruba oluko | ||
Zulu uthisha |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | Derived from Dutch word meaning 'teacher', 'one who points out or instructs'. |
| Albanian | The word 'mësues' is likely derived from Proto-Albanian *mēnse 'to think'. This is related to Proto-Slavic *myslīti, meaning both 'to think' and 'to teach'. |
| Amharic | The word "አስተማሪ" can also mean "professor" or "instructor" in Amharic. |
| Arabic | The Arabic word "مدرس" (mudarris) comes from the root word "درس" (darasa), which means "to study" or "to learn." |
| Armenian | The Armenian word for "teacher" comes from the Old Armenian word "וסין", meaning "to lead". |
| Azerbaijani | "Müəllim" is a derivative of the Arabic word "mu'allim", which means "one who teaches" or "a master". It is used to refer to both teachers and religious leaders in Azerbaijan and other Turkic languages. |
| Basque | {"text": "In Basque, the term "irakaslea" encompasses not only the traditional teacher role, but also the broader notions of a "disciple," "educator," and "sage."} |
| Belarusian | "Настаўнік" in Belarusian is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *na-stavь, which also gives rise to the word "ўстава" ("charter, statute"). |
| Bengali | The word “শিক্ষক” can also mean a “tutor.” |
| Bosnian | "Učiteljice" can also mean "nurse" in Serbian. |
| Bulgarian | The Bulgarian word "учител" comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "учити" meaning "to learn". |
| Catalan | In Old Catalan "mestre" also meant "master, lord," and in current Catalan it can be "foreman". |
| Cebuano | The word "magtutudlo" in Cebuano is derived from the root word "tudlo" meaning "to point," hence the notion of someone who guides or directs others. |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 老师 is also a term used to address a skilled person in a specific field, such as a doctor (医生), engineer (工程师), or artist (艺术家). |
| Chinese (Traditional) | The Chinese term for 'teacher' (老師) is written with two characters, with '老' meaning 'old' or 'senior' and '師' meaning 'master' or 'example'. |
| Corsican | In Corsican, "prufessore" can also mean "professor" or "schoolmaster". |
| Croatian | The Croatian word "učitelj" originally referred to a master craftsman who taught apprentices, while "nastavnik" was used for someone who taught in an academic setting and "profesor" for a university lecturer. |
| Czech | The root "uč-" of the Czech word "učitel" also means "learn" and is related to the German word "lehren". |
| Danish | The Old Norse word "lǫrð", which means "man of learning" or "master", is the root of the Danish word "lærer". |
| Dutch | The word 'leraar' is derived from the Old Dutch word 'lare', meaning 'learning', and the suffix '-aar', meaning 'doer' or 'one who does something'. |
| Esperanto | Instruisto is the Esperanto word for "teacher", derived from the Latin word "instruere", meaning "to build in", "to construct", or "to provide with knowledge." |
| Estonian | In addition to the common meaning of "teacher", "õpetaja" can also refer to a tutor, instructor, or coach in Estonian. |
| Finnish | "Opettaja" derives from the Finnish verb "opettaa" meaning "to teach or impart knowledge." |
| French | The alternate meaning of the French word "prof" is “a person who knows more than others about a specific subject." |
| Frisian | "Ûnderwizer", Frisian word for "teacher", derives from "wize" or "wit" which means knowledge and "ûnder", preposition meaning under or underneath, thus "one having knowledge or wit and underneath or below the students". |
| Galician | The Galician word "profesor" has origins in the Latin "professor" and also means "person who professes a religion". |
| German | Lehrer can also refer to a conductor. |
| Greek | The term 'δάσκαλος' derives from 'διδάσκω,' meaning 'to instruct' or 'to show' (as a guide). In Ancient Greece, this term referred not only to teachers but also to military commanders, as they were considered guides and mentors to their troops. |
| Gujarati | The word "શિક્ષક" is derived from the Sanskrit word "शिष" (śiṣ), which means "pupil" or "student." |
| Haitian Creole | The word "pwofesè" ultimately derives from the French word "professeur" and was originally used to refer to university professors. |
| Hausa | In the Gombe and Bauchi dialects of Hausa, it also means a "village head". |
| Hawaiian | Kumu, meaning 'teacher' in Hawaiian, derives from the root word 'kū', meaning 'to stand' or 'to be upright', implying the teacher's role as a guide and support for their students. |
| Hebrew | The word "מוֹרֶה" (teacher) in Hebrew is derived from the root "יָרָה" (to cast, to shoot), and originally referred to a person who guides or directs others. |
| Hindi | "अध्यापक" means "student of the scripture" and is derived from the word "अध्याय" meaning "chapter". |
| Hmong | In Hmong, "tus kws qhia ntawv" can also refer to someone who provides guidance or instruction, not necessarily in a formal school setting. |
| Hungarian | The word "tanár" likely originates from the Turkish "öğretmen" (teacher) through Serbo-Croatian or Romanian. |
| Icelandic | "Kennari" is cognate with the Old Norse word "kennari", which means "one who makes known" |
| Igbo | "Onye nkuzi" comes from the verb "kuzi," meaning "to show". |
| Indonesian | The word 'guru' in Indonesian can also refer to a spiritual mentor or leader. |
| Irish | In Irish, 'múinteoir' derives from the Old Irish 'muintir', meaning 'people' or 'community', implying the teacher's role as a guide and guardian of knowledge. |
| Italian | The Italian word "insegnante" is derived from the Latin word "insignare", meaning "to mark or imprint", and can also refer to a mentor or tutor. |
| Japanese | "先生 (sensei)" also means "before birth" and is sometimes used as a respectful term for doctors and politicians. |
| Javanese | In Javanese, the word "guru" (teacher) also denotes a spiritual mentor or guide. |
| Kannada | The word 'ಶಿಕ್ಷಕ' in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word 'shiksha', meaning 'instruction' or 'education'. |
| Kazakh | The Kazakh word "мұғалім" is derived from the Arabic word "mu`allim", meaning "one who teaches" and is cognate with the English word "mullah". |
| Khmer | The word "គ្រូ" (teacher) in Khmer derives from the Sanskrit word "guru", meaning "heavy" or "weighty", implying the importance of knowledge and the responsibility of teachers. |
| Korean | "선생님" is a Korean honorific used to respectfully address elders, teachers, and anyone who is respected or has specialized knowledge. |
| Kurdish | The Kurdish word "mamoste" is derived from the Persian word "ma'āzem", which means "shelter". |
| Kyrgyz | The word "мугалим" comes from the Persian word "mo'allem", which means "one who teaches". |
| Latin | The Latin word "magister" derives from "magistro," meaning "to be greater," and is also the root of "majestic" and "magician." |
| Latvian | "Skolotājs" derives from the word "skola," which initially meant "free-time," as education was considered a privilege. |
| Lithuanian | "Mokytojas" derives from the verb "mokyti" meaning "to teach, to inform, to instruct" |
| Luxembourgish | In Luxembourgish, "Enseignant" can also mean "person who instructs" or "tutor." |
| Macedonian | The word "наставник" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *nastavenъ, meaning "placed in front". |
| Malagasy | The term "mpampianatra" literally translates to "one who causes to learn" in Malagasy. |
| Malay | In Malay, "cikgu" also means "tutor" or "instructor". |
| Malayalam | The word "അധ്യാപകൻ" is derived from Sanskrit and means "one who reads and teaches". |
| Maltese | The word 'għalliem' is derived from the Arabic word 'ghalamah', which means 'to teach' or 'to instruct' |
| Maori | In Maori, the word "kaiako" not only means "teacher," but also signifies "one who feeds knowledge." |
| Marathi | The Marathi word "शिक्षक" ("teacher") is derived from the Sanskrit word "शिक्ष" which means "to learn". |
| Mongolian | The Mongolian word "багш" also refers to the leader of the monastic administrative or religious community in Buddhism. |
| Myanmar (Burmese) | The word ဆရာ can also refer to parents, mentors, and elders who are respected for their knowledge and experience. |
| Nepali | The word "शिक्षक" in Nepali comes from the Sanskrit word "शिष्य," meaning "student," and implies the role of a teacher as a guide and mentor. |
| Norwegian | Lærer is derived from the Old Norse word 'læra', meaning 'to learn', and is related to the German word 'Lehrer' and the English word 'lore'. |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The Nyanja word "mphunzitsi" (teacher) originally meant "one who molds or shapes." |
| Pashto | ښوونکی may also mean 'instructor' or 'preacher' in Pashto, and is derived from the verb "ښوول" (to show). |
| Persian | The Persian word معلم also denotes the Sufi concept of the "perfect spiritual guide", and the concept has found its way into Turkish, Kurdish, and Bosnian. |
| Polish | The word "nauczyciel" comes from the Old Polish "nauczyczieti," which means "to teach". |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | In Portoguese, "professor" can mean either a teacher or a university lecturer |
| Punjabi | The word |
| Romanian | The Romanian word "profesor" ultimately derives from the Latin "prōfiteor" ("to declare openly"), hence also bearing the related meaning of "one who professes or declares open allegiance to a system or belief". |
| Russian | "Учитель" (teacher) is an occupational term, but it can also mean "a mentor, someone who teaches", or "someone who teaches something, an instructor." |
| Samoan | Faiaoga can also refer to other figures of authority and leadership in Samoan culture, such as village chiefs and matai. |
| Scots Gaelic | A variation of 'tighsear' which means 'lord of the house'. |
| Serbian | "Учитељ" means "teacher" but it can also be used to refer to spiritual mentors. |
| Sesotho | The word "mosuoe" has its roots in the Bantu language family. |
| Shona | In some contexts, 'mudzidzisi' also means 'doctor', derived from the concept of 'one who gives life'. |
| Sindhi | The Sindhi word "استاد" (ustad) also means "husband" in some regions. |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | The word "ගුරු" in Sinhala can also refer to a revered religious figure or spiritual leader. |
| Slovak | The word 'učiteľ' can also mean 'pupil' in some contexts. |
| Slovenian | The word 'učitelj' can also mean 'professor', 'tutor' or 'instructor' in English, depending on the context. |
| Somali | Macalin, meaning 'teacher,' derives from the Arabic root 'l-m-d' meaning 'to teach,' reflecting the strong Arabic influence on Somali language and culture. |
| Spanish | The word 'profesor' in Spanish derives from the Latin 'professōr', meaning 'to publicly declare'. |
| Sundanese | In Sundanese, "guru" can also refer to a skilled professional or a revered figure in a particular field, beyond its primary meaning as a teacher. |
| Swahili | "Mwalimu," the Swahili word for "teacher," originates from the Arabic "mu'allim," meaning "one who knows" or "expert." |
| Swedish | The word "lärare" is derived from the Old Norse word "lærari". It can also refer to a person who teaches a subject or skill. |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | In some contexts, "guro" can also refer to a spiritual mentor or a master in a particular field. |
| Tajik | The word "муаллим" is derived from the Arabic word for "teacher" and cognate with "moallem" in Persian and "muallim" in Ottoman Turkish. |
| Telugu | The Telugu word 'గురువు' derives from Sanskrit, where it has the additional meaning of 'heavy', signifying the weighty responsibility of the spiritual teacher. |
| Thai | The Thai word "ครู" (teacher) ultimately derives from the Sanskrit word "guru" meaning "heavy" or "important". |
| Turkish | The ancient Turkish word "öğ" means "word" or "speech" and "er" means "one who does", indicating a "speaker" or "someone who communicates information, knowledge, wisdom, or tradition in a specific field |
| Ukrainian | In Ukrainian, the word "вчитель" (teacher) derives from the Proto-Slavic word *vitь* "to know", suggesting a connection between teaching and knowledge. |
| Urdu | The word "استاد" in Urdu can also mean "master" or "expert" in a particular field or domain. |
| Uzbek | The Uzbek word "o'qituvchi" can also refer to a tutor, instructor, or coach. |
| Vietnamese | Giáo viên in Vietnamese stems from Chinese educators who were called "educating masters" ( |
| Welsh | The Welsh word 'athro' is derived from the Indo-European root *h₂eḱ-wo-, meaning 'to increase, to grow' |
| Xhosa | The word "utitshala" can also be used to refer to a respected older person. |
| Yiddish | Alternatively, לערער can refer to a novice or beginner in Yiddish. |
| Yoruba | In Yoruba, "oluko" also refers to a guardian or mentor, emphasizing their role beyond academic instruction. |
| Zulu | The word "uthisha" in Zulu can also refer to a guide or mentor. |
| English | The word "teacher" derives from the Old English word "tæcan", meaning "to show" or "to point out." |