Teacher in Different Languages
Discover 'Teacher' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
A teacher is a person who helps to shape the minds of tomorrow, imparting knowledge and skills to students of all ages. The role of a teacher is not only to educate, but also to inspire, motivate, and mentor their students. This makes the word 'teacher' significant in many cultures, as they are highly respected and revered for their role in society.
Throughout history, teachers have been instrumental in the development of human civilization. From the ancient Greek philosophers who taught in open-air schools, to the monks and scholars of the Middle Ages who preserved knowledge through manuscripts, teachers have always been at the forefront of intellectual and cultural progress.
Understanding the translation of the word 'teacher' in different languages can provide insight into the cultural importance of this role in various societies. For example, in Spanish, a teacher is called 'profesor' or 'profesora', while in French, they are known as 'professeur' or 'professeure'. In Mandarin Chinese, the word for teacher is '老師' (lǎo shī), which is a term of respect and admiration.
In this list, you will find the translations of the word 'teacher' in a variety of languages, from commonly spoken tongues like Spanish and French, to more obscure dialects such as Maori and Welsh. Whether you are a language enthusiast, a teacher yourself, or simply someone with a fascination for cultural diversity, this list is sure to inspire and educate.
Teacher
Teacher in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | onderwyser | ||
| Derived from Dutch word meaning 'teacher', 'one who points out or instructs'. | |||
| Amharic | አስተማሪ | ||
| The word "አስተማሪ" can also mean "professor" or "instructor" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | malami | ||
| In the Gombe and Bauchi dialects of Hausa, it also means a "village head". | |||
| Igbo | onye nkuzi | ||
| "Onye nkuzi" comes from the verb "kuzi," meaning "to show". | |||
| Malagasy | mpampianatra | ||
| The term "mpampianatra" literally translates to "one who causes to learn" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mphunzitsi | ||
| The Nyanja word "mphunzitsi" (teacher) originally meant "one who molds or shapes." | |||
| Shona | mudzidzisi | ||
| In some contexts, 'mudzidzisi' also means 'doctor', derived from the concept of 'one who gives life'. | |||
| Somali | macalin | ||
| Macalin, meaning 'teacher,' derives from the Arabic root 'l-m-d' meaning 'to teach,' reflecting the strong Arabic influence on Somali language and culture. | |||
| Sesotho | mosuoe | ||
| The word "mosuoe" has its roots in the Bantu language family. | |||
| Swahili | mwalimu | ||
| "Mwalimu," the Swahili word for "teacher," originates from the Arabic "mu'allim," meaning "one who knows" or "expert." | |||
| Xhosa | utitshala | ||
| The word "utitshala" can also be used to refer to a respected older person. | |||
| Yoruba | oluko | ||
| In Yoruba, "oluko" also refers to a guardian or mentor, emphasizing their role beyond academic instruction. | |||
| Zulu | uthisha | ||
| The word "uthisha" in Zulu can also refer to a guide or mentor. | |||
| Bambara | karamɔgɔ | ||
| Ewe | nufiala | ||
| Kinyarwanda | mwarimu | ||
| Lingala | molakisi | ||
| Luganda | omusomesa | ||
| Sepedi | morutiši | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ɔkyerɛkyerɛni | ||
Teacher in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مدرس | ||
| The Arabic word "مدرس" (mudarris) comes from the root word "درس" (darasa), which means "to study" or "to learn." | |||
| Hebrew | מוֹרֶה | ||
| 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. | |||
| Pashto | ښوونکی | ||
| ښوونکی may also mean 'instructor' or 'preacher' in Pashto, and is derived from the verb "ښوول" (to show). | |||
| Arabic | مدرس | ||
| The Arabic word "مدرس" (mudarris) comes from the root word "درس" (darasa), which means "to study" or "to learn." | |||
Teacher in Western European Languages
| Albanian | mësues | ||
| 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'. | |||
| Basque | irakaslea | ||
| {"text": "In Basque, the term "irakaslea" encompasses not only the traditional teacher role, but also the broader notions of a "disciple," "educator," and "sage."} | |||
| Catalan | mestre | ||
| In Old Catalan "mestre" also meant "master, lord," and in current Catalan it can be "foreman". | |||
| Croatian | učitelj, nastavnik, profesor | ||
| 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. | |||
| Danish | lærer | ||
| The Old Norse word "lǫrð", which means "man of learning" or "master", is the root of the Danish word "lærer". | |||
| Dutch | leraar | ||
| The word 'leraar' is derived from the Old Dutch word 'lare', meaning 'learning', and the suffix '-aar', meaning 'doer' or 'one who does something'. | |||
| English | teacher | ||
| The word "teacher" derives from the Old English word "tæcan", meaning "to show" or "to point out." | |||
| French | prof | ||
| The alternate meaning of the French word "prof" is “a person who knows more than others about a specific subject." | |||
| Frisian | ûnderwizer | ||
| "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 | profesor | ||
| The Galician word "profesor" has origins in the Latin "professor" and also means "person who professes a religion". | |||
| German | lehrer | ||
| Lehrer can also refer to a conductor. | |||
| Icelandic | kennari | ||
| "Kennari" is cognate with the Old Norse word "kennari", which means "one who makes known" | |||
| Irish | múinteoir | ||
| 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 | insegnante | ||
| 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. | |||
| Luxembourgish | enseignant | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "Enseignant" can also mean "person who instructs" or "tutor." | |||
| Maltese | għalliem | ||
| The word 'għalliem' is derived from the Arabic word 'ghalamah', which means 'to teach' or 'to instruct' | |||
| Norwegian | lærer | ||
| 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'. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | professor | ||
| In Portoguese, "professor" can mean either a teacher or a university lecturer | |||
| Scots Gaelic | tidsear | ||
| A variation of 'tighsear' which means 'lord of the house'. | |||
| Spanish | profesor | ||
| The word 'profesor' in Spanish derives from the Latin 'professōr', meaning 'to publicly declare'. | |||
| Swedish | lärare | ||
| The word "lärare" is derived from the Old Norse word "lærari". It can also refer to a person who teaches a subject or skill. | |||
| Welsh | athro | ||
| The Welsh word 'athro' is derived from the Indo-European root *h₂eḱ-wo-, meaning 'to increase, to grow' | |||
Teacher in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | настаўнік | ||
| "Настаўнік" in Belarusian is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *na-stavь, which also gives rise to the word "ўстава" ("charter, statute"). | |||
| Bosnian | učiteljice | ||
| "Učiteljice" can also mean "nurse" in Serbian. | |||
| Bulgarian | учител | ||
| The Bulgarian word "учител" comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "учити" meaning "to learn". | |||
| Czech | učitel | ||
| The root "uč-" of the Czech word "učitel" also means "learn" and is related to the German word "lehren". | |||
| Estonian | õpetaja | ||
| In addition to the common meaning of "teacher", "õpetaja" can also refer to a tutor, instructor, or coach in Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | opettaja | ||
| "Opettaja" derives from the Finnish verb "opettaa" meaning "to teach or impart knowledge." | |||
| Hungarian | tanár | ||
| The word "tanár" likely originates from the Turkish "öğretmen" (teacher) through Serbo-Croatian or Romanian. | |||
| Latvian | skolotājs | ||
| "Skolotājs" derives from the word "skola," which initially meant "free-time," as education was considered a privilege. | |||
| Lithuanian | mokytojas | ||
| "Mokytojas" derives from the verb "mokyti" meaning "to teach, to inform, to instruct" | |||
| Macedonian | наставник | ||
| The word "наставник" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *nastavenъ, meaning "placed in front". | |||
| Polish | nauczyciel | ||
| The word "nauczyciel" comes from the Old Polish "nauczyczieti," which means "to teach". | |||
| Romanian | profesor | ||
| 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 | ||
| "Учитель" (teacher) is an occupational term, but it can also mean "a mentor, someone who teaches", or "someone who teaches something, an instructor." | |||
| Serbian | учитељ | ||
| "Учитељ" means "teacher" but it can also be used to refer to spiritual mentors. | |||
| Slovak | učiteľ | ||
| The word 'učiteľ' can also mean 'pupil' in some contexts. | |||
| Slovenian | učitelj | ||
| The word 'učitelj' can also mean 'professor', 'tutor' or 'instructor' in English, depending on the context. | |||
| Ukrainian | вчитель | ||
| In Ukrainian, the word "вчитель" (teacher) derives from the Proto-Slavic word *vitь* "to know", suggesting a connection between teaching and knowledge. | |||
Teacher in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | শিক্ষক | ||
| The word “শিক্ষক” can also mean a “tutor.” | |||
| Gujarati | શિક્ષક | ||
| The word "શિક્ષક" is derived from the Sanskrit word "शिष" (śiṣ), which means "pupil" or "student." | |||
| Hindi | अध्यापक | ||
| "अध्यापक" means "student of the scripture" and is derived from the word "अध्याय" meaning "chapter". | |||
| Kannada | ಶಿಕ್ಷಕ | ||
| The word 'ಶಿಕ್ಷಕ' in Kannada is derived from the Sanskrit word 'shiksha', meaning 'instruction' or 'education'. | |||
| Malayalam | അധ്യാപകൻ | ||
| The word "അധ്യാപകൻ" is derived from Sanskrit and means "one who reads and teaches". | |||
| Marathi | शिक्षक | ||
| The Marathi word "शिक्षक" ("teacher") is derived from the Sanskrit word "शिक्ष" which means "to learn". | |||
| Nepali | शिक्षक | ||
| 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. | |||
| Punjabi | ਅਧਿਆਪਕ | ||
| The word | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ගුරු | ||
| The word "ගුරු" in Sinhala can also refer to a revered religious figure or spiritual leader. | |||
| Tamil | ஆசிரியர் | ||
| Telugu | గురువు | ||
| The Telugu word 'గురువు' derives from Sanskrit, where it has the additional meaning of 'heavy', signifying the weighty responsibility of the spiritual teacher. | |||
| Urdu | استاد | ||
| The word "استاد" in Urdu can also mean "master" or "expert" in a particular field or domain. | |||
Teacher in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 老师 | ||
| 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) | 老師 | ||
| The Chinese term for 'teacher' (老師) is written with two characters, with '老' meaning 'old' or 'senior' and '師' meaning 'master' or 'example'. | |||
| Japanese | 先生 | ||
| "先生 (sensei)" also means "before birth" and is sometimes used as a respectful term for doctors and politicians. | |||
| Korean | 선생님 | ||
| "선생님" is a Korean honorific used to respectfully address elders, teachers, and anyone who is respected or has specialized knowledge. | |||
| Mongolian | багш | ||
| The Mongolian word "багш" also refers to the leader of the monastic administrative or religious community in Buddhism. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဆရာ | ||
| The word ဆရာ can also refer to parents, mentors, and elders who are respected for their knowledge and experience. | |||
Teacher in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | guru | ||
| The word 'guru' in Indonesian can also refer to a spiritual mentor or leader. | |||
| Javanese | guru | ||
| In Javanese, the word "guru" (teacher) also denotes a spiritual mentor or guide. | |||
| Khmer | គ្រូ | ||
| 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. | |||
| Lao | ຄູອາຈານ | ||
| Malay | cikgu | ||
| In Malay, "cikgu" also means "tutor" or "instructor". | |||
| Thai | ครู | ||
| The Thai word "ครู" (teacher) ultimately derives from the Sanskrit word "guru" meaning "heavy" or "important". | |||
| Vietnamese | giáo viên | ||
| Giáo viên in Vietnamese stems from Chinese educators who were called "educating masters" ( | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | guro | ||
Teacher in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | müəllim | ||
| "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. | |||
| Kazakh | мұғалім | ||
| The Kazakh word "мұғалім" is derived from the Arabic word "mu`allim", meaning "one who teaches" and is cognate with the English word "mullah". | |||
| Kyrgyz | мугалим | ||
| The word "мугалим" comes from the Persian word "mo'allem", which means "one who teaches". | |||
| Tajik | муаллим | ||
| The word "муаллим" is derived from the Arabic word for "teacher" and cognate with "moallem" in Persian and "muallim" in Ottoman Turkish. | |||
| Turkmen | mugallym | ||
| Uzbek | o'qituvchi | ||
| The Uzbek word "o'qituvchi" can also refer to a tutor, instructor, or coach. | |||
| Uyghur | ئوقۇتقۇچى | ||
Teacher in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kumu | ||
| 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. | |||
| Maori | kaiako | ||
| In Maori, the word "kaiako" not only means "teacher," but also signifies "one who feeds knowledge." | |||
| Samoan | faiaoga | ||
| Faiaoga can also refer to other figures of authority and leadership in Samoan culture, such as village chiefs and matai. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | guro | ||
| In some contexts, "guro" can also refer to a spiritual mentor or a master in a particular field. | |||
Teacher in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | yatichiri | ||
| Guarani | mbo'ehára | ||
Teacher in International Languages
| Esperanto | instruisto | ||
| Instruisto is the Esperanto word for "teacher", derived from the Latin word "instruere", meaning "to build in", "to construct", or "to provide with knowledge." | |||
| Latin | magister | ||
| The Latin word "magister" derives from "magistro," meaning "to be greater," and is also the root of "majestic" and "magician." | |||
Teacher in Others Languages
| Greek | δάσκαλος | ||
| 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. | |||
| Hmong | tus kws qhia ntawv | ||
| In Hmong, "tus kws qhia ntawv" can also refer to someone who provides guidance or instruction, not necessarily in a formal school setting. | |||
| Kurdish | mamoste | ||
| The Kurdish word "mamoste" is derived from the Persian word "ma'āzem", which means "shelter". | |||
| Turkish | öğretmen | ||
| 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 | |||
| Xhosa | utitshala | ||
| The word "utitshala" can also be used to refer to a respected older person. | |||
| Yiddish | לערער | ||
| Alternatively, לערער can refer to a novice or beginner in Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | uthisha | ||
| The word "uthisha" in Zulu can also refer to a guide or mentor. | |||
| Assamese | শিক্ষক | ||
| Aymara | yatichiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | गुरूजी | ||
| Dhivehi | މުދައްރިސު | ||
| Dogri | मास्टर | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | guro | ||
| Guarani | mbo'ehára | ||
| Ilocano | maestra | ||
| Krio | ticha | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | مامۆستا | ||
| Maithili | शिक्षक | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯣꯖꯥ | ||
| Mizo | zirtirtu | ||
| Oromo | barsiisaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଶିକ୍ଷକ | ||
| Quechua | yachachiq | ||
| Sanskrit | अध्यापकः | ||
| Tatar | укытучы | ||
| Tigrinya | መምህር | ||
| Tsonga | mudyondzisi | ||