‘Teacher’ is actually a widely used word in everyday conversation in Japanese. Many different people go by the title ‘teacher’, even if they don’t work in a school.
I know, sounds confusing, right?! This is because ‘teacher’ can have a deeper, cultural meaning in the Japanese language.
You might have heard the word sensei (先生 / せんせい) meaning ‘teacher’ in Japanese. But it’s not the only word for teacher.
So, let’s take a look at the different terms for ‘teacher’ in Japanese, and what situations we can use them in!
Kyoushi
教師
Teacher
Kyoushi is the term used to refer to ‘teacher’ as a job or profession.
The Japanese word kyoushi (教師 / きょうし) is made up of the kanji for ‘teach’ 教 and ‘expert’ or ‘master’ 師.
Example:
Watashi no haha wa kyoushi toshite hatarakimasu
私の母は教師として働きます
わたしのはははきょうしとしてはたらきます
My mother works as a teacher
That being said, if you are addressing a teacher directly, there is a more suitable term!
Sensei
先生
Teacher
Sensei (先生 / せんせい) is the word for ‘teacher’ that may be more familiar to you!
Sensei is a respectful title that can pretty much refer to anyone who teaches you in life, whether that be school teachers, instructors or wise old elders.
In English, we would generally refer to a teacher as Mr/Ms [surname]. Though the Japanese language does not have an exact equivalent of these titles, you may have learned that they use honorific suffixes such as –san, –chan, -sama and so on, in order to show respect. For example: Yamada-san would be akin to saying Mr. Yamada in English.
But when we are speaking to or about a teacher, we use the word sensei (instead of -san) after their name to show respect.
Note, sensei can be used either as an honorific suffix after a name, or as a standalone word for teacher.
Example 1:
Yamada sensei wa furansu go wo oshiete kuremashita
山田先生はフランス語を教えてくれました
やまだせんせいはふらんすごをおしえてくれました
Mr. Yamada taught us French
Example 2:
Kanojo wa sensei ni shitsumon wo shimashita
彼女は先生に質問をしました
かのじょはせんせいにしつもんをしました
She asked the teacher a question
Since sensei is a respectful, honorific title, you should not refer to yourself as sensei. If you work as a teacher, it’s better to describe your job as kyoushi.
Who else is referred to as sensei?
As mentioned above, sensei is not just reserved for a ‘teacher’ in the academic sense of the word.
If the person you are addressing imparts wisdom of any kind, or has reached a level of mastery in their craft, you may refer to them as sensei.
Examples include: doctors, lawyers, artists and martial arts instructors. Even politicians are often referred to as sensei!
The title of sensei signals respect for someone’s knowledge, social standing or the guidance they give you.
Example 3:
Yamada sensei ga shujutsu wo shimasu
山田先生が手術をします
やまだせんせいがしゅじゅつをします
Doctor Yamada will perform the surgery
Like kyoushi and sensei, ‘doctor’ is another example of how the Japanese language distinguishes between the profession and the person. While sensei is how you would address the doctor as a person, isha (医者 / いしゃ) is the term for ‘doctor’ as a job title.
More teacher vocabulary in Japanese
Here are some different types of teachers you will meet if you go to or work at a school in Japan:
- kouchou-sensei 校長先生 / こうちょうせんせい – Principal
- kyoutou-sensei 教頭先生 / きょうとうせんせい – Vice Principal
- tannin no sensei (担任の先生 / たんにんのせんせい) – Class teacher, homeroom teacher
- ALT / ei eru tii (ALT) – Assistant Language Teacher
Note: the full Japanese title for an ALT is gaikokugo shidou joshu (外国語指導助手 / がいこくごしどうじょしゅ). But since this is a bit of a mouthful, they tend to use the English abbreviation instead!
Related posts
- Notice Me Senpai! What Does Senpai Mean in Japanese and How to Use it
- Kouhai in Japanese: What Does it Mean and How to Use it
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Hannah is a half Irish/half Japanese girl living in Ireland. Her love for Japan and the Japanese language led her to studying languages and translation in university where she specialised in Japanese. She spent a year studying abroad at Rikkyo University in Tokyo. In her free time, Hannah enjoys using her sewing machine to upcycle clothes and create new pieces!