老师 (lǎoshī)

老师 is the standard word for teacher in Chinese and is also used as a respectful form of address for educators at all levels.

Meanings

[noun] teacher, instructor, educator

Example Sentences

她是一位非常受学生喜爱的老师。 Tā shì yī wèi fēicháng shòu xuéshēng xǐ'ài de lǎoshī. She is a teacher who is very well-liked by students.

老师鼓励我们勇于提问。 Lǎoshī gǔlì wǒmen yǒngyú tíwèn. The teacher encourages us to be bold in asking questions.

王老师有二十年的教学经验。 Wáng lǎoshī yǒu èrshí nián de jiāoxué jīngyàn. Teacher Wang has twenty years of teaching experience.

我想成为一名好老师，帮助更多的学生。 Wǒ xiǎng chéngwéi yī míng hǎo lǎoshī, bāngzhù gèng duō de xuéshēng. I want to become a good teacher and help more students.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
班主任老师 (bānzhǔrèn lǎoshī)	homeroom teacher
数学老师 (shùxué lǎoshī)	math teacher
老师好 (lǎoshī hǎo)	"Hello, teacher!" (greeting)
谢谢老师 (xièxiè lǎoshī)	"Thank you, teacher!"

Usage Notes

老师 is used both as a noun and as a title of address. When addressing a teacher by name in Chinese, you say their surname followed by 老师: 王老师 (Teacher Wang), 李老师 (Teacher Li). This honorific is broader than English "teacher" — it can be used to address anyone with expertise or wisdom. In Chinese culture, teachers are held in high esteem.

Memory Hook

老 means "experienced/old" and 师 means "master/teacher" — a 老师 is a "seasoned master" who imparts wisdom.