An army division of 2,500 soldiers in ancient China.
Teacher, master, expert; a polite title for skilled professionals. A banner on the right leads a crowd on the left — the leader is the teacher.
师
Common Usage & Traps
- 老师 — teacher
- 王老师 — Teacher Wang
- 老师好 — Hello, teacher
- 汉语老师 — Chinese language teacher
- 好老师 — good teacher
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师老师师 alone is not used for a teacher in everyday Mandarin.
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他是师他是老师When you mean teacher, use 老师, not 师 by itself.
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我师我的老师师 does not stand alone as a noun. Say 我的老师.
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师好老师好The greeting starts with 老师, not 师.
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老师王王老师Surname comes before 老师, so Teacher Wang is 王老师.
Can you just say 师 to mean 'teacher'?
No. 师 alone sounds classical or military; everyday speech uses 老师.
Point at a teacher and say 师, and people hear a commander from an old war story. The normal word is 老师, and it works for any teacher, male or female. If you try 他是师, it sounds like a line from a historical drama, not a real sentence. So use 老师 when you mean a teacher.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Calling your teacher | 老师 | 师 |
| Saying he is a teacher | 他是老师 | 他是师 |
| Asking if the teacher is here | 老师在吗？ | 师在吗？ |
Do you say 王老师 or 老师王?
Surname first: 王老师. 老师王 is upside down.
Chinese titles come after the surname, so Teacher Wang is 王老师. The same order gives 李医生 for Doctor Li and 张先生 for Mr. Zhang. Flip it to 老师王 and it sounds like a joke or a translation mistake. Memorize the pattern: name first, title second.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher Wang | 王老师 | 老师王 |
| Doctor Li | 李医生 | 医生李 |
| Mr. Zhang | 张先生 | 先生张 |
Appears in Stories 8 stories
Is four years to reach HSK 5 fast or slow? Follow a conversation between two learners as they compare study hours and share realistic strategies for busy adults.
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你有汉语 老师 和中文 老师 吗？
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B：我们说话的时候，只说“汉语”就可以了，就是说“中文 老师 、汉语 老师 ”都可以。
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我有一位汉语 老师 。
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我这四年上网跟 老师 上课，学了最多四百个学时。
In this funny HSK 2 story, a boy asks his father for money every day. When his father tries to teach him a lesson, the boy's clever reply will make you laugh.
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钱老师 只有一个孩子，叫钱学中。
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钱老师 说：“你已经十岁了，已经是个大孩子了。
Meet Dr. Mi, a doctor and teacher at Sichuan University. This simple HSK 1 story shows his daily routine from morning to night, helping you learn time expressions and everyday activities.
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他是一个医生，也是一个 老师 。
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米中家妈妈说：“这不是‘ 米老师 的一天’，这是‘ 米老师 的天天’”。
Before you read, think about the questions you ask every day. This simple poem shows you how to ask age, price, time, and more in friendly Chinese.
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问问题，要知道，问 老师 ，说“请问”。
In this warm dialogue, a parent introduces their family at a restaurant. A teacher gently corrects common mistakes about family words and names, making it perfect for HSK 2 learners.
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A： 高老师 ，您好啊！
This playful HSK 1 poem twists words you already know and asks how an hour can be small. Read it aloud and laugh; a fun way to practice Chinese.
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老师 都很老？
Everyday greetings are a gateway to natural Chinese. Practice time-based hellos like “早上好” and “晚安,” learn to address teachers with the respectful “您,” and see how families skip formalities to speak warmly at home.
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看见 老师 说您好！
Chat about where friends study Chinese while exploring 哪儿 and 哪里 across Beijing and Shanghai. Practice asking “where”, talking about “here” and “there”, and using the modest reply 哪里哪里 to accept a compliment.
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我听钱 老师 说，“where”是“哪儿”。
Questions & Discussion 0 questions
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