How to say “teacher” in Chinese
🔊 Tap to hear it
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Word by word
Tone tip
Dip low on 老, then jump high and flat on 师. The 'shi' is a buzzy 'shr', not 'shee'. Students address teachers as surname + 老师 (王老师), and 老师 is also a polite title for experts and artists.
In a sentence
Wáng lǎoshī, zǎoshang hǎo!
Good morning, Teacher Wang!
Hear it and say it right
Reading pinyin only gets you halfway. ToneDeck plays native audio and scores your pronunciation so your tones land. HSK 1 is free, no install.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
How do you say "teacher" in Chinese?+
"teacher" in Mandarin Chinese is 老师, pronounced lǎoshī. Dip low on 老, then jump high and flat on 师. The 'shi' is a buzzy 'shr', not 'shee'. Students address teachers as surname + 老师 (王老师), and 老师 is also a polite title for experts and artists.
What does 老师 mean literally?+
老师 breaks down as 老 (lǎo) = old / venerable, 师 (shī) = master / teacher. Together it means "teacher".
How do I get the tones right in lǎoshī?+
Dip low on 老, then jump high and flat on 师. The 'shi' is a buzzy 'shr', not 'shee'. Students address teachers as surname + 老师 (王老师), and 老师 is also a polite title for experts and artists.
More phrases like this
Master the tones behind it
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
On iPhone, Android and the web
ToneDeck is on the App Store. The trainer works right now.
Download ToneDeck for iPhone or Android today. One account unlocks Pro on both the app and the web. Prefer the browser? The full tone trainer runs at tonedeck.app right now, no install, free to start.
Sign up free and start trainingSee all the phrases on the how to say things in Chinese index, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.