教师 (jiào shī) — teacher | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A formal written term for 'teacher' (often job titles, like 语文教师). In everyday speech, 老师 is much more common.

noun

teacher

Measure word · 个

教师。
Tā shì wǒ de zhōng wén jiào shī.
She is my Chinese teacher.
教师。
Zhè wèi jiào shī jiào le wǒ men sān nián lì shǐ.
This teacher taught us history for three years.
，教师。
Xiè xie nín, jiào shī.
Thank you, teacher.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

教 refers to teaching and 师 to a skilled person, so the meaning is a teacher.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

子子zǐchild

攵Written in full as攴pūteaching cane; stick that represents authority

Sound part声符shēngfú

爻

爻yáo教jiào

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

教 uses 爻 for its sound and puts 子 (child) with 攵 (攴), a teaching cane, to show teaching a child.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 師; 师 is its simplified writing.

𠂤帀師

The traditional form 師 combines 𠂤 and 帀; the simplified 师 is not the form explained here.

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