老師

Chinese

	old; aged; venerable old; aged; venerable; outdated; experienced; (affectionate prefix)	a division (milit.); teacher; master a division (milit.); teacher; master; expert; model
trad. (老師)	老	師
simp. (老师)	老	师
alternative forms	老濕／老湿 slang

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): lǎoshī

(Zhuyin): ㄌㄠˇ ㄕ

(Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): nao³ si¹

(Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): лошы (lošɨ, I-I)
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): lou⁵ si¹

(Taishan, Wiktionary): lau² lhu¹
Gan (Wiktionary): lau³ si¹
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): ló-sṳ̂

(Hailu, HRS): lo^ˊ sii^ˋ

(Meixian, Guangdong): lau³ si¹
Eastern Min (BUC): lō̤-sṳ̆
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): lor³ so¹ / lao⁵ sai¹
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): lāu-su / lǎu-sir / lāu-sir / ló-su / nó͘-sir / nó͘-su

(Teochew, Peng'im): lao² se¹ / lao² su¹
Wu (Northern, Wugniu): ¹lau-sy; ⁶lau-sy / ¹lau₆-sy₁
Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): lau³ si¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: lǎoshī
  - Zhuyin: ㄌㄠˇ ㄕ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: lǎoshih
  - Wade–Giles: lao³-shih¹
  - Yale: lǎu-shr̄
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: laoshy
  - Palladius: лаоши (laoši)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: nao³ si¹
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: laos
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /nau⁵³ sz̩⁵⁵/
- (Dungan)
  - Cyrillic and Wiktionary: лошы (lošɨ, I-I)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɔ²⁴ ʂʐ̩²⁴/
  (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: lou⁵ si¹
  - Yale: lóuh sī
  - Cantonese Pinyin: lou⁵ si¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: lou⁵ xi¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lou̯¹³ siː⁵⁵/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: lau² lhu¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lau⁵⁵ ɬu³³/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: lau³ si¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lau²¹³⁻¹³ sz̩⁴²/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ló-sṳ̂
  - Hakka Romanization System: lo^ˋ sii^ˊ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: lo³ si¹
  - Sinological IPA: /lo³¹ sɨ²⁴/
- (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
  - Hakka Romanization System: lo^ˊ sii^ˋ
  - Sinological IPA: /lo²⁴⁻³³ sɨ⁵³/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: lau³ si¹
  - Sinological IPA: /lau³¹ sz̩⁴⁴/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: lō̤-sṳ̆
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /l̃o³³⁻²¹ ^(s-)ly⁵⁵/
Puxian Min
- (Putian)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: lor³ so¹ [Phonetic: lor⁵ so¹]
  - Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: lô̤-seo
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɒ⁴⁵³⁻¹¹ ɬo⁵³³/
- (Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: lor³ so¹ [Phonetic: lor⁵ so¹]
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɒ³³²⁻²¹ ɬo⁵⁴⁴/
- (Putian)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: lao⁵ sai¹
  - Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: lāu-sai
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lau¹¹ ɬai⁵³³/
- (Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: lao⁵ sai¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lau²¹ ɬai⁵⁴⁴/

Note:

lor3 so1 - Taoist clergy leader, (Xianyoru) teacher;
lao5 sai1 - a term of address for a master.

Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Taipei, Yilan, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Penang)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lāu-su
  - Tâi-lô: lāu-su
  - Phofsit Daibuun: lauxsw
  - IPA (Taipei, Tainan): /lau³³⁻¹¹ su⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Penang): /lau²¹ su³³/
  - IPA (Yilan, Kaohsiung): /lau³³⁻²¹ su⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Lukang)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lǎu-sir
  - Tâi-lô: lǎu-sir
  - IPA (Lukang): /lau³³⁻²² sɨ³³/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /lau²² sɯ³³/
- (Hokkien: Sanxia)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lāu-sir
  - Tâi-lô: lāu-sir
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, dated in Taiwan)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ló-su
  - Tâi-lô: ló-su
  - Phofsit Daibuun: loysw
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /lo⁵³⁻⁴⁴ su⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /lɤ⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ su⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: nó͘-sir
  - Tâi-lô: nóo-sir
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /nɔ̃⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ sɯ³³/
- (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: nó͘-su
  - Tâi-lô: nóo-su
  - Phofsit Daibuun: nofsw
  - IPA (Taipei): /nɔ̃⁵³⁻⁴⁴ su⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /nɔ̃⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ su⁴⁴/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: lao² se¹ / lao² su¹
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: láu sṳ / láu su
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lau⁵²⁻³⁵ sɯ³³/, /lau⁵²⁻³⁵ su³³/

Note:

lao2 se1 - Chaozhou, Shantou, Jieyang;
lao2 su1 - Chaoyang.

Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ¹lau-sy; ⁶lau-sy
  - MiniDict: 'lau^平 sy; lau^去 sy
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹'lau-sr; ³lau-sr
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /lɔ⁵⁵ sz̩²¹/, /lɔ²² sz̩⁴⁴/
- (Northern: Suzhou)
  - Wugniu: ¹lau₆-sy₁
  - MiniDict: lau^去 sy^平
  - Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /læ⁴⁴ sz̩/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: lau³ si¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key) (old-style): /lɒu̯⁴¹ si³³/
  - Sinological IPA ^(key) (new-style): /lɒu̯⁴¹ ɕi³³/

Noun

老師

teacher (Classifier: 個／个; 位; 名)
特教老師／特教老师 ― tèjiào lǎoshī ― special ed teacher

向老師請教／向老师请教 ― xiàng lǎoshī qǐngjiào ― to ask for advice from the teacher

去學校當實習老師 [MSC, trad.]
去学校当实习老师 [MSC, simp.]
qù xuéxiào dāng shíxí lǎoshī [Pinyin]
to do teaching work experience at a school

我的老師給我很大壓力。 [MSC, trad.]
我的老师给我很大压力。 [MSC, simp.]
Wǒ de lǎoshī gěi wǒ hěn dà yālì. [Pinyin]
My teacher puts me under a lot of pressure.

現在有很多師生都聯名寫信要求取消老師的教授資格。 [MSC, trad.]
现在有很多师生都联名写信要求取消老师的教授资格。 [MSC, simp.]
Xiànzài yǒu hěn duō shīshēng dōu liánmíng xiěxìn yāoqiú qǔxiāo lǎoshī de jiàoshòu zīgé. [Pinyin]
Many teachers and students are now jointly writing to request the cancellation of the teacher’s professor eligibility.
a term of address for a teacher
在陳老師的春風化雨下，我學會了如何待人接物。 [MSC, trad.]
在陈老师的春风化雨下，我学会了如何待人接物。 [MSC, simp.]
Zài Chén lǎoshī de chūnfēnghuàyǔ xià, wǒ xuéhuì le rúhé dàirénjiēwù. [Pinyin]
Under the positive influence of Teacher Chen, I've learnt to how to get along with others.
(honorific, polite, chiefly Southwestern Mandarin) a term of address for an adult, particularly a writer or an artist
曹老師業餘喜愛閱讀，尤愛讀傳記、歷史、經濟和國際時事書刊。 [MSC, trad.]
曹老师业余喜爱阅读，尤爱读传记、历史、经济和国际时事书刊。 [MSC, simp.]
Cáo lǎoshī yèyú xǐ'ài yuèdú, yóu ài dú zhuànjì, lìshǐ, jīngjì hé guójì shíshì shūkān. [Pinyin]
Mr Cao loves reading in his spare time, especially biographies, and books related to history, economics and international current affairs.
(Puxian Min) old master (a term of address for an old person skilled at a particular art or activity)
(Puxian Min) Taoist clergy leader
(Internet slang, humorous) a term of address for a Japanese porn actress
蒼老師／苍老师 ― Cāng lǎoshī ― Ms Ao (Sora Aoi)

Synonyms

(teacher):

edit

園丁 / 园丁 (yuándīng) (figurative)
師長 / 师长 (shīzhǎng) (honorific, polite)
教員 / 教员 (jiàoyuán)
教師 / 教师 (jiàoshī)
教習 / 教习 (jiàoxí) (dated)

Dialectal synonyms of 老師 (“teacher”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		師, 先生
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		教師, 教員, 老師, 先生
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	老師
	Taiwan	老師
	Malaysia	老師
	Singapore	老師
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	老師, 先生
Central Plains Mandarin	Xi'an	老師, 先生
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	老師, 先生, 教師, 教書匠 derogatory, 叫姑姑 derogatory
	Wuhan	老師, 教師
	Dagudi (Maliba)	老師
	Reshuitang (Longling)	老師
	Mae Salong (Lancang)	老師
	Mae Sai (Tengchong)	老師
Jianghuai Mandarin	Yangzhou	教師, 先生, 老師
Jianghuai Mandarin	Hefei	教師, 老師, 先生
Cantonese	Guangzhou	老師, 先生, 教師, 教書佬, 阿Sir male
	Hong Kong	老師, 先生, 阿Sir male, 搣時 female
	Taishan	老師, 先生
	Yangjiang	老師, 先生
	Qinzhou	老師
	Qinzhou (Xiniujiao)	老師, 先生
	Beihai	老師, 先生
	Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô)	老師, 先生
	Beihai (Qiaogang - Cát Bà)	老師
	Fangchenggang (Fangcheng)	老師
	Singapore (Guangfu)	老師
	Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu)	先生
	Móng Cái	老師, 先生
Gan	Nanchang	老師, 先生
Hakka	Meixian	老師, 先生, 教師
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	先生, 教師
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	先生, 教師
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	先生, 教師
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	先生, 教師
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	先生, 教師
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	先生, 教師
Jin	Taiyuan	老師, 先生
Northern Min	Jian'ou	老師, 先生
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	先生, 老師
	Matsu	先生
	Singapore (Fuqing)	先生
Southern Min	Xiamen	先生, 老師, 先生儂
	Quanzhou	先生, 老師, 先生儂
	Zhangzhou	先生, 老師, 先生儂, 教學仔, 教冊仔, 教學仔仙 derogatory
	Taipei	先生, 老師
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	先生, 老師
	Kaohsiung	先生, 老師
	Yilan	先生, 老師
	Changhua (Lukang)	先生, 老師
	Taichung	先生, 老師
	Tainan	先生, 老師
	Hsinchu	先生
	Kinmen	先生
	Penghu (Magong)	先生
	Penang (Hokkien)	先生, 老師
	Singapore (Hokkien)	先生, 先生儂, 老師
	Manila (Hokkien)	先生
	Guilin (Biyange)	先生
	Qinzhou (Liwu)	老師
	Chaozhou	先生, 老師
	Shantou	先生, 老師, 教師
	Shantou (Chaoyang)	老師
	Wenchang	老師
	Qionghai	老師
Puxian Min	Putian	先生, 教書阿
	Putian (Donghai, Chengxiang)	先生
	Putian (Jiangkou, Hanjiang)	先生
	Putian (Nanri, Xiuyu)	先生, 教書厄
	Xianyou	老師, 先生, 教師
	Xianyou (Fengting)	老師, 先生, 教師
	Xianyou (Youyang)	老師, 先生, 教書厄
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Sanxiang)	先生
Wu	Shanghai	老師, 教師, 教書先生
	Suzhou	教師, 教書先生
	Wenzhou	教師, 教書先生, 先生
Xiang	Changsha	老師, 教書先生
Xiang	Shuangfeng	老師, 教書先生

Derived terms

代課老師 / 代课老师 (dàikè lǎoshī)
啞老師 / 哑老师
大體老師 / 大体老师 (dàtǐ lǎoshī)
托尼老師 / 托尼老师 (tuōní lǎoshī)
還給老師 / 还给老师 (huán gěi lǎoshī)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (老師):

→ Japanese: 老(ろう)師(し) (rōshi)
→ Korean: 로사(老師) (rosa), 노사(老師) (nosa)
→ Vietnamese: lão sư (老師)

Others:

→ Bouyei: laojsiy
→ Lü: ᦟᧁᦌᦹᧈ (lawsue¹)
→ Wutunhua: loshe
→ Zhuang: lauxsae

References

“老師”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.
Duffus, William (1883) “teach”, in English-Chinese Vocabulary of the Vernacular or Spoken Language of Swatow, Swatow: English Presbyterian Mission Press, page 266
莆田市政协文化文史和学习委员会 [Culture, History and Learning Committee of Putian CPPCC], editor (2021), “老师”, in 莆仙方言大词典 [Comprehensive Dictionary of Puxian Dialect] (overall work in Mandarin and Puxian Min), Xiamen University Press, →ISBN, pages 349, 366.

Japanese

Kanji in this term
老	師
ろう Grade: 4	し Grade: 5
on'yomi

Etymology

/rauɕi/ → /rɔːɕi/ → /roːɕi/

From Middle Chinese compound 老師 (MC lawX srij). Compare modern Mandarin 老師 / 老师 (lǎoshī).

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) ろーし [róꜜòshì] (Atamadaka – [1])^[1]
IPA^(key): [ɾo̞ːɕi]

Noun

老(ろう)師(し) • (rōshi) ^{←らうし (rausi)^?}

an old master or teacher
(Buddhism) an elderly monk, especially one who is learned and virtuous
(from the way that 師 (shi) can also mean "a military group") the exhaustion of military troops from fighting a protracted war

References

^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

Korean

Hanja in this term
老	師

Noun

老師 • (nosa) (hangeul 노사)

hanja form^? of 노사 (“an elderly monk; a sage; an elderly teacher or master”)

[DJR-1] Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[1]

Chinese

Pronunciation

Noun

Synonyms

Derived terms

Descendants

References

Japanese

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

See also

References

Korean

Noun