French Conversation · Level 62
76 words
French word
maître
Pronunciation
IPA/mɛtʁ/
Meaning
- masculine nounteacher
Example
Le maître corrige les cahiers.
The teacher grades the notebooks.
More examples
Les élèves posent des questions au maître après la classe.
The students ask the teacher questions after class.
Core concept
A senior guide in a craft or discipline, combining authority over the work with the role of a teacher.
Common phrases
le maître d'école
schoolteacher
le maître de la classe
class teacher
Similar words
professeur: A teacher of a specialized subject at a school or university.
enseignant: A person whose work involves teaching in a school or similar setting.
instituteur: A teacher who mainly teaches children basic subjects in primary school.
prof: A casual spoken term for a teacher at a school or university.
Definition in French
Désigne une personne reconnue pour sa compétence dans un art ou un métier, et parfois un enseignant ou un guide d'apprentissage.
Word origin
Maître is an inherited French form of Latin magister via Old French maistre; the circumflex preserves the history of its dropped s.
Usage tips
- Maître appears in compounds such as maître-nageur and maître d'hôtel, where the following words specify a particular role.