Korean word

선생

Pronunciation

Romanizationseonsaeng

Meaning

  • nounteacher

Example

우리 선생님은 수업을 재미있게 해요.u ri seon saeng ni meun su eo beul chae mi it kke hae yo

Our teacher makes class fun.

Illustration for 선생 (teacher)

More examples

궁금한 점은 선생님한테 물어보세요.kung geum han cheo meun seon saeng nim han te mu reo bo se yo

Ask your teacher if you have any questions.

Core concept

Someone who stands ahead of others and helps them gain knowledge and direction.

Common phrases

  • 선생님한테seon saeng nim han te

    to the teacher

  • 선생님 덕분에seon saeng nim teok ppu ne

    thanks to the teacher

Similar words

선생님seonsaengnim: A polite title for someone who teaches and guides learners.
교사kyosa: A school staff member whose job is to teach students in regular classes.
강사kangsa: A person who leads lessons or training sessions for a group of learners.
멘토mento: An experienced adviser who supports someone's growth through personal guidance.

Definition in Korean

다른 사람을 가르치고 길을 안내하는 역할을 하는 사람을 가리키는 말로, 옛 문헌에서도 스승이나 존경의 뜻으로 쓰여 온 명사ta reun sa ra meul ka reu chi go ki reul an nae ha neun yeo ka reul ha neun sa ra meul ka ri ki neun mal lo yet mun heo ne seo do seu seung i na chon gyeong ui tteu seu ro sseu yeo on myeong sa

Word origin

The word is a Sino-Korean borrowing from a traditional Chinese term for a teacher or learned person, preserving its respectful sense in Korean.

Usage tips

  • In everyday polite speech, an honorific ending is commonly added to this noun, so the shorter form may sound formal, literary, or like part of a title.

Related words

Word lists with this word