Key Facts
- Word: 선생님 (seonsaengnim), noun, mixed origin
- Register: Respectful. Used as title after a name (김 선생님) and to address teachers; 님 adds honorific.
- Hanja: 先生 (先 earlier + 生 born) + 님 (honorific suffix)
- Senses: teacher; title for respected professionals (e.g. doctor, lawyer)
Teacher in Korean: What Does 선생님 Mean?
선생님 means teacher, and it also serves as a title for respected professionals such as doctors and lawyers. The register is respectful. You attach it after a name, as in 김 선생님, and use it to address teachers directly. The suffix 님 adds the honorific.
How Do You Pronounce It?
Read it seon-saeng-nim. The RR seonsaengnim shows each syllable, and the final 님 is a clear 'nim'. There is no sound change: each syllable is read as written.
Example Sentences with 선생님
선생님은 학교에 계세요.
Seonsaengnimeun hakgyoe gyeseyo.
The teacher is at school.
A location statement. The verb 계세요 is the honorific 'is (at)', used for respected people instead of the plain verb.
선생님, 안녕하세요?
Seonsaengnim, annyeonghaseyo?
Hello, teacher.
A greeting that addresses the teacher directly, with 안녕하세요 as the polite hello.
우리 선생님은 친절해요.
Uri seonsaengnimeun chinjeolhaeyo.
Our teacher is kind.
A description. 우리 means 'our', the normal way to say 'my teacher' in Korean, and 친절해요 means 'is kind'.
Common Phrases and Collocations
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 담임 선생님 | homeroom teacher |
| 영어 선생님 | English teacher |
| 선생님께 | to the teacher (honorific) |
The Mistake to Avoid
Mistake: dropping 님 and calling a teacher 선생. Correct: 선생님. Bare 선생 is not a polite way to address your teacher. Note too that 선생님 is not only for teachers: it is also a polite way to address doctors and some other professionals.
선생님 Compared with Similar Words
Two other teaching words differ by role and use.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 교사 | teacher (formal/profession) | 교사 is the occupation word, not used to address someone. |
| 교수님 | professor | 교수님 is for a university professor. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
The hanja is 先生: 先 means earlier and 生 means born, so the sense is 'one born earlier'. The 님 is a native honorific suffix, so the word mixes a Sino-Korean part with a native one.
After Class: Asking the Teacher a Question
A learner approaches the teacher after a lesson. The teacher gives permission to ask, and the learner points to an unfamiliar word.
Learner
선생님, 질문이 있어요.
Seonsaengnim, jilmuni isseoyo.
Teacher, I have a question.
Teacher
네, 말씀하세요.
Ne, malsseumhaseyo.
Yes, go ahead.
Learner
이 단어는 무슨 뜻이에요?
I daneoneun museun tteusieyo?
What does this word mean?
Teacher
어떤 단어요?
Eotteon daneoyo?
Which word?
선생님 at the start gets the teacher’s attention. 질문이 있어요 announces a question without launching straight into it. 말씀하세요 is a courteous invitation to speak. A teacher can use polite speech to a learner too; respect in the title does not force the other speaker to use casual endings.
The learner’s 이 단어 means “this word”, but the teacher still needs to know which one. 어떤 단어요 asks for that missing detail. Pointing at a textbook or naming the word would make the question specific enough to answer.
Choosing a Title for a Real Person
김 선생님 puts the family name before the title. When the listener already knows which teacher you mean, 선생님 alone is enough. English often uses “Mr” or “Ms” plus a surname; in a Korean classroom, the role title 선생님 gives you a direct way to address the teacher.
영어 선생님 is an English teacher, and 한국어 선생님 is a Korean-language teacher. The word before 선생님 identifies the subject taught. It does not state the teacher’s nationality. A person teaching Korean outside Korea can still be your 한국어 선생님.
담임 선생님 means homeroom teacher. It identifies the teacher responsible for a particular class group. 수학 선생님 means maths teacher and identifies a subject. The same person could have both roles, so the expressions answer different questions about their work.
Giving Something to the Teacher
선생님께 means “to the teacher”, with the respectful recipient marker 께. It fits giving the teacher a document, message or present. 선생님의 means “the teacher’s”, with 의 marking possession. The endings are short, but they tell you different relationships: a recipient versus an owner.
선생님이 and 선생님은 can make the teacher the subject or topic. 선생님께서 is a respectful subject form. 께서 and 께 therefore have different jobs even though they look similar. In a sentence about the teacher receiving a letter, 께 marks the recipient; in one about the teacher speaking, 께서 can mark the speaker.
The honorifics lesson explains these choices together. The existing sentence 선생님은 학교에 계세요 also shows respect through 계세요, the honorific location verb. The title and the verb can both contribute respect within the same sentence.
Where Will You Hear 선생님 beyond a Classroom?
Parents use 선생님 when talking to or about their child’s teacher. A notice or conversation may add a subject or class role to identify the right person. 우리 선생님 is common from a learner’s point of view, even when English would say “my teacher”. 우리 places the teacher within the speaker’s group.
At a clinic, 의사 선생님 refers respectfully to a doctor. If the setting already makes the role clear, 선생님 can be enough. Hearing the title therefore does not prove that the person works in a school. Look at the setting before translating every occurrence as a classroom teacher.
교사 is useful in occupation descriptions and formal writing about teachers. 교수님 addresses or refers respectfully to a professor. These words help distinguish a profession label from a title used directly to a person. When speaking to your school teacher, 선생님 remains the practical choice.
People and Classroom Words to Learn Next
| Korean | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 학생 | student | The learner in a school or class. |
| 반 | class group | The group associated with a homeroom teacher. |
| 수업 | lesson; class | The teaching session, rather than the class group. |
| 질문 | question | What the learner announces in the dialogue. |
The people and relationships vocabulary lesson teaches the wider set. 반 and 수업 are especially useful beside 선생님 because they separate the group being taught from the teaching session itself.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 한국어 선생님 identify the subject taught or the teacher’s nationality?
- Which phrase marks a recipient: 선생님께 or 선생님의?
- Must someone called 선생님 work in a school?
Show answers
- The subject taught: Korean.
- 선생님께 means “to the teacher”; 선생님의 means “the teacher’s”.
- No. The respectful title can also be used for professionals such as doctors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 선생님 mean?
Teacher, and a respectful title for professionals such as doctors.
Why is 님 needed?
It is the honorific suffix. Without it, 선생 is not polite enough to address a teacher.
What is 교사?
The formal occupation word. You do not use it to address someone.
Who is 교수님?
A university professor.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: People and relationships words groups 선생님 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add it to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- See also the page for another title word, boss: boss.