Today’s Spanish word of the day is “profesor” in the masculine form, or “profesora” in the feminine form.
It’s a noun that usually translates as “teacher”, though it can sometimes be used to refer to university professors and lecturers. However, the standard word for a university professor is “catedrático” (male) or “catedrática” (female), while the word “profesor/a” is more commonly used for schoolteachers.
A common abbreviation of “profesor” is “profe”, which is how students often refer to their teachers.
In some countries, in particular Mexico and Spanish-speaking countries in Central America and the Caribbean, the word “profesor/a” is used for secondary school teachers, while “maestro/a” is preferred for elementary/primary school teachers. In other countries such as Spain, Argentina and Chile, the word “profesor/a” is preferred at all levels.
Like the English word “professor”, Spanish “profesor” comes from Latin professor, which referred to teachers of the highest rank, or those who professed expertise in a particular discipline.
Example sentences
La profesora de física intentó hacer un experimento y acabó con las cejas quemadas.
The physics teacher tried to do an experiment and ended up with singed eyebrows.
¡Ojalá todos los profesores fueran tan divertidos como tú!
I wish all teachers were as fun as you.
Si el profesor no aparece en 10 minutos, vámonos.
If the teacher doesn’t show up in 10 minutes, let’s go.
La profesora explicó el tema con mucha claridad.
The teacher explained the topic very clearly.
Mi profesor de historia es muy exigente.
My history teacher is very demanding.
