A friendly male teacher standing in a classroom next to a large green chalkboard, holding a piece of chalk and smiling.

profesor

/pro-feh-SOR/

NounmA1

teacher?for middle school, high school,professor?for university or college

Also:instructor?a general term for someone who teaches

📝 In Action

Mi profesor de español es de Madrid.

My Spanish teacher is from Madrid.

El profesor explicó la lección dos veces.

The teacher explained the lesson twice.

Ella es profesora de historia en la universidad.

She is a history professor at the university.

Word Connections

Synonyms

maestro (teacher (usually for younger kids))
docente (educator (more formal))

Antonyms

alumno (student (male))
alumna (student (female))
estudiante (student)

Common Collocations

profesor particular – private tutor
profesor de universidad – university professor
profesor de primaria/secundaria – primary/secondary school teacher

💡 Grammar Points

A Word with Two Genders

Profesor is the word for a male teacher. To talk about a female teacher, you just change the ending to -ora: profesora. This is a common pattern in Spanish for jobs ending in -or.

❌ Common Pitfalls

'Profesor' vs. 'Maestro'

Mistake: "Mi maestro de la universidad es muy inteligente."

Correction: Mi profesor de la universidad es muy inteligente. Use `profesor` for high school and university teachers. `Maestro` is usually for elementary school teachers.

⭐ Usage Tips

How to Address Your Teacher

It's very common and friendly to call your teacher profe. This short version works for both profesor and profesora. You can say, 'Profe, no entiendo' (Teacher, I don't understand).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: profesor

Question 1 of 1

You want to say 'My chemistry teacher (who is a woman) is very nice.' How would you say it?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

profesora(teacher (female)) - noun

profesorado(faculty, teaching staff) - noun

profesión(profession) - noun

profesional(professional) - adjective/noun

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the real difference between `profesor` and `maestro`?

Think about the age of the students. `Maestro/a` is most common for teachers of young children (elementary/primary school). `Profesor/a` is the standard term for teachers of older students (middle school, high school, university). However, `maestro` can also be used to mean 'master' of a craft, like a 'maestro' of painting.

Is it rude to call my teacher `profe`?

Not at all! In most Spanish-speaking countries, `profe` is a very common, friendly, and respectful way to address your teacher. It's used from middle school all the way through university.