How to Say "professor" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “professor” is “profesor” — use 'profesor' when referring to a male professor at a university, college, or other higher education institution..
profesor
/pro-feh-SOR//pɾo.feˈsoɾ/
Examples
El profesor de matemáticas explicó la teoría claramente.
The math professor explained the theory clearly.
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.
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.
'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.
profesora
proh-feh-SOH-rah/pɾofeˈsoɾa/
Examples
La profesora de literatura nos recomendó leer a García Márquez.
The literature professor recommended that we read García Márquez.
Mi profesora de historia nos dio mucha tarea.
My history teacher gave us a lot of homework.
La profesora García es muy estricta con las fechas de entrega.
Professor García is very strict with the submission deadlines.
Ella aspira a ser profesora titular en la facultad de derecho.
She aspires to be a tenured professor in the law school.
Gendered Profession
This noun is feminine because it refers to a woman. The masculine equivalent is 'profesor' (male teacher/professor).
Using the Wrong Article
Mistake: “El profesora.”
Correction: La profesora. Since 'profesora' is feminine, it must use the feminine articles 'la' or 'una'.
Gender Agreement is Key
Related Translations
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