Usages of lǎoshī
你 是 老师 吗？nǐ shì lǎoshī ma?
Are you a teacher?
我 不 是 老师。wǒ bú shì lǎoshī.
I am not a teacher.
Note how bù (falling tone) changes it's pronunciation to bú (rising tone) when followed by a falling tone.
这 个 人 不 是 老师。zhè gè rén bú shì lǎoshī.
This person is not a teacher.
这 个 老师 在 家。zhè gè lǎoshī zài jiā.
This teacher is at home.
那 个 老师 今天 太 忙 了。nà gè lǎoshī jīntiān tài máng le.
That teacher is too busy today.
刚才 老师 给 我 发 了 邮件， 你 看 了 吗？Gāngcái lǎoshī gěi wǒ fā le yóujiàn, nǐ kàn le ma?
Just now the teacher sent me an email; did you see it?
老师 先 说 语法， 然后 让 我们 写 句子。lǎoshī xiān shuō yǔfǎ, ránhòu ràng wǒmen xiě jùzi.
The teacher first explains the grammar, then lets us write sentences.
老师 说 我们 得 好好 做 这些 练习。lǎoshī shuō wǒmen děi hǎohāo zuò zhèxiē liànxí.
The teacher said we must do these exercises carefully.
在 中文 课 上， 老师 让 我们 自由 说 中文， 表达 自己 的 意见。zài zhōngwén kè shàng, lǎoshī ràng wǒmen zìyóu shuō zhōngwén, biǎodá zìjǐ de yìjiàn.
In Chinese class, the teacher lets us speak freely in Chinese and express our own opinions.
老师 说 这些 作业 虽然 不 多， 但是 很 重要， 必须 做完。Lǎoshī shuō zhèxiē zuòyè suīrán bù duō, dànshì hěn zhòngyào, bìxū zuòwán.
The teacher said that although there isn’t much homework, it’s very important and must be finished.
在 学校 里， 老师 也 很 关心 学生 的 选择。Zài xuéxiào lǐ, lǎoshī yě hěn guānxīn xuéshēng de xuǎnzé.
At school, the teacher also cares a lot about the students’ choices.
老师 让 我们 回家 读 一些 文章， 然后 在 课上 自由 讨论。lǎoshī ràng wǒmen huíjiā dú yìxiē wénzhāng, ránhòu zài kèshàng zìyóu tǎolùn.
The teacher asked us to go home and read some articles, then freely discuss them in class.
老师 说 只要 我们 每天 认真 复习， 中文 水平 一定 会 提高， 这样 大家 就 更 有 信心 了。lǎoshī shuō zhǐyào wǒmen měitiān rènzhēn fùxí, zhōngwén shuǐpíng yídìng huì tígāo, zhèyàng dàjiā jiù gèng yǒu xìnxīn le.
The teacher said that as long as we review carefully every day, our Chinese level will definitely improve, and then everyone will be more confident.
我 的 作业 里 常常 有 一些 小 错误， 但 是 老师 说 不 要 害怕。wǒ de zuòyè lǐ chángcháng yǒu yìxiē xiǎo cuòwù, dàn shì lǎoshī shuō bú yào hàipà.
There are often some small mistakes in my homework, but the teacher says not to be afraid.
这 个 语法 老师 已经 给 我 解释 了 两 次， 我 觉得 自己 应该 更 注意。zhè gè yǔfǎ lǎoshī yǐjīng gěi wǒ jiěshì le liǎng cì, wǒ juéde zìjǐ yīnggāi gèng zhùyì.
The teacher has already explained this grammar to me twice; I feel I should pay more attention.
那 位 老师 说话 的 声音 不 大， 在 吵 的 教室 里 不 太 好 听清楚。nà wèi lǎoshī shuōhuà de shēngyīn bú dà, zài chǎo de jiàoshì lǐ bú tài hǎo tīngqīngchu.
That teacher’s voice isn’t loud; in a noisy classroom it’s not very easy to hear clearly.
他 以为 自己 没有 办法 提高 中文 水平， 可是 老师 说 只要 继续 练习 就 会 好 多 了。tā yǐwéi zìjǐ méiyǒu bànfǎ tígāo zhōngwén shuǐpíng, kěshì lǎoshī shuō zhǐyào jìxù liànxí jiù huì hǎo duō le.
He thought he had no way to improve his Chinese level, but the teacher said that as long as he keeps practicing, it will get much better.
早上好， 老师。zǎoshanghǎo, lǎoshī.
Good morning, teacher.
下个 星期 我们 打算 跟 老师 一起 参观 城市 里 的 博物馆。xiàge xīngqī wǒmen dǎsuàn gēn lǎoshī yìqǐ cānguān chéngshì lǐ de bówùguǎn.
Next week we plan to visit the museum in the city together with our teacher.
老师 让 我们 写 一 篇 介绍 自己 理想 的 作文。Lǎoshī ràng wǒmen xiě yì piān jièshào zìjǐ lǐxiǎng de zuòwén.
The teacher asked us to write a composition introducing our own ideals.
学校 给 了 他 奖学金， 老师 也 很 支持 他 继续 学习。Xuéxiào gěi le tā jiǎngxuéjīn, lǎoshī yě hěn zhīchí tā jìxù xuéxí.
The school gave him a scholarship, and the teacher also strongly supports him in continuing to study.
有的 同学 以后 想 当 老师， 有的 同学 想 当 作家。Yǒude tóngxué yǐhòu xiǎng dāng lǎoshī, yǒude tóngxué xiǎng dāng zuòjiā.
Some classmates want to be teachers in the future; some classmates want to be writers.
在 中文 课 上， 老师 常常 让 我们 自由 交流 自己 的 看法。Zài zhōngwén kè shàng, lǎoshī chángcháng ràng wǒmen zìyóu jiāoliú zìjǐ de kànfǎ.
In Chinese class, the teacher often lets us freely exchange our own opinions.
老师 先 介绍 今天 课 的 内容， 再 告诉 我们 每 个 部分 的 重点。Lǎoshī xiān jièshào jīntiān kè de nèiróng, zài gàosu wǒmen měi gè bùfen de zhòngdiǎn.
The teacher first introduces today’s lesson content, then tells us the key points of each part.
老师 说， 这 个 小组 的 每 个 人 都 要 为 自己 的 部分 负责。Lǎoshī shuō, zhè gè xiǎozǔ de měi gè rén dōu yào wèi zìjǐ de bùfen fùzé.
The teacher said that everyone in this group must be responsible for their own part.
我 以为 她 是 老师， 原来 她 是 来 参观 的 学生。Wǒ yǐwéi tā shì lǎoshī, yuánlái tā shì lái cānguān de xuéshēng.
I thought she was a teacher; it turns out she is a visiting student.
以后 我 想 当 老师。yǐhòu wǒ xiǎng dāng lǎoshī.
In the future I want to be a teacher.
老师 说， 做 老师 最 重要 的 是 要 有 耐心。lǎoshī shuō, zuò lǎoshī zuì zhòngyào de shì yào yǒu nàixīn.
The teacher said that the most important thing about being a teacher is to have patience.
老师 在 课上 解释 了 问题 的 原因， 也 说 清楚 了 可能 的 结果。lǎoshī zài kèshàng jiěshì le wèntí de yuányīn, yě shuō qīngchu le kěnéng de jiéguǒ.
In class the teacher explained the cause of the problem and also clearly stated the possible result.
老师 在 中文 课 上 给 我们 讲 故事。lǎoshī zài zhōngwén kè shàng gěi wǒmen jiǎng gùshi.
In Chinese class, the teacher tells us stories.
在 课上， 老师 常常 让 我们 用 中文 问 问题。zài kèshàng, lǎoshī chángcháng ràng wǒmen yòng zhōngwén wèn wèntí.
In class, the teacher often has us ask questions in Chinese.
我们 老师 说， 感冒 的 时候 最好 别 喝 太 多 冰 饮料。wǒmen lǎoshī shuō, gǎnmào de shíhou zuìhǎo bié hē tài duō bīng yǐnliào.
Our teacher said that when you have a cold, it’s best not to drink too many cold drinks.
老师 把 今天 的 文件 上传 到 网站 了， 我 回家 以后 再 下载。Lǎoshī bǎ jīntiān de wénjiàn shàngchuán dào wǎngzhàn le, wǒ huíjiā yǐhòu zài xiàzǎi.
The teacher uploaded today’s file to the website, and I’ll download it after I get home.
我 晚上 想 先 上传 报告， 再 登录 网站 看 老师 有没有 收到。Wǒ wǎnshang xiǎng xiān shàngchuán bàogào, zài dēnglù wǎngzhàn kàn lǎoshī yǒuméiyǒu shōudào.
Tonight I want to upload the report first, then log into the website to see whether the teacher has received it.
老师 让 我们 把 报告 打印 出来， 再 复印 两 份 给 同学。lǎoshī ràng wǒmen bǎ bàogào dǎyìn chūlái, zài fùyìn liǎng fèn gěi tóngxué.
The teacher asked us to print out the report and then make two photocopies for our classmates.
她 上 网课 的 时候 总是 戴 着 耳机， 所以 旁边 的 人 听不见 老师 的 声音。tā shàng wǎngkè de shíhou zǒngshì dài zhe ěrjī, suǒyǐ pángbiān de rén tīngbujiàn lǎoshī de shēngyīn.
When she attends online classes, she always wears earphones, so the people next to her can’t hear the teacher’s voice.
那个 男孩子 很 聪明， 可是 老师 更 喜欢 那个 女孩子， 因为 她 既 聪明 又 诚实。nàge nánháizi hěn cōngming, kěshì lǎoshī gèng xǐhuan nàge nǚháizi, yīnwèi tā jì cōngming yòu chéngshí.
That boy is very smart, but the teacher likes that girl more, because she is both smart and honest.
老师 在 黑板 上 写 了 几 个 生词， 我们 先 读， 再 写 句子。lǎoshī zài hēibǎn shàng xiě le jǐ gè shēngcí, wǒmen xiān dú, zài xiě jùzi.
The teacher wrote a few new words on the blackboard; we read them first, then write sentences.
老师 在 黑板 上 写 的 时候， 我们 都 认真 做笔记。lǎoshī zài hēibǎn shàng xiě de shíhou, wǒmen dōu rènzhēn zuòbǐjì.
When the teacher writes on the blackboard, we all take notes carefully.
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“How do tones work in Chinese?”
Mandarin Chinese has four main tones plus a neutral tone. The same syllable can mean completely different things depending on the tone — for example, "mā" (mother), "má" (hemp), "mǎ" (horse), and "mà" (scold). Mastering tones is essential for being understood.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning ChineseMaster Chinese — from lǎoshī to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions