sono sensei wa kibishisou ni mieru keredo, jissai wa totemo ii hito desu.

That teacher looks strict, but is actually a very nice person.

Breakdown of sono sensei wa kibishisou ni mieru keredo, jissai wa totemo ii hito desu.

• は: topic particle
• です: to be
• 先せん生せい: teacher
• 人ひと: person

Questions & Answers about sono sensei wa kibishisou ni mieru keredo, jissai wa totemo ii hito desu.

Why is その used before 先生 here?

その means that and points to a specific teacher that both speaker and listener can identify from context.

So その先生 = that teacher.

This is different from just 先生, which could mean a teacher or the teacher depending on context.

A quick comparison:

• この先生 = this teacher
• その先生 = that teacher
• あの先生 = that teacher over there / that teacher we both know

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Why is the topic particle は used after 先生?

は marks その先生 as the topic of the sentence: as for that teacher...

The sentence is basically saying:

• As for that teacher, he/she seems strict, but is actually a very nice person.

Using は sets up the person being talked about, and the rest of the sentence gives information about them.

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What does 厳しそう mean, and how is it different from 厳しい?