Question about japanese

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[Guilty Spark]

Can someone tell me if this is the correct Japanese symbol for "teacher" please?

http://img60.imageshack.us/img60/9875/chantaldp4.jpg

[HL1978]

thats the kanji for sensei. sensei isn't teacher as it is the title for doctors etc or anyone of learning. For example a High school teacher would never refer to their job title as "sensei".

Are you looking for the right kanji for the title associated with teacher, or the job?.

[Walker]

The other general possibility is 教師　(きょうし, kyoshi/kyoosi) -- a teacher, an instructor. "Nakamura sensei is a kyoshi."

[Guilty Spark]

I'm looking for a school teacher ie highschool teacher.

[Gernot Hassenpflug]

At the risk of showing my poor Japanese skills, when talking about a schoolteacher you might refer to them as "gakkou no sensei"; "kyoushi" is fairly formal and probably more used in addresses and writing than in colloquial speech (although when speaking of someone with higher social rank "kyoushi" might well be used, though it could be seen as a bit stuffy). They themselves might refer to themselves by what they do, e.g., "gakkou de Eigo wo oshiete imasu" rather than showing off by naming their position directly.

If you want to write a letter to a schoolteacher (or a teacher of any subject material you can think of) then adding "sensei" to their name is perfect, unless they have a title as well. "Kyoushi", as far as I know, is not used as a title, but professor ("kyouju") is.

[Guilty Spark]

Appreciate the help all thank you.

I'm looking for the symbol for (school) teacher in Japanese as a teacher friend of mine is interested in getting it as her first tattoo.

[Gernot Hassenpflug]

Maybe she'd make more of an impression if she made it "Dai-sensei" (great teacher).

[nagoyajoe]

学校の先生　is read as "gakko no sensei" which means school teacher. Be sure to ask a native speaker of Japanese before putting any ink into your body!

[Josh Reyer]

School teachers are officially known as kyouyu 教諭, rather than kyoushi. However, this would be roughly the equivalent of a tattoo saying "municipal teacher". 先生 by itself is fine. It's use as a job title is casual, but common.

[Guilty Spark]

Cool guys, does anyone have the actual symbol for it by any chance?

[Josh Reyer]

Cool guys, does anyone have the actual symbol for it by any chance?

Um, it's what you posted in the first post of the thread...

[Guilty Spark]

But Hunter said that symbol was teacher (sensei) and not teacher in the school teacher context?

[Josh Reyer]

But Hunter said that symbol was teacher (sensei) and not teacher in the school teacher context?

Mr. Lonsberry is mistaken. I work in two elementary schools. As I noted, the use of "sensei" as a job title is casual, but common.

[Upyu]

Appreciate the help all thank you.

I'm looking for the symbol for (school) teacher in Japanese as a teacher friend of mine is interested in getting it as her first tattoo.
Tell him to get "兄貴" ("Aniki") tattooed instead.
Just say it's the kewler form of sensei :D

[Rennis Buchner]

At the risk of showing my poor Japanese skills, when talking about a schoolteacher you might refer to them as "gakkou no sensei"; "kyoushi" is fairly formal and probably more used in addresses and writing than in colloquial speech.

Not so sure about that. In academic circles the usage may vary well be different, but I hear it thrown around in everyday use similar to how we might use "instructor" quite often. Interestingly, the bulk of the eikaiwa industry also specifically refer to there foreign instructors with the term kyoshi specifically because it has a different nuance than a professionally trained "school teacher" (which would also require a different visa and more pay as well).

[Rennis Buchner]

Tell him to get "兄貴" ("Aniki") tattooed instead.
Just say it's the kewler form of sensei :D

Or my favorite ”兄貴スカイウォーカー”

[HL1978]

Mr. Lonsberry is mistaken. I work in two elementary schools. As I noted, the use of "sensei" as a job title is casual, but common.

The reason I brought it up was as I noted, that it may be used for a position with some respect such as a professional job (doctors, lawyers accountants etc)or an authority figure of some sort.

Clearly sensei may be used as a form of address for a teacher. I was trying to distinguish when used as a title/form of address and the job position itself. Obviously the professional 's job title (doctor, lawyer, etc) isn't sensei rather isha/haisha or whatever type of doctor or researcher, bengoshi, etc. Likewise I would be surprised if an elementary school teacher's business card simply said "sensei" on it or they simply said that my job is "sensei".

What's used in casual conversation may vary of course.Id say let them get whatever they want for a tattoo.

[Josh Reyer]

Likewise I would be surprised if an elementary school teacher's business card simply said "sensei" on it or they simply said that my job is "sensei".


In the case of the former, as I noted above, the title is "kyoyu" 教諭. In regards to the latter, elementary school teachers simply say that their job is "sensei" all the time. Much more often, in fact, than saying "kyoyu".

Look at it this way. People with Ph.D.'s, no matter what their field, are called "Doctor". And yet, if a person says, "I'm a doctor," everyone understands that they mean "medical doctor", although their official title might be "physician", or "surgeon".

It's the same thing here. Doctors, lawyers, politicians, and instructors of all stripes are called "sensei". It's a term of address. However, if a person were to say, "I'm a sensei" (More likely, "I'm a gakkou no sensei"), then everyone understands what they mean, although their official job title is "kyoyu". As I was typing this, I just asked the elementary school teacher at the computer next to me what she tells people when asked about their job, and she said typically it would be "gakkou no sensei", and not "kyoyu" or "kyoyuin", although on official forms that is what she would write.

When I'm introduced to new Japanese people, I'm often introduced as "eigo no sensei" (English teacher), or when I was teaching in an English conversation school, "eikaiwa no sensei" (English conversation teacher). Sensei, by itself with no other context, suggests to Japanese people "someone who teaches something".