What’s the difference between sensei and kyōshi?
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Japanese has (at least) two words for "teacher".
The word "sensei" is pretty well-known even among people who don't speak Japanese, but did you know that you shouldn't use sensei about yourself?
Here's what the textbook has to say:
"Use 'kyōshi' for yourself and the respectful 'sensei' for another person."
That's a pretty good starting point. But there's a bit more to it than that.
1. Kyōshi = school teacher
Kyōshi means the academic kind of teacher, someone who teaches in a school:
（私は）高校の教師です。
(watashi wa) kōkō no kyōshi desu.
I'm a high school teacher.
Images: Irasutoya
2. Sensei is a title
Sensei, however, is a respectful title, and should be used when talking about other people:
彼は中学校の先生です。
kare wa chūgakkō no sensei desu.
He's a junior high school teacher.
Watashi wa sensei desu is best avoided.
3. Sensei = master
Sensei can also be used more generally for a person who teaches something.
People who teach flower arranging or martial arts, for example, are sensei:
お花の先生
ohana no sensei
flower-arranging teacher
空手の先生
karate no sensei
karate teacher
茶道の先生
sadō no sensei
teacher of tea ceremony
If you're talking about yourself, however, you still shouldn't go around calling yourself sensei.
You can use the verb 教える oshieru (to teach) instead:
（私は）お花を教えてます。
(watashi wa) ohana wo oshiete imasu.
I teach flower arranging.
Certain types of professionals such as doctors or lawyers are also sensei (but again, not kyōshi).
4. "Sensei!"
Sensei is attached after teachers' names instead of san:
山本先生
Yamamoto Sensei
= Mr/Ms Yamamoto; “Yamamoto teacher”
It's pretty common to drop the name, too, and just call your teacher sensei:
先生、おはようございます！
Sensei, ohayō gozaimasu!
“Good morning, teacher”
So to summarise:
Use '“kyōshi” for yourself and the respectful “sensei” for another person.
“Sensei“ is not just for teachers, but also for masters of other skills, and for doctors
Affix “sensei” to your teacher’s name to show respect
Like many people in the UK, I studied French in school. I liked French. I thought it was really fun to speak another language, to talk with people, and to try and listen to what was going on in a new country. (Still do!)
When I was 14 we went on a school exchange to the city of Reims, in northeastern France. I was paired with a boy, which I’m sure some 14-year-olds would find very exciting but which I found unbearably awkward. He was very sweet and we completely ignored each other.
That was nearly 20 years ago, and I didn’t learn or use any more French until, at some point in lockdown, I decided on a whim to take some one-to-one lessons with online teachers. Here are some things I learned about French, about language learning, and about myself.