Meaning and Usage
"教授" (jiàoshòu) primarily means "professor," referring to a senior academic teaching at a university or college. It is a formal title used in educational contexts.
Common Contexts
It is often used to address or refer to university-level teachers who have a high academic rank. Besides the literal meaning, "教授" can also appear in phrases related to awarding academic titles or conferring honors.
Collocations and Patterns
- 教授课程 (jiàoshòu kèchéng): to teach a course
- 教授学位 (jiàoshòu xuéwèi): to confer a degree
- 名誉教授 (míngyù jiàoshòu): honorary professor
Usage Notes
When using "教授" to address someone, it is polite and formal. Avoid using it for teachers at lower education levels. Also, "教授" can be a verb meaning "to teach" or "to instruct," but this usage is less common in modern Mandarin and mostly appears in formal or literary contexts.
Common Confusion
Do not confuse "教授" with "老师" (lǎoshī), which means "teacher" in general. "教授" specifically refers to university professors or those with an academic rank.