Teachers' Day in Chinese 教师节
jiàoshī jié
Happy Teachers' Day in Chinese is 教师节快乐 (jiào shī jié kuài lè).
Also searched for as: September 10, Happy Teachers' Day in Chinese, thank you teacher in Chinese, Teachers Day China.
September 10th: time to thank the teachers who shaped you. 15 words and phrases for Teachers' Day in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
Teachers' Day in Chinese is 教师节 (jiào shī jié), held in mainland China on 10 September, just after the new school year begins. Students hand over cards and flowers and say 老师辛苦了 (lǎo shī xīn kǔ le), while adults often message or visit a favourite 班主任 (bān zhǔ rèn) or 恩师 (ēn shī). The vocabulary reflects the deep respect for teachers in Chinese culture.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 教师节 | jiào shī jié | Teachers' Day |
| 教师节快乐 | jiào shī jié kuài lè | Happy Teachers' Day |
| 老师辛苦了 | lǎo shī xīn kǔ le | thank you for all your hard work, teacher |
| 班主任 | bān zhǔ rèn | form tutor; class teacher |
| 恩师 | ēn shī | beloved former teacher; mentor |
| 看望 | kàn wàng | to visit (someone) |
| 感谢 | gǎn xiè | to thank |
| 贺卡 | hè kǎ | greeting card |
| 鲜花 | xiān huā | fresh flowers |
| 送礼 | sòng lǐ | to give gifts |
| 师生 | shī shēng | teachers and students |
| 教书 | jiāo shū | to teach |
| 园丁 | yuán dīng | gardener (metaphor for a teacher) |
| 桃李满天下 | táo lǐ mǎn tiān xià | to have students all over the world |
| 尊师重教 | zūn shī zhòng jiào | to respect teachers and value education |
Usage tips
- Use 您 (nín) rather than 你 when thanking a teacher, as in 老师，谢谢您！ Teachers are addressed by surname plus 老师 (lǎo shī), such as 王老师, never by their given name.
- Dates vary: Taiwan celebrates on 28 September, the traditional birthday of Confucius, Singapore on the first Friday of September, and Malaysia on 16 May.
- Gifts are a sensitive area, and many schools discourage 送礼 (sòng lǐ) to teachers, so a handmade 贺卡 (hè kǎ) or a few 鲜花 (xiān huā) is the safe choice.
Common mistakes
- Using the same tone for 教 everywhere → it's jiào in 教师 (jiào shī), but jiāo when it's the verb "to teach", as in 教书 (jiāo shū) and 教中文 (jiāo zhōng wén).
- Calling the day 老师节 → 老师 is the word you use to address teachers, but the holiday is 教师节 (jiào shī jié).
Mini dialogue
- A明天是教师节，我们给班主任准备点儿什么吧。Míng tiān shì jiào shī jié, wǒ men gěi bān zhǔ rèn zhǔn bèi diǎnr shén me ba.Tomorrow's Teachers' Day. Let's get our form tutor something.
- B学校不让送礼，我们做一张贺卡怎么样？Xué xiào bù ràng sòng lǐ, wǒ men zuò yī zhāng hè kǎ zěn me yàng?The school doesn't allow gifts. How about we make a card?
- A好主意！每个人写一句话。Hǎo zhǔ yi! Měi gè rén xiě yī jù huà.Good idea! Everyone can write a line.
- B我就写"老师辛苦了，教师节快乐！"Wǒ jiù xiě "Lǎo shī xīn kǔ le, jiào shī jié kuài lè!"I'll write "Thank you for all your hard work, and happy Teachers' Day!"
Example sentences
- 中国的教师节是九月十号。Teachers' Day in China is September 10th.
- 李老师，教师节快乐！Happy Teachers' Day, Miss Li!
- 老师辛苦了！谢谢您！Thank you for all your hard work! We really appreciate it!
- 我高中班主任对我特别好。My form tutor at secondary school was really good to me.
- 他是我的恩师，改变了我的一生。He was my mentor and changed my life.
- 毕业以后，我每年都回去看望老师。Since graduating, I've gone back to visit my teacher every year.
- 我想感谢所有教过我的老师。I want to thank every teacher who's ever taught me.
- 学生们给老师做了贺卡。The students made their teacher a card.
- 讲台上放满了学生送的鲜花。The teacher's desk was covered in flowers from the students.
- 现在很多学校不让家长给老师送礼。A lot of schools don't let parents give teachers gifts now.
- 我们班的师生关系特别好。Teachers and students in our class get on really well.
- 我妈教书教了二十年。My mum has been teaching for twenty years.
- 大家都说老师是辛勤的园丁。People say teachers are hard-working gardeners.
- 王老师教了三十年书，桃李满天下。Mr Wang has taught for thirty years and has students everywhere.
- 中国人讲究尊师重教。Chinese people place great value on respecting teachers.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Teachers' Day speaking island has 8 everyday questions about Teachers' Day to prepare your own answers to.