せんせい
先生
teacher
sensei
- JLPT
- N5
- Frequency
- #304
hanamaruMeanings
- 1teacher; instructor; mastern
- 2sensei; title or form of address for a teacher, master, doctor, lawyer, etc.nn-suf
- 3intimate or teasing form of addressn
JMdict 1387990
In a sentence
How it works
This is a soft, casual question. 先生 (teacher) is followed by な (is (before の)), the form the plain copula だ (is) takes before the explanatory の (you mean?). That final の (you mean?), said with a rising tone, asks for confirmation in a gentle, curious way — “you’re a teacher?” rather than a blunt fact-check. No polite です (is), so it sounds relaxed and personal.