1.
master; teacher; mentor
A formal, literary word for a teacher or mentor one studies under. Rarely stands alone; it appears mainly in set compounds and phrases about the teacher-student relationship.
師 is a formal, bound noun for a teacher or mentor; it rarely appears alone and is mostly found in compounds and fixed phrases about study and guidance.
Common expressions
- 師と仰ぐ: to look up to (someone) as a mentor
- 師事する: to study under (a master)
- 恩師: a beloved former teacher
- 師弟: master and disciple
Watch out
Do not confuse with the suffix 〜師 (practitioner, as in 教師 teacher, 医師 doctor), which names a person by their trade rather than referring to "a teacher" as a standalone concept.