How to Say Professor in German - Use It Right

Today’s word is Professor, which has familiar spelling but German pronunciation: [pʁoˈfɛsoːɐ̯], with stress on -fes-. But in Germany, it’s not just a job - it’s a title, a status, and in some cases, a slightly humorous nickname. It’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German, too!

Professor is a masculine noun, so the correct article is der - der Professor. The feminine form is die Professorin. Want to stop second-guessing which article goes with what? Our 5-minute crash course makes gender in German surprisingly easy to remember.

Real conversations where Professor might come up

In German academic contexts, Professor normally refers to someone who holds that title, usually at a university or another institution of higher education. It’s not used as broadly as in American English, where it can apply to any college instructor.

- Mein Bruder ist jetzt Professor für Physik.(“My brother is now a professor of physics.”)

Or in a more casual way:

- Na, wieder der kleine Professor, was?(“Well, the little professor again, huh?” - teasing a know-it-all child)

Beginner sample dialogue

Lena: Wer ist das da vorne?Tom: Das ist unser Professor für Geschichte.Lena: Sieht nett aus. Ich hoffe, er redet langsam.

(Lena: Who’s that up front?Tom: That’s our history professor.Lena: Looks nice. I hope he speaks slowly.)

Grammar in action: How to use Professor

• Nominative: Der Professor erklärt die Theorie.(The professor explains the theory.)

• Accusative: Ich sehe den Professor jeden Dienstag.(I see the professor every Tuesday.)

• Dative: Ich stelle dem Professor eine Frage.(I ask the professor a question.)

• Genitive: Das Buch des Professors ist sehr bekannt.(The professor’s book is very well known.)

Still finding German case endings tricky? Our friendly grammar course explains everything clearly - no jargon, just real-life examples.