Whether you're talking about school, language class, or a favorite mentor, you’ll definitely need the word for teacher in German. It’s one of the most essential people-nouns in the language — and comes with a few useful variations.

The word is der Lehrer. It’s masculine, and the plural is also die Lehrer. The feminine version is die Lehrerin, with the plural die Lehrerinnen. If you're still sorting out when to use der, die, or das, my gender video lesson can help make sense of it all.

Lehrer is one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German, and it’s just as useful in casual talk as in formal settings.

Examples in all four cases:

Nominative:
Der Lehrer ist sehr freundlich.
The teacher is very friendly.

Accusative:
Ich sehe den Lehrer jeden Tag.
I see the teacher every day.

Dative:
Ich gebe dem Lehrer das Buch.
I’m giving the teacher the book.

Genitive:
Das ist der Stift des Lehrers.
That’s the teacher’s pen.

Where you’ll hear Lehrer:

• Deutschlehrer – German teacher

• Grundschullehrer – elementary school teacher

• Sportlehrer – PE teacher

• Privatlehrer – private tutor

• Lehrerkonferenz – teachers' meeting

Common verbs: unterrichten (teach), erklären (explain), korrigieren (correct), fragen (ask), loben (praise)
Adjectives: streng (strict), nett (nice), geduldig (patient), kompetent (competent), jung, alt

Tip: When describing a person’s profession in German, you can drop the article and say: “Er ist Lehrer.” (He is a teacher.)

Beginner dialogue using Lehrer:

A: Wie heißt dein Lehrer?
B: Herr Schmidt. Er ist supernett!
A: What’s your teacher’s name?
B: Mr. Schmidt. He’s super nice!

Now it’s your turn. Think of your answer and say it aloud using Lehrer.

“Was macht ein guter Lehrer — und warum?”
What makes a good teacher — and why?

Make it personal — the more you connect to your answer, the better the word sticks.

Duden entry for “Lehrer”

German Word of the Day
Now you know how to say teacher in German — and how der Lehrer can help you talk about school, lessons, and learning.

Download the free illustrated PDF of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German and grow your vocabulary where it counts.

Ready for more German Words of the Day?
Check out Mantel — and talk about outerwear and style.
Or revisit Maschine — for devices, appliances, and engines.