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How to Say ‘The teacher’ in French

La maîtresse

lah meh-TRESS

[lah meh-TRESS]

💬 Usage Tip: La is feminine singular "the." Maîtresse often means a primary school teacher. Watch the accent: maî-tresse.

🇫🇷 In France: In France, young children often call their female primary teacher "maîtresse." For a male teacher, "maître" may be used in some contexts, but "enseignant/professeur" also appears.

Phrase Breakdown

La

[lah]

the

The feminine singular definite article the.

Example

La maîtresse parle doucement.

The teacher speaks softly.

maîtresse

[meh-TRESS]

teacher

In a school context, maîtresse means a female teacher, especially in primary school.

Example

La maîtresse aide les enfants.

The teacher helps the children.

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