Primarily used for a teacher or master in martial arts, traditional arts, or crafts. Carries a sense of authority and high skill.
He serves as a kendo instructor.
Becoming a tea ceremony master requires many years of training.
Refers to a person or thing that serves as an ideal example to follow. Often used in formal or literary contexts.
He can truly be called a paragon of character.
normal school; teachers' training college
Historical abbreviation of 師範学校, referring to teacher-training institutions in Japan from 1872 to 1947.
See also: 師範学校
In the Meiji period, normal schools were the central institutions for teacher training.
He is a kendo instructor.
After years of training, he earned his instructor's license.
He serves as the instructor at the dojo.
The young people are studying under that master.
先生 is a general, everyday word for teacher or master of any kind, while 師範 is reserved for a highly skilled, often certified instructor in martial arts or traditional crafts.
模範 means a model or ideal example to follow, matching 師範's secondary sense of 'exemplar,' but 模範 is used for things and behavior, not usually for a person's title.
師範学校 is the full historical term for the pre-1947 teachers' training college, of which 師範 (sense 3) is simply the abbreviated form.
From Middle Chinese 師範 (model, teacher). The kanji 師 means 'teacher' or 'master', and 範 means 'model' or 'pattern'.