恩おん師し

お

ん

し

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

former teacher; mentor

Honorific term for a teacher to whom one feels a deep sense of gratitude, typically a former teacher or mentor. Used when speaking respectfully about one's own teacher.

卒そつ業ぎょう式しきで恩おん師しに感かん謝しゃの言こと葉ばを述のべた。
At the graduation ceremony, I expressed my gratitude to my former teacher.
彼かれは大だい学がく時じ代だいの恩おん師しを訪たずねた。
He visited his mentor from his university days.

See all 49 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

恩おん師しに会あうto meet (visit) one's former teacher/mentor
十じゅう年ねんぶりに恩おん師しに会あいに行いった。
I went to see my former teacher for the first time in ten years.
恩おん師しに感かん謝しゃするto be grateful to one's mentor
今いまの自じ分ぶんがあるのは恩おん師しに感かん謝しゃしている。
I'm grateful to my mentor for who I am today.
恩おん師しの教おしえを守まもるto hold to one's mentor's teachings
彼かれは今いまでも恩おん師しの教おしえを守まもっている。
He still holds to the teachings of his mentor.
恩おん師しと再さい会かいするto be reunited with one's former teacher
同どう窓そう会かいで恩おん師しと再さい会かいした。
I was reunited with my former teacher at the class reunion.

Kanji

恩grace, kindness, goodness
師expert, teacher, master

Related words

先せん生せいN5
先生 is the general respectful word for any teacher, while 恩師 specifically singles out a former teacher one feels deeply grateful to.
師し匠しょうN1
師匠 is a master in traditional arts or crafts who trains an apprentice long-term, whereas 恩師 covers any teacher, academic or otherwise, remembered with gratitude.
恩おん人じんN1
恩師 specifically means a teacher or mentor one feels indebted to, while 恩人 can refer to anyone—not just a teacher—who has given significant help.

Don't confuse with

恩おん人じんN1
恩人 is anyone who did one a great favor, while 恩師 is specifically a teacher or mentor one is grateful to.
教おしえ子ごN1
恩師 means 'my respected former teacher' (the student's view), the mirror image of 教え子, which means 'my former student' (the teacher's view).

Etymology

Compound of 恩 (おん, 'grace, obligation') and 師 (し, 'teacher, master'). The combination directly conveys the idea of a teacher to whom one owes a debt of gratitude.