教授（きょうじゅ、kyouju）
- professor

The Japanese word 教授 きょうじゅ (kyouju) primarily refers to a professor, particularly at a university or college level. It denotes someone who holds a high academic rank and is engaged in teaching and research. It can also refer to a professorship itself, or to the act of teaching or instructing.

⚫︎大学教授 Translation: University professor ⚫︎彼は有名な教授だ。 Translation: He is a famous professor. ⚫︎教授に質問をする。 Translation: To ask a question to the professor.

This word is used in formal and academic contexts. You would use it when referring to a professor at a university or college. When addressing a professor, you might use 教授 きょうじゅfollowed by their last name (e.g., 田中教授, Professor Tanaka). It's also appropriate in formal written communications such as essays, reports, and official documents.

The word 教授 is typically written in kanji. The hiragana reading is きょうじゅ. There are no variations in okurigana. It is almost always written with these kanji. Katakana is not used for this word.

⚫︎ 先生 (sensei) - Teacher (more general term, can be used for professors, but not exclusively) ⚫︎ 学教授 (gakkyouju) - Sometimes used to denote university professors.

There aren't direct antonyms in the same sense, as it’s a job title. Words referring to someone with lower academic standing could be seen as opposites. ⚫︎ However, one could consider a 学生 (gakusei) - student, as they are being taught by a 教授.

東京大学の山本教授は、経済学の専門家です。 ・Translation: Professor Yamamoto of the University of Tokyo is an expert in economics. ・Explanation: This sentence clearly identifies a professor at a specific university and their field of expertise.

私は将来、大学の教授になりたいです。 ・Translation: In the future, I want to become a university professor. ・Explanation: This sentence expresses a future goal, aiming to achieve the position of 教授.

The word 教授 is derived from Chinese. It combines two kanji: 教 (kyou), meaning "to teach" or "instruction", and 授 (ju), meaning "to give" or "to grant". Together, they imply the act of granting knowledge or instructing, which perfectly aligns with the role of a professor.