01
der Prof
prof
Informal short form of professor; a person who teaches and conducts research at a university or college.
example
Unser Prof in Mathe hat die Vorlesung heute ausfallen lassen.
Our math prof canceled the lecture today.
der Prof
prof
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word structure
'Prof' is the informal short form of the word 'Professor' (professor). The masculine gender 'der' is taken from the longer word.
EXAMPLE
Hast du die E-Mail von unserem Prof gelesen?
Did you read the email from our prof?
Register and context
The word 'Prof' is used almost exclusively by students in everyday university life. It is very informal and typical of spoken language.
EXAMPLE
Der Prof hat die Abgabefrist für die Hausarbeit verlängert.
The prof extended the deadline for the term paper.
Typical use
'Prof' is often used in connection with a subject or an exam. Typical phrases are 'der Prof für [Fach]' (the prof for [subject]) or 'eine Prüfung beim Prof haben' (to have an exam with the prof).
EXAMPLE
Ich muss morgen eine Präsentation bei meinem Geschichts-Prof halten.
I have to give a presentation tomorrow for my history prof.
Compare with
Prof vs Lehrer
teacher
'der Lehrer' and 'der Prof' both refer to people who teach. 'der Lehrer' is the normal word for someone who teaches children or teenagers, especially at school. 'der Prof' is an informal short form of professor and fits a university or college context. The words can be confused because both pass on knowledge. The important thing is the setting: at school, people usually say 'Lehrer'; at university, students often say 'Prof'. 'Prof' also sounds casual and not very formal.
Prof
Nach der Vorlesung fragt Eva den Prof nach dem Prüfungstermin.
After the lecture, Eva asks the prof about the exam date.
Lehrer
Vor der Klassenfahrt erklärt der Lehrer die wichtigsten Regeln.
Before the class trip, the teacher explains the most important rules.
In real life
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