German Phrase
Mein Mathelehrer ist Herr Smith.
Meaning
The sentence means ‘My math teacher is Mr. Smith.’ It identifies the speaker’s mathematics teacher by name and title.
When to use
Use this sentence when you need to introduce or identify your math teacher, for example when answering a question like ‘Who is your math teacher?’ or when talking about school staff.
✦Grammar Breakdown
MeinMathelehreristHerrSmith
Possessive Determiner (Mein)
‘Mein’ is a possessive adjective that agrees with the noun it modifies in gender, number, and case; here it’s masculine nominative.
Compound Noun (Mathelehrer)
‘Mathelehrer’ combines ‘Mathe’ (short for Mathematik) and ‘Lehrer’; it’s a masculine noun in the nominative case.
Verb ‘sein’ (ist)
‘ist’ is the third‑person singular present form of ‘sein’ and links the subject to its complement.
Title ‘Herr’
‘Herr’ is the formal title for a man and is always capitalized; it precedes the surname.
Proper Name (Smith)
‘Smith’ is a proper noun; in German it stays unchanged and follows the title.
🗨In Conversation
Wer ist dein Mathelehrer?
Who is your math teacher?
Mein Mathelehrer ist Herr Smith.
My math teacher is Mr. Smith.
✕Common Mistakes
Meinen Mathelehrer ist Herr Smith.
‘Meinen’ is accusative; the subject needs the nominative ‘Mein’.
Mein Mathelehrer sind Herr Smith.
The verb must agree with the singular subject, so use ‘ist’, not ‘sind’.
Mein Mathelehrer ist herr Smith.
Titles are always capitalized in German.
↔Alternatives
Mein Mathelehrer heißt Herr Smith.
My math teacher is called Mr. Smith.
Der Mathelehrer ist Herr Smith.
The math teacher is Mr. Smith.
Ich habe Herrn Smith als Mathelehrer.
I have Mr. Smith as my math teacher.
Cultural Tip
In German schools teachers are always addressed with the title ‘Herr’ (for men) or ‘Frau’ (for women) followed by the surname, never by the first name. The title is capitalized and forms part of the polite, formal register used in the classroom and in most public interactions.