tutor
nounCEFR B1
What does “tutor” mean in English?
tutor
tutor (form tutor in secondary school; dissertation supervisor at university; or private tutor)
Example sentences
Mi tutora de tesis me pidió que enviara el borrador del segundo capítulo antes de las vacaciones de Navidad para poder revisarlo con tiempo suficiente.
My dissertation supervisor asked me to send the draft of the second chapter before the Christmas holidays so she could review it with enough time.
El tutor de mi clase organizó una reunión con los padres para hablar del progreso académico y del comportamiento del grupo durante el primer trimestre.
The form tutor of my class organised a meeting with parents to talk about the academic progress and behaviour of the group during the first term.
Contraté a un tutor particular para que me ayudara a superar las matemáticas antes del examen de acceso a la universidad.
I hired a private tutor to help me pass maths before the university entrance exam.
How to use it
Tutor (masculine, tutor/la tutora feminine) in Spanish education has a specific meaning: the teacher responsible for the pastoral care and academic guidance of a group of students (the tutor of a class year). It also means a thesis or dissertation supervisor in higher education. In private education, a tutor is a private teacher who gives individual support. These three senses all translate as 'tutor' in English but differ in role: (1) form tutor (secondary school), (2) dissertation supervisor (university), (3) private tutor. Each sense has a different register and context.
Common mistake
Tutor and profesor are not interchangeable. Profesor is the generic term for a teacher. Tutor has the specific sense of a form tutor (pastoral care, secondary school), dissertation supervisor (university), or private teacher. Don't use tutor as a generic substitute for profesor in all teaching contexts. Also note the feminine: la tutora.