<p>I searched for 教师之为教 and got a few hits suggesting it's the first clause from the sentence &quot;教师之为教，不在全盘授予，而在相机引导。……&quot;.</p>
<p>In that case, 之 means <em>of; from</em> and 为 means <em>act; perform</em>.</p>
<p>教师之为教 literally means 'the act of teaching of a teacher (should be ...)', and in this context means 'the art of teaching (is ...)'.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>教师之为教，不在全盘授予，而在相机引导。</p>
<p>The art of teaching is not to explain everything at once, but to guide at opportune times.</p>
</blockquote>

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2016-10-01T21:21:03.273Z
2016-10-01T21:21:03.273Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
NS.X.
<p>Can't comment, not enough points.</p>

<p>Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this 之 just 的？ Edit: that is to say 之为 is not a word it's more 教师-之-为-教</p>

<p>教师的为教 The teacher's way of teaching ... </p>

<p>A strange phonetic coincidence between 为 and way!</p>

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2016-10-02T00:01:23.760Z
in agreement with other answer and comment
user6065
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2016-10-03T08:17:57.460Z
Yes, I also agree, since it came from ancient Chinese, to somebody it looks rather difficult to understand at first sight, but it's in fact quite easy, to get a better understanding it's suggested to split them up, 之 simply as 的, at some degree similar to the genitive case. 为, as a linking verb, translated as BE, here a gerund would be a proper choice, so the literal translation would be "the teaching of a teacher".
maverickpuss
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2016-10-01T23:36:14.640Z
2016-10-02T01:11:16.740Z
2016-10-02T01:11:16.740Z
Gangosa
<p>imo, "教師之為教" is an composed verse, pretending in old written style. so, here's the literary chinese approaches:</p>

<p>first, some examples of "之為":</p>

<pre><code>一之為甚　
</code></pre>

<p>once (一) is (為) too much (甚)</p>

<p>之 indicates the occurrence of "once", while 為 is "being"</p>

<p><a href="http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&amp;searchid=Z00000149553" rel="nofollow">http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&amp;searchid=Z00000149553</a></p>

<pre><code>知之為知之，不知為不知
</code></pre>

<p>understanding (知之) is (為) understanding (知之)</p>

<p>之 indicates the state of understanding</p>

<p><a href="http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&amp;searchid=Z00000113233" rel="nofollow">http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&amp;searchid=Z00000113233</a>  </p>

<pre><code>佛之為教﹒以神為貴
</code></pre>

<p>buddha (佛) 's (之為) doctrine (教), or </p>

<p>the doctrine (教) of (之為) buddha (佛)</p>

<pre><code>師之為理﹒在於發悟
</code></pre>

<p>teachers (師) ' (之為) principles (理), or </p>

<p>the principles (理) of (之為) teachers (師)</p>

<pre><code>so, back to "教師之為教".
</code></pre>

<p>imo, it's ugly, "not-literary-chines-enough", a better saying is "師之為教".</p>

<p>i would suggest "之為" as <strong>'s</strong>:</p>

<p>teachers (師) ' 之為 teaching (教)</p>

<p>or "之為" as <strong>of</strong>:</p>

<p>the teachings (教) of (之為) teachers (師)</p>

<p>or, a more clumsy one:</p>

<p>the teachings (教) conducted (為) by (之) teachers (師)</p>

<p>since chinese language is fuzzy, there're a few more ways of explanations, the above are just some of them.</p>

<p>have fun :)</p>

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2016-10-02T05:29:34.280Z
2016-10-02T05:29:34.280Z
水巷孑蠻
<p>For example, in the phrase "教师之为教." I know it is formal language, but what is a good way to understand it in English?</p>

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2016-10-01T22:01:24.570Z
cf。＂现代汉语词典＂：之³ （２）用在主谓结构之间，取消它的独立性，使变成偏正结构：中国～大｜战斗～烈｜大道～行也，天下为公｜如因势利导，则如水～就下，极为自然。Accordingly 教师之为教 would mean "A teacher's acting as teacher", an endocentric construction 偏正结构 that could be the subject of a complete sentence (see below answer).
user6065
<grammar>
What does 之为 mean?
# What does 之为 mean?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-10-01)

For example, in the phrase "教师之为教." I know it is formal language, but what is a good way to understand it in English?

**Tags:** grammar

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: cf。＂现代汉语词典＂：之³ （２）用在主谓结构之间，取消它的独立性，使变成偏正结构：中国～大｜战斗～烈｜大道～行也，天下为公｜如因势利导，则如水～就下，极为自然。Accordingly 教师之为教 would mean "A teacher's acting as teacher", an endocentric construction 偏正结构 that could be the subject of a complete sentence (see below answer).  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-10-01. Score: 3

I searched for 教师之为教 and got a few hits suggesting it's the first clause from the sentence "教师之为教，不在全盘授予，而在相机引导。……".

In that case, 之 means *of; from* and 为 means *act; perform*.

教师之为教 literally means 'the act of teaching of a teacher (should be ...)', and in this context means 'the art of teaching (is ...)'.

> 教师之为教，不在全盘授予，而在相机引导。
>
> The art of teaching is not to explain everything at once, but to guide at opportune times.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2016-10-01. Score: 1

Can't comment, not enough points.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this 之 just 的？ Edit: that is to say 之为 is not a word it's more 教师-之-为-教

教师的为教 The teacher's way of teaching ...

A strange phonetic coincidence between 为 and way!

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: in agreement with other answer and comment  
> **username_4**: Yes, I also agree, since it came from ancient Chinese, to somebody it looks rather difficult to understand at first sight, but it's in fact quite easy, to get a better understanding it's suggested to split them up, 之 simply as 的, at some degree similar to the genitive case. 为, as a linking verb, translated as BE, here a gerund would be a proper choice, so the literal translation would be "the teaching of a teacher".  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2016-10-02. Score: 0

imo, "教師之為教" is an composed verse, pretending in old written style. so, here's the literary chinese approaches:

first, some examples of "之為":

```
一之為甚　

```

once (一) is (為) too much (甚)

之 indicates the occurrence of "once", while 為 is "being"

<http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&searchid=Z00000149553>

```
知之為知之，不知為不知

```

understanding (知之) is (為) understanding (知之)

之 indicates the state of understanding

<http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&searchid=Z00000113233>

```
佛之為教﹒以神為貴

```

buddha (佛) 's (之為) doctrine (教), or

the doctrine (教) of (之為) buddha (佛)

```
師之為理﹒在於發悟

```

teachers (師) ' (之為) principles (理), or

the principles (理) of (之為) teachers (師)

```
so, back to "教師之為教".

```

imo, it's ugly, "not-literary-chines-enough", a better saying is "師之為教".

i would suggest "之為" as **'s**:

teachers (師) ' 之為 teaching (教)

or "之為" as **of**:

the teachings (教) of (之為) teachers (師)

or, a more clumsy one:

the teachings (教) conducted (為) by (之) teachers (師)

since chinese language is fuzzy, there're a few more ways of explanations, the above are just some of them.

have fun :)


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