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"Cátedra" is a noun which is often translated as "chair", and "catedrático" is a noun which is often translated as "professor". Learn more about the difference between "cátedra" and "catedrático" below.
la cátedra(
kah
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teh
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drah
)A feminine noun is almost always used with feminine articles and adjectives (e.g., la mujer bonita, la luna llena).
a. chair
Marta Jiménez ostenta una cátedra de periodismo y su trabajo es muy conocido.Marta Jimenez holds a chair in journalism and her work is very well known.
b. professorship
La cátedra de bioquímica está muy disputada, así que pronto nombraran a alguien.There are a lot of candidates interested in applying for the biochemistry professorship so someone should be appointed soon.
2. (old-fashioned) (high-school position)
A word or phrase that is seldom used in contemporary language and is recognized as being from another decade, (e.g., cat, groovy).
a. post of head of department
Para conseguir una cátedra de instituto tenías que tener experiencia.If you wanted to be given the post of head of department in a high school, you needed experience.
el catedrático, la catedrática(
kah
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teh
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drah
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tee
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koh
)This means that the noun can be masculine or feminine, depending on the gender of the noun it refers to (e.g., el doctor, la doctora).
a. professor
El escritor fue catedrático de Literatura Española de nuestra universidad, lo que es motivo de orgullo para todos nosotros.The writer was a professor of Spanish Literature at our university, which is a source of pride for all of us.
a. department head
Es el catedrático el que decide cuál es el plan de estudios que se imparte en cada curso.It's the department head who decides on the syllabus taught each year.
b. head of department (United Kingdom)
Regionalism used in the United Kingdom
El departamento de biología de la escuela está muy bien organizado. La catedrática es una mujer muy competente.The school's biology department is very well organized. The head of department is a very able woman.
c. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
El Sr. Gómez es el catedrático de historia de la escuela secundaria de mi hijo.Mr. Gomez is the head of the history department at my son's high school.
El catedrático de inglés se jubila este año, y hay dos profesores que aspiran al puesto.The head of the English department is retiring this year, and there are two teachers aspiring to the position.
