Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| en la escuela | /en la eskwela/ (from spelling rules) |
| en clase | /en ˈklase/ |
| en el colegio | /en el kolexjo/ (from spelling rules) |
While en la escuela is a general term often used for elementary or primary education, en clase specifically means someone is currently attending a lesson or is in the middle of a class session rather than just being physically present at the school building.
Which one should you use?
Use en clase to specify that someone is in the middle of a lesson. Use en la escuela, en el colegio or other regional forms to refer to the physical location or the institution of schooling.
Is it said differently in some regions?
En el colegio is predominantly used in many Latin American countries and is also common in Spain, often referring to primary or secondary education. In some South American countries, such as Chile or Uruguay, you may hear en el liceo. In Spain, it is common to use en el instituto or the informal en el cole.
How does it change in a sentence?
In English, you can say "at school" without an article, but in Spanish, you almost always need to include the definite article, such as in en la escuela.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Fue en la escuela.It was at school.This sentence uses en la escuela to indicate a past location.Tatoeba #4554418 by swyter, translation #2648794 by CK
- Estudio en la escuela.I study at school.This sentence uses en la escuela to describe where studying happens.Tatoeba #1045289 by Shishir, translation #256661 by CK
- Lo hice en la escuela.I did that at school.This sentence uses en la escuela to indicate where an action took place.Tatoeba #6731389 by arh, translation #6730921 by CK
- Voy a una reunión importante en la escuela mañana.I'm going to an important meeting at school tomorrow.
- ¿A qué hora quedamos en el cole?What time are we meeting at school?
- 139 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are talking on the phone about their plans.
- Sofía¿Estás en la escuela ahora, Javier?Are you at school now, Javier?
- JavierSí, estoy en la escuela terminando mis tareas.Yes, I am at school finishing my homework.
- SofíaTe llamaré más tarde, cuando salgas de la escuela.I will call you later, when you leave school.
- JavierPerfecto, hablamos luego.Perfect, we'll talk later.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “at school” translations and entries en clase, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries clase, colegio, el, en, escuela, la, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
