colegio
/koˈlexjo/
The Spanish word colegio means school.
colegio refers to an educational institution that provides primary or secondary schooling. A common way to describe the act of attending school as a student is using the phrase ir al colegio.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, you can use colegio secundario to refer to a secondary school or escuela primaria for a primary school. In some parts of Latin America, liceo is used as a synonym for colegio, particularly when referring to private secondary schools.
How does it change in a sentence?
colegio is a masculine noun, so it uses the definite article el (e.g., el colegio). The plural form is colegios.
How do you pronounce it?
/koˈlexjo/
Did you know?
- The word colegio is a direct relative of the English word 'college'. While 'college' usually refers to higher education in English, colegio typically refers to primary or secondary school in Spanish.
- While a student might say they are going to a colegio, an adult professional might belong to a colegio profesional, which is a professional association or guild rather than an educational building.
- The root of colegio is shared with the word colega, which means 'colleague'. Both terms stem from the Latin idea of people who are part of the same group or shared responsibility.
Examples in context
- Voy a la prepa en la tarde.I go to high school in the afternoon.
- Mi hijo va al colegio cada mañana.My son goes to school every morning.
- El colegio está cerca de la plaza.The school is near the plaza.
- Busco un colegio con buen nivel de inglés.I am looking for a school with a good English level.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their children's education.
- SofíaMateo, ¿a qué colegio va tu hija?Mateo, which school does your daughter go to?
- MateoElla va al colegio que está cerca del parque.She goes to the school that is near the park.
- SofíaHe oído que ese colegio es muy bueno.I've heard that school is very good.
- MateoSí, Sofía, estamos muy contentos allí.Yes, Sofía, we are very happy there.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry colegio, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
