universidad
/unibeɾsiˈdad/feminine
The English word 'college' translates to Spanish as universidad. Wiktionary also lists insti and liceo.
Meaning: academic institution (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| universidad | /unibeɾsiˈdad/ | feminine |
| insti | /insti/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| liceo | /liˈθeo/ /liˈseo/ |
masculine |
The term universidad is used to refer to an academic institution. When you want to say someone is 'in college', you would typically use the phrase en la universidad instead of a direct translation of the word 'college'. Additionally, Institución de Educación Superior is a formal way to say 'institution of higher education'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, college is often referred to as facultad or la facu. In several Latin American countries, liceo is used to refer to high school rather than a higher education institution.
How do you pronounce it?
/unibeɾsiˈdad/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use colegio to mean 'college', but in most Spanish-speaking countries, colegio refers to a primary or secondary school.
Did you know?
- The word liceo shares its roots with the Greek word for 'wolf-killer'. It originally referred to a gymnasium in Athens where Aristotle taught his students.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the word universidad refers to the entire institution, whereas facultad refers specifically to the department or school of a particular study, such as law or medicine.
- The term insti is a common, informal clipping of instituto used by students in Spain to refer to their secondary school.
Examples in context
- ¿Vas a la universidad?Do you go to college?This sentence is useful for asking if someone goes to the universidad.Tatoeba #2132155 by Shishir, translation #69120 by CK
- Está en la universidad.He is in college.This sentence is useful for stating that someone is at the universidad.Tatoeba #945911 by inmachan, translation #387501 by Mouseneb
- ¿Tom fue a la universidad?Did Tom go to college?This sentence is useful for asking if Tom went to the universidad.Tatoeba #4317268 by pchamorro, translation #4080952 by CK
- Me gradué de la universidad el año pasado.I graduated from college last year.
- Voy a estudiar Administración de Empresas en la uni.I'm going to study Business Administration in college.
- Estoy en la facultad de Medicina.I'm in the Medical School / College of Medicine.
- Terminé la facu y ahora estoy buscando trabajo.I finished college, and now I'm looking for a job.
- Voy a comenzar mi carrera universitaria en agosto.I'm going to start my college career in August.
- No puedo esperar a empezar mi carrera en la uni.I can't wait to start my college studies at the uni.
- Mi hermana se especializa en Medicina en la facultad.My sister is majoring in Medicine at the college.
- Estoy estudiando una carrera en Ingeniería Eléctrica.I'm studying a degree in Electrical Engineering.
- La carrera universitaria que elegí es Biología.The college major I chose is Biology.
- 102 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María are discussing their future plans.
- Daniel¿Qué quieres estudiar en la universidad?What do you want to study in college?
- MaríaQuiero estudiar medicina en la universidad.I want to study medicine in college.
- DanielEso es muy difícil, María.That is very difficult, María.
- MaríaLo sé, pero me gusta mucho.I know, but I like it a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “college” translations and entries universidad, insti, liceo, 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 insti, liceo, universidad, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
