école primaire
/e.kɔl pʁi.mɛʁ/
école primaire is the French phrase for elementary school.
école primaire is used to describe a school for children of primary education age. In informal conversation, people may simply refer to it as l'école.
Which one should you use?
école primaire typically covers children roughly ages 6 to 11, whereas école maternelle refers to the preceding stage of nursery school or preschool for younger children.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some parts of Switzerland, école primaire is used for elementary school, while école enfantine is used to refer to preschool.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to say that someone is 'in' elementary school, use the preposition à with the definite article, which results in the form à l'école primaire.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /e.kɔl pʁi.mɛʁ/. It consists of 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word école shares a surprising ancestral connection with the Greek word σχολή (skholḗ), which originally meant 'leisure'.
- In France, the école primaire is strictly secular, a result of a 1905 law that prohibits religious instruction in public schools.
- In France, the école primaire is often split into two distinct cycles, and children move from the cycle 2 to the cycle 3 within the same primary system.
Examples in context
- Mon petit frère va dans une école primaire.My little brother goes to an elementary school.This sentence shows how to use école primaire to describe someone attending the school.Tatoeba #129457 by Caku, translation #278564 by CK
- Nous jouions aux chaises musicales à l'école primaire.We used to play musical chairs in elementary school.This sentence uses école primaire to describe a past activity performed during elementary school.Tatoeba #5326547 by Aiji, translation #1111141 by megamanenm
- Mary était un garçon manqué quand elle était à l'école primaire.Mary was a tomboy when she was in elementary school.This sentence uses école primaire to describe a person's character while they were in elementary school.Tatoeba #10052192 by lbdx, translation #6082886 by CK
- J'ai étudié à l'école primaire dans mon quartier.I studied at the elementary school in my neighborhood.
- Mon fils fréquente une école élémentaire située près de notre domicile.My son attends an elementary school located near our home.
- Les enfants rentrent chez eux après le primaire.The children go home after elementary school.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa are discussing school options for a child.
- GabrielEst-ce que l'école primaire est proche d'ici ?Is the elementary school close to here?
- LéaOui, elle est juste à côté du parc.Yes, it is right next to the park.
- GabrielC'est parfait pour mon fils.That is perfect for my son.
- LéaElle est très bonne pour les enfants.It is very good for children.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry école primaire, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries primaire, école, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
