What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb ir (to go), the preposition a (to) and the noun phrase la escuela (the school).
Which one should you use?
While English often omits the article in "going to school", Spanish typically includes the definite article la before escuela.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, it is common to use the word escuela to refer to any level of education, from preschool to university. In Spain, people often use instituto to refer to high school or secondary education. In many Spanish-speaking countries, ir al colegio is a common alternative to ir a la escuela.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb ir changes depending on who is performing the action: voy a la escuela means "I go to school" or "I am going to school", while vas a la escuela means "you go to school" or "you are going to school".
Did you know?
- The verb ir is a linguistic puzzle because its different forms come from three different Latin verbs: īre for the root, vādere for the form voy and esse for the form fui.
- The phrase ir a la escuela can be used not just to describe the trip to the building, but also to describe the general state of being a student.
Examples in context
- ¿Vas a ir a la escuela mañana?Are you going to school tomorrow?This sentence is useful for asking about someone's plans regarding the phrase ir a la escuela.Tatoeba #6697968 by UsuarioX, translation #68900 by CK
- A ella no le gusta ir a la escuela.She doesn't like going to school.This sentence uses the phrase ir a la escuela to express a dislike for attending classes.Tatoeba #2052754 by Alba, translation #2052203 by chubbard
- Soy un estudiante que le gusta ir a la escuela.I am a student who likes going to school.This sentence describes a student who enjoys the phrase ir a la escuela.Tatoeba #4484735 by emanuel81, translation #4484646 by maydoo
- Los estudiantes asisten a la escuela todas las mañanasThe students attend school every morning
- Hoy no puedo ir al cine porque tengo que ir a la escuelaI can't go to the movies today because I have to go to school
- Voy al institutoI'm going to school
- Mi hermana va al colegio por la mañanaMy sister goes to school in the morning
- Yo voy a la escuelaI go to school
- Él va al institutoHe goes to school
- Mis hijos van al colegio en autobúsMy children go to school by bus
- Ella siempre asiste a la escuela religiosamenteShe always attends school religiously
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are talking in the kitchen before work.
- SofíaJavier, ¿tienes que ir a la escuela hoy?Javier, do you have to go to school today?
- JavierSí, tengo clase por la mañana.Yes, I have class in the morning.
- SofíaQué bien, que te vaya muy bien.That's good, I hope it goes well for you.
- JavierGracias, Sofía.Thanks, Sofía.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, escuela, ir, la, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
