estoy en la escuela
/estoi en la eskwela/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I am at school" is translated into Spanish as estoy en la escuela.
This phrase is used to say that you are currently located inside a school building.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase en la escuela literally translates to "in the school", which is the standard way to express being "at school" in Spanish.
Which one should you use?
Spanish uses the verb estar (estoy) rather than ser (soy) to express being at a location.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, Estoy en el cole is widely used. Also in Spain, En el instituto is used to refer to high school. In some South American countries like Uruguay and Chile, En el liceo is used instead of escuela or colegio. In many Spanish-speaking countries, estoy en el colegio is a common alternative to la escuela for referring to school.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb estoy is the first-person singular present indicative of estar, which is used for location.
Did you know?
- The word escuela originates from the Ancient Greek word skholḗ, which actually meant 'leisure' or 'spare time'. It referred to the intellectual conversations that people enjoyed during their free time.
- Using the verb soy instead of estoy would change the meaning from 'I am located at school' to 'I am a school'.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, the word colegio is the preferred way to say 'school'. However, be careful, as in some contexts, colegio can also refer to a professional 'college' or association of practitioners like lawyers or doctors.
Examples in context
- Ahora estoy en la escuela y estaré aquí hasta las 8.I am at school now and I will stay here until 8 o'clock.This sentence shows how to use estoy en la escuela when describing your current location and duration of stay.Tatoeba #1495129 by Shishir, translation #673818 by Shady_arc
- Estoy en la escuela, esperando a mi maestro.I am at school, waiting for my teacher.
- Hola, ¿dónde estás? – Estoy en el cole con mis amigos.Hi, where are you? – I am at school with my friends.
- No puedo hablar ahora, estoy en la escuela.I can't talk right now, I am at school.
Example conversation
Mateo is calling Sofía on her phone during the day.
- SofíaHola Mateo, ¿qué haces?Hello Mateo, what are you doing?
- MateoNada especial, ¿y tú, Sofía?Nothing special, and you, Sofía?
- SofíaEstoy en la escuela ahora.I am at school now.
- MateoVale, te llamo más tarde.Okay, I will call you later.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries en, escuela, la, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
