en la escuela
/en la eskwela/from spelling rules
The phrase in school in Spanish is en la escuela.
The phrase en la escuela is used to describe being physically present inside a school building. If you want to emphasize being physically inside the school premises, you can use Dentro del colegio. If you specifically want to refer to being in school during classes, you can use Durante clases.
Which one should you use?
Use en clase if you want to specify that someone is currently participating in a lesson, rather than just being on the school grounds. To emphasize the physical interior of the building, you might use Dentro del colegio.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico and Spain, it is common to use the preposition en followed by the definite article before the school-related noun, such as en el colegio, en la escuela or en el cole.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly omit the article and say en escuela, but in Spanish, the definite article la is required: en la escuela.
Did you know?
- The word escuela actually traces back to the Ancient Greek word skholḗ, which originally meant 'leisure' or 'free time'. It implies that learning was an activity enjoyed during one's spare time rather than a chore.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, colegio is used for both primary and secondary education, whereas escuela often refers specifically to primary school.
- While English speakers use 'in school' to mean they are a student, saying en la escuela in Spanish almost always implies you are physically inside the building. To say you are a student, you would typically say estudio en… followed by the institution.
Examples in context
- Lo hice en la escuela.I did that in school.This sentence shows how to use en la escuela to describe the location where an action occurred.Tatoeba #6731389 by arh, translation #6730951 by CK
- Lo aprendí en la escuela.I learned it in school.This sentence shows how to use en la escuela to describe the location where something was learned.Tatoeba #4398643 by pchamorro, translation #2377273 by CK
- La chica está en la escuela.The girl is in school.This sentence shows how to use en la escuela to describe someone's current location.Tatoeba #9370301 by Shishir, translation #6611085 by CarpeLanam
- Mi hermana está en la escuela.My sister is in school.
- Los estudiantes deben permanecer dentro del colegio durante el horario escolar.Students must remain inside the school during school hours.
- Vamos a juntarnos después de estar en la escuela.Let's meet up after being in school.
- Hoy me quedo en cole hasta tarde.Today, I'm staying in school until late.
- 36 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Daniel are talking on the phone about where to meet.
- Sofía¿Dónde estás, Daniel?Where are you, Daniel?
- DanielEstoy en la escuela ahora.I am in the school now.
- SofíaEstá bien, te veo allí.Okay, I will see you there.
- DanielPerfecto, te espero.Perfect, I'll wait for you.
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.
