estudiante
/estuˈdjante/
The English phrase 'male student' is translated into Spanish as estudiante.
estudiante refers to a person of the male gender who is studying at a school or university.
How does it change in a sentence?
estudiante is an epicene noun, which means the noun itself does not change its ending to reflect gender. Instead, only the article or accompanying adjectives change to indicate gender. To specify a single male student, use the masculine article el before estudiante to form el estudiante. The plural form estudiantes is used for a group of male students or for a mixed-gender group of students.
How do you pronounce it?
/estuˈdjante/
Did you know?
- The root of the word estudiante traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root *(s)tew-, which relates to the concept of pushing, shoving, or striving. This suggests that, etymologically, a student is someone who 'strives' or 'pushes' toward knowledge.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, particularly in university settings, a student might be referred to more colloquially as an alumno instead of an estudiante. While estudiante emphasizes the act of studying, alumno carries a connotation of being a pupil under a teacher's guidance.
- In a classroom with twenty female students and one male student, the entire group is referred to using the masculine plural estudiantes.
Examples in context
- Cada estudiante varón debe presentar su solicitud antes del plazo establecido.Each male student must submit their application before the set deadline.
- Él es un estudiante muy aplicado.He is a very hardworking student.
- El estudiante llegó tarde a la clase.The student arrived late to class.
- Ese estudiante estudia en la universidad.That student studies at the university.
Example conversation
María and Mateo are talking about a new classmate.
- MaríaHola Mateo, ¿quién es ese estudiante nuevo?Hello Mateo, who is that new student?
- MateoEs mi primo, se llama Luis.He is my cousin, his name is Luis.
- MaríaParece un estudiante muy dedicado.He seems like a very dedicated student.
- MateoSí, estudia mucho todas las noches.Yes, he studies a lot every night.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry estudiante, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries estudiante, CC BY-SA 4.0.
