mon école s'appelle
The English phrase "my school is called" is translated into French as mon école s'appelle.
This phrase is used to introduce the name of the school that you attend.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, mon école s'appelle means "my school calls itself", using the reflexive verb s'appeler.
Which one should you use?
While mon école s'appelle is the standard way to state the name, you can also use the informal version Mon école, c'est… to say "My school is…".
How does it change in a sentence?
Even though école is a feminine noun, the masculine possessive adjective mon is used instead of ma to avoid a hiatus between two vowels. If you are referring to multiple schools, the possessive adjective changes to mes and the verb becomes the plural s'appellent (mes écoles s'appellent).
Did you know?
- The word école traces its roots back to the Ancient Greek word σχολή, which originally meant 'leisure'.
- In France, the state secularism law means that the names of public schools cannot include religious references, unlike many English-speaking countries.
- While mon école s'appelle is grammatically correct, French students often refer to their school simply as le bahut, a slang term for a large school building.
Examples in context
- Mon école s'appelle Lycée Henri IV.My school is called Lycée Henri IV.
- Mon école s'appelle le Lycée Victor Hugo.My school is called Lycée Victor Hugo.
- Est-ce que tu sais comment mon école s'appelle ?Do you know what my school is called?
Example conversation
Manon and Hugo are talking about their studies.
- ManonTu vas dans quelle école, Hugo ?Which school do you go to, Hugo?
- HugoJe vais à l'école Saint-Exupéry.I go to Saint-Exupéry school.
- ManonAh, mon école s'appelle differently.Ah, my school is called something else.
- HugoC'est vrai ? Comment s'appelle-t-elle ?Really? What is it called?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mon, école, CC BY-SA 4.0.
