no hay clases
/no ai klases/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "no school" is expressed as no hay clases.
The phrase no hay clases is used to indicate that an educational institution is closed or that no instruction is taking place, whether due to holidays, strikes or breaks.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase no hay clases literally translates to "there are no classes".
Which one should you use?
While no hay clases is the standard way to say there is no school, the singular form no hay clase can be used to refer to a specific single class session being canceled. Additionally, No hay escuela is an expression that translates to "There is no school".
Did you know?
- Even though 'school' is often translated as escuela, using no hay escuela can sound as if the physical building itself has ceased to exist, rather than just the lessons.
- The word hay comes from a strange combination of 'has' and 'there', derived from the Old Spanish phrase ha ý, meaning 'it has there'.
- In certain regions, saying no hay clases can specifically imply a teacher's strike, whereas vacaciones is reserved for scheduled breaks.
Examples in context
- Mañana no hay clases.We have no school tomorrow.This sentence is useful for using no hay clases to talk about tomorrow.Tatoeba #637387 by Leono, translation #249421 by CK
- No hay clases en agosto.There's no school in August.This sentence is useful for using no hay clases to talk about the month of August.Tatoeba #574364 by Shishir, translation #9817258 by CK
- En agosto no hay clases.There is no school during August.Tatoeba #336522 by kylecito, translation #72325 by CK
- El día de hoy, debido a las inclemencias del tiempo, no hay clases en la escuela.Today, due to inclement weather, there are no classes at school.
- Les informamos que el próximo viernes no habrá clases debido a labores de mantenimiento en el edificio escolar.We inform you that there will be no classes next Friday due to maintenance work in the school building.
- ¡Genial! Hoy no hay cole, podemos ir al parque.Great! There's no school today, we can go to the park.
- ¿Sabías que no hay clases hoy? ¡Tenemos un día libre para disfrutar!Did you know there are no classes today? We have a day off to enjoy!
- ¡Qué bien! Mañana no hay escuela, podemos descansar un poco más.Great! There's no school tomorrow, we can get some extra rest.
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are talking about their schedule for the week.
- MateoLucía, ¿sabes si el viernes no hay clases?Lucía, do you know if there are no classes on Friday?
- LucíaSí, Mateo, el viernes no hay clases.Yes, Mateo, there are no classes on Friday.
- Mateo¡Qué bien! Así podré descansar.Great! That way I can rest.
- LucíaYo también voy a aprovechar el día.I am also going to make the most of the day.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hay, no, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
