escuela privada
/eskwela pɾibada/from spelling rulesfeminine
In Spanish, 'private school' is translated as escuela privada.
The term refers to a fee-charging school. Its direct antonym is escuela pública, meaning public school.
Meaning: fee-charging school (noun)
Which one should you use?
While escuela privada is a correct way to express this, colegio privado is a very common alternative used to refer to private schools, particularly in many Latin American countries. For a more formal or administrative way to refer to a private school, you can use centro educativo privado.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The alternative term colegio privado is especially common in many Latin American countries.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is feminine. When using the plural form escuelas privadas, both the noun and the adjective take the feminine plural ending -as.
Did you know?
- The word escuela shares an ancient ancestor with the English word 'school', but its original meaning in Greek was 'leisure' or 'spare time'. It referred to the intellectual conversations people enjoyed when they were not working.
- If you call a private school a colegio concertado in Spain, you are referring to a specific type of institution that is privately managed but receives government subsidies. This is a nuance that differs from the general term escuela privada.
- In some Latin American countries, saying a child goes to a colegio specifically implies a private institution, even if the word 'privada' is omitted.
Examples in context
- Voy a una escuela privada.I go to a private school.This sentence is useful for stating that you go to an escuela privada.Tatoeba #857844 by ildefonk, translation #13001738 by araneo
- Cursé la mayor parte de la secundaria en una escuela privada.I attended a private school for most of high school.This sentence is useful for saying you attended an escuela privada for most of high school.Tatoeba #2911902 by hayastan, translation #7482812 by shekitten
- No me puedo permitir mandar a mis hijos a una escuela privada, así que tendré que confiar en la enseñanza pública.I can't let myself send my kids to a private school, so I'll have to trust public education.This sentence is useful for explaining that you cannot afford to send your children to an escuela privada.Tatoeba #9432477 by Shishir, translation #10465418 by DJ_Saidez
- Mi hijo asiste a un colegio privadoMy son attends a private school
- En mi ciudad hay varios institutos privadosIn my city, there are several private schools
- Mis hijos van a una escuela privadaMy children go to a private school
- Mis nietos estudian en un cole privadoMy grandchildren study at a private school
- Este año ingresaré a una academia privadaI will enroll in a private school this year
- Mi hermana trabaja como profesora en un colegio privadoMy sister works as a teacher in a private school
- El instituto privado en el que estudio ofrece excelentes programas académicosThe private school I attend offers excellent academic programs
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are discussing their children's education options.
- Daniel¿Prefieres una escuela privada para ella?Do you prefer a private school for her?
- ElenaNo, creo que la escuela pública es mejor.No, I think the public school is better.
- DanielPero la escuela privada tiene más recursos.But the private school has more resources.
- ElenaEs cierto, pero es muy cara.That's true, but it is very expensive.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “private school” translations and entries escuela privada, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries escuela, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
