école
/e.kɔl/feminine
In French, the word for school is école. Wiktionary also lists collège.
Meaning: an institution dedicated to teaching and learning (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| école | /e.kɔl/ | feminine |
| collège | /kɔ.lɛʒ/ | masculine |
The word école is used to refer to both a physical school building and the institution of school itself.
Which one should you use?
While école is a general term for school, collège specifically refers to the middle school level (ages 11, 15) in the French education system. For high school, the specific term is lycée. For more granular levels, you can use l'école primaire for primary or elementary school and l'école maternelle for preschool or kindergarten.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because école starts with a vowel, the feminine definite article la contracts to l’ to form l’école.
How do you pronounce it?
/e.kɔl/
Did you know?
- French schools use a grading system based on 20 points rather than percentages or letter grades. Receiving a 20/20 is extremely rare, as teachers believe that only a perfect god or a flawless textbook could achieve a perfect score.
- The Greek root of école, skholḗ, originally meant 'leisure' or 'free time'. It referred to the time one had available for intellectual pursuits rather than labor.
- French students often use the slang term le bahut to refer to their école or lycée. This word originally referred to a large chest or trunk used for transporting goods.
Examples in context
- Il va a l'école.He goes to school.This sentence shows how to use école with a verb of motion.Tatoeba #2611686 by Micsmithel, translation #2611685 by CM
- Allez à l'école !Go to school.This sentence is an imperative using école.Tatoeba #3640821 by sacredceltic, translation #21504 by CK
- Tu iras à l'école.You will go to school.This sentence shows a future tense usage of école.Tatoeba #827630 by sacredceltic, translation #497951 by FeuDRenais
- Je vais à l'école demain.I am going to school tomorrow.
- Ma sœur travaille dans un établissement scolaire renommé.My sister works at a renowned educational establishment.
- La directrice de l'institution éducative sera présente.The principal of the educational institution will be present.
- Tu as bien travaillé à l'école aujourd'hui!You did well in school today!
- Ma nièce va entrer à l'école primaire l'année prochaine.My niece will enter elementary school next year.
- J'ai adoré mes années au collège et au lycée.I loved my years in middle school and high school.
- L'école maternelle est importante pour le développement des enfants.Preschool is important for children's development.
- 1912 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are walking near a local building.
- LucasC'est une grande école.It is a large school.
- ManonL'école est très moderne.The school is very modern.
- LucasTu aimes ton école, Manon ?Do you like your school, Manon?
- ManonOui, Lucas, j'adore mon école.Yes, Lucas, I love my school.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “school” translations and entries école, collège, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries collège, école, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
