escuela
/esˈkwela/feminine
The English word school is translated into Spanish as escuela. Wiktionary also lists colegio.
Meaning: an institution dedicated to teaching and learning (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| escuela | /esˈkwela/ | feminine |
| colegio | /koˈlexjo/ | masculine |
The term refers to an institution dedicated to teaching and learning. When expressing that you are going to school, Spanish typically uses the definite article, such as la escuela, whereas English often omits it.
Which one should you use?
While escuela is a general term for school, colegio is frequently used to refer to private schools or specific K-12 institutions.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To describe things related to school, use the adjective escolar, such as in uniforme escolar (school uniform). Related verbs include educar and escolarizar, which mean to educate, teach or train.
How do you pronounce it?
/esˈkwela/
Did you know?
- The word escuela shares a surprising historical root with the word 'leisure'. It stems from the Ancient Greek 'skholḗ', which originally meant 'free time' or 'spare time' used for intellectual conversation.
- While English speakers say 'go to school' to describe the activity of learning, Spanish speakers often use the phrase ir al cole in casual conversation, using a shortened version of colegio.
- The Spanish word for 'school year' is curso escolar, where curso refers to the path or flow of the studies rather than just a specific class.
Examples in context
- Voy a la escuela.I am going to school.This sentence is useful for expressing the present action of going to school with escuela.Tatoeba #473450 by Shishir, translation #396887 by kamile
- Iré a la escuela.I'll go to school.This sentence is useful for expressing a future intention to go to school with escuela.Tatoeba #3706147 by cueyayotl, translation #2905390 by CK
- Fui a la escuela.I went to school.This sentence is useful for expressing a past action of going to school with escuela.Tatoeba #3797017 by Seael, translation #3797008 by CM
- Mi hijo va al colegio en el centro de la ciudad.My child goes to school in the city center.
- Los institutos en España están divididos en dos ciclos.Secondary schools in Spain are divided into two cycles.
- ¿Vamos al insti después del almuerzo?Shall we go to school after lunch?
- 1332 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are talking about their morning.
- JavierA qué hora llegaste a la escuela?What time did you arrive at school?
- ElenaLlegué a la escuela a las ocho.I arrived at school at eight.
- JavierLa escuela es muy grande, ¿verdad?The school is very big, right?
- ElenaSí, es la escuela más grande de la ciudad.Yes, it is the biggest school in the city.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “school” translations and entries escuela, colegio, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries colegio, escuela, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
