Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| escuela | /esˈkwela/ | feminine |
| colegio | /koˈlexjo/ | masculine |
The term refers to an institution dedicated to teaching and learning. Use escuela when referring to a school in a general sense without specifying a particular level of education. If you are talking about being a student or attending school in a general sense, you should use the definite article, such as in the phrase la escuela.
Which one should you use?
While escuela is a general term for any school, colegio is frequently used to refer to private schools or specifically to secondary or high schools in many Spanish-speaking countries.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, insti is an abbreviation of instituto used among students to refer to high school. The abbreviation cole is commonly used in Latin America and some regions of Spain.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To describe things related to school, use the adjective escolar, such as in the phrase el año escolar (the school year).
How do you pronounce it?
/esˈkwela/
Did you know?
- The word escuela is a linguistic oddity because its ancient roots actually mean 'leisure' or 'spare time'.
- In some Latin American contexts, colegio is the primary word for any K-12 school, making escuela feel more like a primary school.
Examples in context
- Voy a la escuela.I am going to school.This sentence is useful for expressing the present continuous movement toward school using escuela.Tatoeba #473450 by Shishir, translation #396887 by kamile
- Iré a la escuela.I'll go to school.This sentence is useful for expressing future intent to go to school using 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 using escuela.Tatoeba #3797017 by Seael, translation #3797008 by CM
- Voy al colegioI'm going to school
- Mi hermana trabaja en un colegioMy sister works at a school
- Me gradué del instituto el año pasadoI graduated from high school last year
- Mi hija asiste a una escuela prestigiosaMy daughter attends a prestigious school
- ¡Vamos al cole!Let's go to school!
- Estoy en el coleI'm at school
- ¿Quieres ir al cole conmigo?Do you want to go to school with me?
- Quiero trabajar en una escuelaI want to work at a school
- 1332 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are talking about their morning routine.
- Lucía¿A qué hora llegas a la escuela?What time do you arrive at school?
- MateoLlego a las ocho de la mañana.I arrive at eight in the morning.
- LucíaMi escuela está muy lejos de aquí.My school is very far from here.
- MateoYo puedo llevarte en mi coche.I can take you in my car.
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.
