año escolar
/aɲo eskolaɾ/from spelling rulesmasculine
The English phrase "school year" is translated into Spanish as año escolar.
Año escolar is used to refer to the academic year of a school.
Meaning: academic year of a school (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of año (year) and escolar (school-related/scholastic).
Which one should you use?
While año escolar is a common way to express this, curso escolar is often used in Spain to refer specifically to the academic cycle or the curriculum period.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Latin America, specifically in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, Año lectivo is more commonly used. In Spain, Curso escolar is a widely used term and Año académico is used in some contexts, particularly in universities.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because año is a masculine noun, you must use the masculine article el when referring to the school year. To make the phrase plural, both the noun and the adjective must take the plural suffix: los años escolares.
How do you pronounce it?
/aɲo eskolaɾ/
Did you know?
- In several Latin American countries, the año escolar begins in February or March to align with the southern hemisphere's autumn, meaning students often have their longest break during the English 'winter'.
- The word escolar is a distant relative of the English word 'culture' through the Latin root 'colō', which means 'to till' or 'to cultivate'.
- In Spain, the end of the año escolar is often marked by the fin de curso, a set of celebrations that can be more culturally significant than the start of the year.
Examples in context
- Pronto empieza el año escolar.The school year is starting soon.This sentence is useful for noting when the año escolar is starting.Tatoeba #8657188 by Curro, translation #9663018 by DJ_Saidez
- El año escolar empieza el 10 de abril.The school year begins on the 10th of April.This sentence is useful for stating the specific start date of the año escolar.Tatoeba #2192098 by marcelostockle, translation #453804 by saasmath
- El año escolar está a punto de acabar.The school year is almost over.This sentence is useful for describing the end of the año escolar.Tatoeba #8657187 by Curro, translation #2261047 by Hybrid
- El próximo año escolar comienza en septiembreThe next school year starts in September
- El ciclo escolar se divide en trimestresThe school year is divided into trimesters
- Me fue muy bien en el año lectivoI did very well in the school year
- Este año escolar será desafiante pero emocionante.This school year will be challenging but exciting.
- ¿Cuándo empieza el ciclo escolar?When does the school year start?
- El año lectivo pasado fue inolvidable.The previous school year was unforgettable.
- Estoy en el segundo curso escolar.I'm in the second school year.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and María are discussing their schedules at a cafe.
- Javier¿Estás lista para el nuevo año escolar?Are you ready for the new school year?
- MaríaSí, estoy muy emocionada por este año escolar.Yes, I am very excited for this school year.
- JavierA mí también me gusta mucho estudiar.I also like studying a lot.
- María¡Buena suerte con tus clases, Javier!Good luck with your classes, Javier!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “school year” translations and entries año escolar, 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 año, escolar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
