Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| collège | /kɔ.lɛʒ/ | Switzerland, masculine |
| école secondaire | /e.kɔl sə.ɡɔ̃.dɛʁ/ | feminine |
| lycée | /li.se/ | masculine |
While enseignement secondaire is the general term for secondary education, specific words like collège, lycée or école secondaire are used to describe the institutions themselves.
Which one should you use?
In France, the terms are divided by age and educational level: collège refers to middle school for students aged approximately 11 to 15, while lycée refers to high school for students aged approximately 15 to 18. In Canada, particularly in Quebec, école secondaire is the standard term for secondary school. In Switzerland, collège is used more broadly to refer to secondary school in general.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In France, use collège for middle school and lycée for high school. In Switzerland, collège refers to secondary school and the term gymnase is also frequently used to describe secondary school. In Canada, especially Quebec, use école secondaire.
How does it change in a sentence?
collège and lycée are masculine nouns, while école secondaire is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of collège is /kɔ.lɛʒ/.
Did you know?
- The root of lycée may be related to the Greek word for 'wolf-killing', an epithet used for the god Apollo.
- While a student in France might attend a collège, this does not mean they are attending a 'college' in the English sense of a higher education institution.
- In certain parts of Switzerland, you might hear the term gymnase to describe a secondary school, which connects the institution to the concept of physical and mental training.
Examples in context
- Dans quel lycée es-tu ?What secondary school do you go to?This sentence is useful for asking which secondary school someone attends using lycée.Tatoeba #1087606 by sacredceltic, translation #11811855 by sundown
- Je jouais au tennis au lycée.I used to play tennis at secondary school.This sentence is useful for describing a past activity at secondary school using lycée.Tatoeba #1369002 by Mutusen, translation #12638659 by sundown
- Le lycée dispose d'un gymnase.The secondary school has a sports hall.This sentence is useful for describing a facility within a secondary school using lycée.Tatoeba #946055 by sacredceltic, translation #10853930 by sundown
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas are talking about their education.
- LéaOù est ton collège, Lucas ?Where is your secondary school, Lucas?
- LucasMon collège est au centre-ville.My secondary school is in the city center.
- LéaC'est un grand collège ?Is it a large secondary school?
- LucasOui, il est très grand.Yes, it is very large.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “secondary school” translations and entries collège, école secondaire, lycée, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries collège, lycée, secondaire, école, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
