Which one should you use?
For example, tercer curso is used in Spain and parts of South America, while tercer año is used in many Spanish-speaking countries to refer to the third year of primary or secondary school.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Tercer curso is used in Spain and parts of South America. In some Latin American countries, such as Colombia, Argentina and Mexico, the specific phrase tercer año de primaria is used to specify "third year of primary school". Additionally, tercer año is used in many Spanish-speaking countries to refer to the third year of primary or secondary school.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective 'tercero' shortens to 'tercer' when placed immediately before a masculine singular noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/teɾθeɾ ɡɾado/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use tercera grado. The word 'grado' is masculine, so the adjective must be 'tercer' or 'tercero', not the feminine 'tercera'.
Did you know?
- While tercer grado refers to a school level, the phrase en tercer grado is also used in legal contexts to describe the proximity of a relative, such as a 'third-degree' relative.
- The word grado comes from the Latin gradus, meaning a step or a pace in a staircase. This reflects the idea that each school year is a single step climbed in an educational journey.
- The word grado has a linguistic double meaning in Spanish, as it can refer to a school level, a temperature measurement, or a university degree.
Examples in context
- Tom está en el tercer grado.Tom is in the third grade.This sentence shows how to use tercer grado to say that someone is in the third grade.Tatoeba #10117905 by DJ_Saidez, translation #3428649 by CK
- En mi escuela, los niños comienzan el tercer grado a los ocho años.In my school, children begin third grade at eight years old.
- El próximo año, mi hermano menor ingresará al tercer grado.Next year, my younger brother will enter third grade.
- El niño de la casa está en tercero.The child of the house is in third grade.
- Este año, mi sobrina ingresará a tercer año escolar.This year, my niece will enter third grade.
- En mi escuela, el curso de tercer grado es muy divertido.In my school, the third-grade course is a lot of fun.
- En España, los niños comienzan el tercer curso a los nueve años.In Spain, children begin third grade at nine years old.
- En Argentina, el tercer año de primaria es muy importante para los niños.In Argentina, the third year of primary school is very important for children.
- Mi hijo ya está en tercer grado.My son is already in third grade.
- El libro es para alumnos de tercer grado.The book is for third grade students.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are talking about their children's school progress.
- Elena¿En qué curso está tu hijo?What grade is your son in?
- AlejandroÉl ya empezó el tercer grado.He already started third grade.
- Elena¡Qué rápido crecen los niños!How fast children grow!
- AlejandroSí, parece que fue ayer.Yes, it feels like it was yesterday.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries grado, tercer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
