école
/e.kɔl/feminine
The English word school is translated into French as école. Wiktionary also lists collège.
Meaning: an institution dedicated to teaching and learning (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| école | /e.kɔl/ | feminine |
| collège | /kɔ.lɛʒ/ | masculine |
The term école refers to both the physical school building and the institution of learning itself. If you want to be more specific about the level of education, you can use école primaire for primary school.
Which one should you use?
While école is a general term for school, collège specifically refers to the middle school level (ages 11, 15) in the French education system. To refer to high school, use lycée.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term la fac is specifically used in France to refer to universities.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because école starts with a vowel, the feminine definite article la elides to l’, resulting in l'école. The word école is feminine, while collège is masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
/e.kɔl/
Did you know?
- The Greek root of école, skholḗ, originally meant 'leisure' or 'spare time' rather than education. It referred to the freedom from labor that allowed one to pursue intellectual study.
- French schools often use a grading scale from 0 to 20, and receiving a 20 is incredibly rare as it represents absolute perfection.
- The word lycée comes from a specific location in Athens. It is named after the 'Lyceum', a gymnasium where the philosopher Aristotle famously taught his students.
Examples in context
- Il va a l'école.He goes to school.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of école in a simple statement.Tatoeba #2611686 by Micsmithel, translation #2611685 by CM
- Allez à l'école !Go to school.This sentence is useful for practicing an imperative with école.Tatoeba #3640821 by sacredceltic, translation #21504 by CK
- Tu iras à l'école.You will go to school.This sentence is useful for practicing the future tense with école.Tatoeba #827630 by sacredceltic, translation #497951 by FeuDRenais
- Je suis en train d'aller à l'école pour étudier.I am on my way to school to study.
- On doit acheter des fournitures pour la rentrée scolaire .We need to buy supplies for the start of the school year.
- Ma fille adore jouer avec ses amis à la récréation .My daughter loves playing with her friends at recess.
- 1912 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Emma are talking about their morning routine.
- NathanTu vas à l'école à quelle heure ?What time do you go to school?
- EmmaJe pars de l'école à quatre heures.I leave school at four o'clock.
- NathanTon école est grande, n'est-ce pas ?Your school is big, isn't it?
- EmmaOui, elle est très grande.Yes, it is very big.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “school” translations and entries école, collège, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries collège, école, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
