étudiant en licence
To say undergraduate in French, use étudiant en licence.
étudiant en licence refers to a university student working toward a first degree, the bachelor's level.
Meaning: student at a university who has not yet received a degree (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
étudiant means student, and en licence means in the bachelor's program, since licence is the name of the first university degree in France.
How does it change in a sentence?
For a woman, étudiant takes an extra e.
What mistakes should you avoid?
licence in this sense is a degree, not a license to drive or practice.
Did you know?
- France uses a specialized grading scale for licence students where 20 is the maximum score, but receiving a 20 is extremely rare and seen as nearly impossible.
- The term licence comes from the Latin licentia, meaning 'freedom' or 'permission'.
- In France, the licence is traditionally a three year program. Students often refer to their specific year of study as L1, L2 and L3.
Examples in context
- Il est étudiant en licence de biologie.He is an undergraduate student in biology.
- Mon frère est étudiant en licence d'histoire.My brother is an undergraduate student in history.
Example conversation
Two students are discussing their studies at a cafe.
- EmmaTu es étudiant en licence ici ?Are you an undergraduate student here?
- GabrielOui, je suis étudiant en licence d'économie.Yes, I am an undergraduate student in economics.
- EmmaMoi, je suis une étudiante en licence de droit.As for me, I am an undergraduate student in law.
- GabrielC'est un domaine très difficile.That is a very difficult field.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries en, licence, CC BY-SA 4.0.
