A stack of colorful school books and a graduation cap on a wooden desk.

semestre

seh-MEHS-treh

nounmA2

semester?academic term,six-month period?general time or business

Also:half-year?financial reporting

📝 In Action

Este semestre tengo cinco clases diferentes.

This semester I have five different classes.

Las ventas de la empresa mejoraron en el segundo semestre.

The company's sales improved in the second half of the year.

Terminamos el semestre en diciembre.

We finish the semester in December.

Word Connections

Synonyms

medio año (half a year)

Common Collocations

primer semestre – first half/semester
segundo semestre – second half/semester
fin de semestre – end of the semester

💡 Grammar Points

It's a Masculine Noun

Even though it ends in 'e', 'semestre' is masculine. Always use 'el' or 'un' with it.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Not just for schools

Mistake: "Only using 'semestre' for university terms."

Correction: Use it for any 6-month block, like in business or personal goals.

⭐ Usage Tips

Tracking time

When talking about the first or second half of a year, Spanish speakers almost always use 'el primer semestre' or 'el segundo semestre'.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: semestre

Question 1 of 1

If a company reports its earnings every 'semestre', how many times a year do they report?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

semestral(half-yearly / semiannual) - adjective

semestralmente(every six months) - adverb

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'semestre' always 6 months?

Yes, linguistically it refers to a six-month period. However, in some universities, a 'semester' might be slightly shorter (like 4 or 5 months) to allow for holidays, but it is still called a 'semestre'.

What is the difference between 'semestre' and 'cuatrimestre'?

A 'semestre' is six months, while a 'cuatrimestre' is four months. Some schools use 'cuatrimestres' instead of 'semestres'.