Inklingo

How to Say "classes" in Spanish

English → Spanish

clases

/KLAH-ses//ˈklases/

nounA1general
Use 'clases' when referring to scheduled educational periods or lessons in a school or academic setting.
A storybook illustration showing a friendly teacher standing next to a chalkboard, pointing to a simple drawing, while a few happy students sit at desks looking attentive during a lesson.

Examples

Tengo clases de matemáticas todos los lunes por la mañana.

I have math classes every Monday morning.

¿A qué hora terminan tus clases hoy?

What time do your classes end today?

Ella da clases de piano a niños pequeños.

She gives piano lessons to small children.

Always Plural for School

For educational lessons, 'clases' is almost always used in the plural, even if you are just talking about one subject. (e.g., 'Tengo clases de inglés' - I have English class.)

Using 'Clase' for School Subjects

Mistake: “Hago una clase de español.”

Correction: Tomo clases de español. (Use the plural 'clases' and the verb 'tomar' or 'tener'.)

lecciones

lehk-SYOH-nes/lekˈsiones/

nounA1general
Use 'lecciones' to specifically refer to individual scheduled periods of study or instruction, often implying a specific topic or skill being taught.
A colorful illustration showing a teacher pointing to an open book while several young students listen intently, representing a unit of instruction.

Examples

Hoy tenemos tres lecciones de matemáticas y una de historia.

Today we have three math lessons and one history lesson.

¿Cuántas lecciones quedan antes del examen final?

How many lessons are left before the final exam?

Plural of 'Lección'

The singular form is 'lección,' which ends in '-ción.' When making this word plural, you add '-es' and the accent mark disappears: 'lección' becomes 'lecciones.'

Incorrect Gender

Mistake: “Los lecciones”

Correction: Las lecciones. Remember that 'lección' is always a feminine word, so it must be used with feminine words like 'las' or 'estas.'

familias

/fah-MEE-lyahs//faˈmiljas/

nounB1formal
Use 'familias' when referring to groups or categories, especially in a scientific or linguistic classification context, not for educational settings.
Three distinct, separated groups of objects on a table: a pile of red apples, a pile of orange carrots, and a pile of small wooden tools, illustrating categorization.

Examples

El español y el francés pertenecen a la familia de lenguas románicas.

Spanish and French belong to the family of Romance languages.

Estudiamos las diferentes familias de insectos en biología.

We study the different families of insects in biology.

Figurative Use

When used in science or language, 'familias' means a collection of related items that share a common origin, just like human families share relatives.

Clases vs. Lecciones

Learners often confuse 'clases' and 'lecciones' as they both relate to education. 'Clases' is more general and refers to the overall educational periods, while 'lecciones' focuses on individual study sessions or specific topics taught.

Related Translations

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