Inklingo

How to Say "school" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “school” is “escuela” — use 'escuela' for a general place of education like elementary, middle, or high school, or for a specific department within a university (like law school). It can also refer to a group with a shared style or ideology.

escuela🔊A1

Use 'escuela' for a general place of education like elementary, middle, or high school, or for a specific department within a university (like law school). It can also refer to a group with a shared style or ideology.

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colegio🔊A1

Use 'colegio' primarily for primary or secondary education institutions (K-12), especially in Spain and some Latin American countries. It's often interchangeable with 'escuela' for these levels.

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escolar🔊A1

Use 'escolar' as an adjective to describe anything related to school or education, such as the school year, school supplies, or school activities.

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facultad🔊A2

Use 'facultad' for a specific faculty or school within a larger university, such as the School of Arts or the Faculty of Medicine.

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plantel🔊A2

Use 'plantel' to refer to the entire educational establishment or institution, including its staff and facilities.

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academia🔊A2

Use 'academia' for a private institution that offers specialized training or courses, often outside the traditional school system (e.g., dance academy, language academy).

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manada🔊B1

Use 'manada' specifically for a group or herd of marine mammals like whales or dolphins. This is a specialized meaning not related to education.

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English → Spanish

escuela

es-KWEH-lahesˈkwela

nounA1general
Use 'escuela' for a general place of education like elementary, middle, or high school, or for a specific department within a university (like law school). It can also refer to a group with a shared style or ideology.
A bright, friendly yellow school building with a red roof, featuring a flagpole and a playground area, surrounded by green grass.

Examples

Los niños van a la escuela en autobús.

The children go to school by bus.

Mi hermana es maestra en una escuela primaria.

My sister is a teacher at a primary school.

Después de la escuela, voy a jugar al fútbol.

After school, I'm going to play soccer.

Mi hermano se graduó de la escuela de derecho.

My brother graduated from law school.

Always use 'la' with 'escuela'

In Spanish, when you talk about going to or being at school in a general sense, you almost always include 'la'. For example, 'Voy a la escuela' (I'm going to school), not 'Voy a escuela'.

'Escuela' vs. 'Colegio'

Mistake: “Using 'escuela' for all types of schools.”

Correction: The difference changes by country! Often, 'escuela' is for younger kids (elementary) and 'colegio' is for older kids (high school) or private schools. When in doubt, 'escuela' for a general school is usually safe.

colegio

coh-LEH-heeohkoˈlexjo

nounA1general
Use 'colegio' primarily for primary or secondary education institutions (K-12), especially in Spain and some Latin American countries. It's often interchangeable with 'escuela' for these levels.
A simple illustration showing a bright yellow school bus parked next to a traditional red-brick school building with large windows.

Examples

Mi hijo empieza el colegio nuevo en septiembre.

My son starts the new school in September.

Fui al mismo colegio que mi padre.

I went to the same school as my father.

Ella es profesora en un colegio bilingüe.

She is a teacher in a bilingual school.

Gender and Articles

Since 'colegio' is masculine, always use the article 'el' before it: 'el colegio'. If you are talking about multiple schools, use 'los colegios'.

False Friend Alert: Not 'College'

Mistake: “Using 'colegio' to mean 'university' or 'college' (higher education).”

Correction: This is a 'false friend'. 'Colegio' means K-12 school. For higher education, use 'universidad' or 'facultad'.

escolar

ess-koh-LAHRes.koˈlar

adjectiveA1general
Use 'escolar' as an adjective to describe anything related to school or education, such as the school year, school supplies, or school activities.
A classic red brick schoolhouse with a small bell tower, surrounded by green grass under a clear blue sky.

Examples

El año escolar comienza en septiembre.

The school year begins in September.

Necesito comprar material escolar nuevo.

I need to buy new school supplies.

El transporte escolar llegó tarde hoy.

The school bus arrived late today.

Gender Flexibility

When 'escolar' is an adjective, it works for both masculine and feminine nouns, but it still needs to match the noun's number (singular or plural). Example: 'el libro escolar' and 'la mochila escolar'.

Using 'de escuela'

Mistake: “La hora de escuela.”

Correction: La hora escolar. While 'de escuela' is sometimes used, 'escolar' is the natural, single-word adjective Spanish prefers for 'school-related'.

facultad

fah-kool-TAHDfa.kulˈtað

nounA2academic
Use 'facultad' for a specific faculty or school within a larger university, such as the School of Arts or the Faculty of Medicine.
A stylized illustration of the grand entrance to a university building with columns, representing a university division.

Examples

Mi hermana estudia ingeniería en la Facultad de Ciencias.

My sister studies engineering at the Faculty of Sciences.

La reunión será en la facultad a las diez de la mañana.

The meeting will be at the school (department building) at ten in the morning.

Always Feminine

Even though many Spanish nouns ending in -d are masculine, 'facultad' is always feminine. Remember to use 'la' or 'una'.

Mixing up 'Facultad' and 'Profesorado'

Mistake: “Using 'facultad' to mean the group of teachers.”

Correction: Use 'el profesorado' or 'el cuerpo docente' for the staff/teachers, and 'la facultad' for the building or division.

plantel

plan-TELplanˈtel

nounA2general
Use 'plantel' to refer to the entire educational establishment or institution, including its staff and facilities.
A large brick school building with a green lawn and a few trees in front.

Examples

Los estudiantes deben cuidar las instalaciones del plantel.

Students must take care of the school facilities.

Hay tres planteles diferentes de esta universidad en la ciudad.

There are three different campuses of this university in the city.

El plantel educativo permanecerá cerrado por vacaciones.

The educational facility will remain closed for the holidays.

Regional Usage

In Mexico, 'plantel' is the standard way to refer to a specific physical school site or branch.

academia

ah-kah-DEH-mee-ahakaˈðemja

nounA2general
Use 'academia' for a private institution that offers specialized training or courses, often outside the traditional school system (e.g., dance academy, language academy).
A colorful illustration of a bright dance studio with wooden floors and a large mirror. A single student is practicing a stretch near a ballet barre.

Examples

Mi hermana va a una academia de baile todos los sábados.

My sister goes to a dance academy every Saturday.

¿Dónde está la academia de idiomas? Necesito aprender francés.

Where is the language school? I need to learn French.

La academia ofrece clases de apoyo para estudiantes de secundaria.

The training center offers support classes for high school students.

Feminine Noun Rule

Even though 'academia' starts with the stressed 'a' sound, we use 'la academia' and 'una academia' (not 'el' or 'un'), because the first syllable stress rule only applies to nouns of one or two syllables, like 'agua' or 'águila'.

manada

mah-NAH-dahmaˈnaða

nounB1zoological
Use 'manada' specifically for a group or herd of marine mammals like whales or dolphins. This is a specialized meaning not related to education.
A simple drawing of three large gray elephants standing close together on a grassy plain, representing a herd.

Examples

Vimos una gran manada de elefantes cruzando la sabana.

We saw a large herd of elephants crossing the savanna.

La manada de lobos cazó un ciervo anoche.

The pack of wolves hunted a deer last night.

El león es el líder de la manada.

The lion is the leader of the pride/pack.

Feminine Noun

Since 'manada' ends in -a, it is always a feminine word. Use feminine articles and adjectives with it: 'una manada grande' (a big herd).

Verb Agreement

Mistake: “Las manadas están corriendo. (Using plural verb form)”

Correction: La manada está corriendo. (The word 'manada' is singular, so the verb must be singular, even if it refers to many animals.)

Escuela vs. Colegio

The most common confusion is between 'escuela' and 'colegio'. While both can refer to K-12 education, 'colegio' is more specific to primary/secondary levels and more common in certain regions. 'Escuela' is more versatile and can also refer to university departments or artistic movements.

Related Translations

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