Inklingo

How to Say "school year" in Spanish

English → Spanish

curso

KOOR-soh/ˈkuɾso/

nounA2general
Use 'curso' when referring to a specific academic year or grade level within primary or secondary education, or even university.
A colorful illustration showing a transition. On the left, a school building is surrounded by green trees, transitioning to the right where the same building is surrounded by snow, symbolizing the passage of the full school year.

Examples

Mi hermano está en el tercer curso de primaria.

My brother is in the third year of primary school.

Mi hermana está en el segundo curso de la universidad.

My sister is in the second year of university.

El próximo curso escolar empieza en septiembre.

The next school year starts in September.

Counting Years

To specify the year level, Spanish uses ordinal numbers (primer, segundo, tercer) before 'curso' when referring to the grade.

ciclo

SEE-kloh/ˈθiklo/ (Spain), /ˈsiklo/ (Latin America)

nounB1general
Use 'ciclo' to describe a broader academic period or stage, like a multi-year program or a phase of study, often used for higher education or vocational training.
A stylized image showing a young student with a large backpack on the left, connected by an arching line to an image of the same student, taller and holding a scroll on the right, symbolizing academic duration.

Examples

Este ciclo formativo dura dos años.

This training cycle lasts two years.

¿En qué ciclo de la universidad estás?

Which stage/year of university are you in?

El ciclo de educación primaria dura seis años.

The primary education cycle lasts six years.

Academic vs. Time

Mistake: “Using 'año' instead of 'ciclo' when referring to a structured educational period.”

Correction: While 'año' means year, 'ciclo' implies the specific, structured program or level. Use 'ciclo' when talking about grade levels or academic stages.

Curso vs. Ciclo

The most common mistake is using 'ciclo' for a single academic year when 'curso' is more appropriate. Remember that 'curso' typically refers to a specific year of study (like 9th grade or sophomore year), while 'ciclo' denotes a larger block of time or a phase.

Related Translations

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