How to Say High School in Spanish

Last Updated: August 15, 2024 References

Learn about high school in Spanish speaking countries! Depending on which country you are referring to, high school in Spanish is called different names. In addition, high school education is broken up differently by grade. For example, in Mexico grades nine through twelve are split into two different schools. School seventh through ninth grades is called educación secundaria and tenth through twelfth/thirteenth grades is called "educación média superior", "prepartoria" or "bachillerato". ^{[1]
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Research source} Lastly, knowing the correct pronunciation for high school is key to being understood when speaking in Spanish!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Learning the School Structure

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1
Say "secundaria" when you are referring to school grades 7-10, in Mexico. Determine the age level(s) of schooling to which you are referring. In the United States, high school refers to a compulsory education for students ages fourteen through eighteen. However, this is not the case in many Spanish speaking countries. Schooling is broken up differently in other countries.
- In Mexico, if you are referring to students age twelve to fifteen, students attend what is comparable to junior high school. This school is called "secundaria", and it is an extension of "educación básica" (elementary school).
- If you want more information about high school in Mexico, there are some government websites which provide information about "secundaria" in Mexico. These websites can be written in language that is difficult to read. However, if you read slowly and skim for graphs and visual representations, you can find some useful information.
2
Say "preparatoria" or "bachillerato" when talking about school grades 10-12, in Mexico. Students ages fifteen to eighteen attend what is called "preparatoria", "bachillerato", or "educación media superior".
- In Mexico, "el bachillerato" is the main track to university. "Prepartoria", on the other hand, is more geared toward vocational training so that when a student graduates they are ready to work in a specific vocation. For example, students who graduate from "prepartoria" might be ready to work as a laboratory technician.
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3
Call school grades 7-11 "instituto", when referring to Spain. In Spain, students twelve to sixteen years of age attend either an "instituto de educación secundaria" (instituto for short), "colegio concertado", or "colegio privado". Schooling at this point is still compulsory.
- Some high schools are public, others are private, and some are both. In Chile, for example, there has been a major shift toward the privatization schools. Most parents will pay more for their students to attend the private or semi-private schools. ^{[2]
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4
Call school grades 11 to college, "bachillerato" or "ciclos formativos", for Spain. At this point, schooling is not compulsory for all students. However, many students sixteen to eighteen years of age attend "bachillerato" or go to "ciclos formativos" for more school training.
- Often the different high schools in Spanish speaking countries entail different kinds of training. Different kinds of schools determine the career path their students take.
- For example, in Spain "el bachillerato" is the school that is on track to university. In "el bachillerato" studies students earn a certificate that is mandatory to attend university. Students also prepare for their "Prueba de Acceso a la Universidad", or university admittance exam, which they must take for university admittance. The other track students take in high school is Ciclos Formativos. This program is through Spain's "institutos", and it consists of vocational training. When most students leave these programs they are ready to work as a hairdressers, technicians etc.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using the Proper Language

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If you are doing a presentation on high school for your class, you may want to consult your teacher about which country you should talk about. Ask your teacher if you can practice using the correct language for high school with him or her.
Use other students as resources. They will be able to give you the most authentic information and tips on how to talk about high school because they lived there.
3
Use proper grammar. When you are talking about high school in Spanish, the grammar can take several different forms. Find out what you want to say, and check to make sure you are using the correct grammar.
- If you are talking about a building or institution, high school is a noun and should be preceded by "la" or "el".
- If you are referring to a high school student, use the adjective form. In the adjective form, high school is preceded by "de". For example, you say, "un estudiante de escuela secundaria." As you can see, when you translate high school student from English to Spanish, the words "high school" and "student" are switched.
4
Know the noun's gender. Words in Spanish have male and female genders. If a word ends in 'o' or 'e', it is most likely masculine and is preceded by "el". If a word ends in a, d, z or ión, it is most likely feminine and is preceded by "la".
- For example, if you are saying "the high school (in Ecuador) needs more students", you would say, "se necesitan más estudiantes para el colegio." "Colegio' is preceded by "el", because the word colegio is masculine.
- For example, if you say "I am studying English in high school (in Chile)", you would say, "estoy estudiando inglés en la enseñanza media". The term enseñanza media is feminine, so it is preceded by "la".
5
Decide on a Spanish speaking country. Some countries have multiple different terms for high school; however, below is a short list of the most common terms for high school. ^{[3]
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- For Mexico: "la escuela preparatoria", also called “la prepa”
- For Spain, El Salvador, Venezuela: "el bachillerato", or in Spain, "el instituto"
- For Uruguay or Venezuela: "el liceo" (referring to the school building)
- For Chile: "la enseñanza media" or "el colegio"
- For Ecuador: "el colegio"
- For Cuba: "el instituto preuniversitario"
- Most universal form, regardless of the country: "la escuela secundaria"

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Practicing Pronunciation

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1
Listen to a native speaker say high school in Spanish. Consult a friend or teacher who speaks Spanish fluently, and have them help you pronounce the words. Have him or her say "escuela secondaria", or whichever term for high school that you are learning, slowly, several times.
- If you do not have access to a native Spanish speaker, go online to Google translate. Type in the words "high school". "Escuela secondaria" or "el liceo" will appear on the right hand side. Under the words, there is a black speaker. Hover your mouse over the speaker, and it will say “listen”. Click on the speaker to listen to the correct pronunciation of the words. ^{[4]
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- If you are giving a presentation in Spanish, use the above resources to learn how to talk about high school in complete sentences.
2
Say the word escuela, out loud, at a normal volume. Try to imitate the Spanish speaker or recording. Start with the first word: "escuela". This is the word for school. It is pronounced, es-que-la.
- Practice saying the word a few times, aloud, at a normal volume. Get feedback from the teacher or native speaker as to whether you are pronouncing the word correctly.
- If you do not have an expert to work with, work on your pronunciation in front of a friend. Have them listen to the recording and tell you whether your pronunciation is correct. They will be able to hear more accurately whether your pronunciation is correct.
"Secundaria" means secondary, in English. "Secundaria" is pronounced how it is spelled: sec-oon-dah-ree-a. Repeat the above steps with the word secundaria.
If you have trouble pronouncing particular sounds, watch and take notes on a Youtube video that goes through all of the sounds in the Spanish alphabet. ^{[5]
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Research source} This can be a great refresher for anyone who is practicing their pronunciation. Additionally, this will help you prefect your understanding of separate sounds in Spanish.
5
Practice saying "escuela secundaria" in a sentence. Write down what you want to say in Spanish. Practice aloud with another person.
- Practice with someone who also speaks Spanish. Go back in forth in conversation about high school until you feel comfortable speaking about high school in Spanish.