Students use vocabulary to talk about subjects, classes, schedules, and the places they use during the day. These words appear when someone describes what they study, which class they have next, or where an activity takes place.
Schools and stages of education
The terms used for different stages of education vary across the French-speaking world. In France, these terms describe the main stages from primary school through university:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| l'école primaire | primary, elementary school |
| le collège | lower secondary, middle school |
| le lycée | upper secondary, high school |
| l'université | university |
In France, collège refers to the stage before lycée. It does not correspond to American English college.
Other French-speaking countries organize their education systems differently and may use different terms.
School subjects
These are common names for subjects taught in French schools:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le français | French |
| l'anglais | English |
| les mathématiques | mathematics |
| les maths | math, maths |
| l'histoire | history |
| la géographie | geography |
| les sciences | science |
| la physique | physics |
| la chimie | chemistry |
| la biologie | biology |
| l'informatique | computer science, IT |
| l'art | art |
| la musique | music |
| l'éducation physique | physical education |
Les maths is the common everyday form of les mathématiques.
Expressions related to classes and subjects
These types of expressions occur when you describe what classes you are taking or the day or the time they occur:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| J'ai cours de français. | I have French class. |
| J'ai cours de maths à neuf heures. | I have math class at nine. |
| On a histoire le lundi. | We have history on Monday. |
| Elle a cours de musique cet après-midi. | She has music class this afternoon. |
| J'étudie le français. | I study French. |
| Il étudie la biologie. | He studies biology. |
| Nous étudions l'histoire. | We study history. |
After avoir cours de, French drops the article on the subject. However, With étudier, the article remains.
Avoir can take the subject directly, with no cours de.
These questions ask what class you have now, what class you have next, and what you study:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Tu as quel cours maintenant ? | What class do you have now? |
| Quel cours est-ce que vous avez après ? | What class do you have next? |
| Tu étudies quoi ? | What do you study? |
School schedules and times
A school schedule combines subjects with days and times. L'emploi du temps shows when classes, breaks, and other parts of the school day take place.
School schedules
Several words describe the structure of a school day:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| l'emploi du temps | timetable, schedule |
| le cours | class, lesson |
| la récréation | recess, break |
| la pause | break |
| la pause déjeuner | lunch break |
| le matin | morning |
| l'après-midi | afternoon |
Cours can refer to a class or lesson. Récréation is used for a scheduled school break, while pause has a broader meaning.
Common actions
Students use a small group of verbs to talk about classes and the school day:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| avoir cours | to have class |
| commencer | to start |
| finir | to finish |
| déjeuner | to have lunch |
| aller en cours | to go to class |
Commencer and finir describe when a class or the school day begins and ends. Avoir cours identifies when someone has class.
Describe a school schedule
These expressions show common ways to describe a school schedule:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Mon premier cours commence à huit heures. | My first class starts at eight. |
| J'ai anglais le mardi matin. | I have English on Tuesday morning. |
| La pause est à dix heures. | The break is at ten. |
| Je déjeune à midi. | I have lunch at noon. |
| Je n'ai pas cours le vendredi après-midi. | I don't have class on Friday afternoon. |
| Les cours finissent à quatre heures. | Classes finish at four. |
Typical parts of a school
Different parts of a school are associated with classes, meals, sports, and other parts of the school day:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| la salle de classe | classroom |
| la bibliothèque | library |
| le laboratoire | laboratory |
| le gymnase | gym |
| la cantine | school cafeteria |
| la cour | schoolyard, playground |
| le secrétariat | school office |
| les toilettes | restrooms |
| l'entrée | entrance |
Some classes take place in a particular room, while other school activities use shared spaces:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Le cours de sciences est au laboratoire. | Science class is in the laboratory. |
| On va à la bibliothèque. | We're going to the library. |
| Le cours de sport est au gymnase. | PE class is in the gym. |
| Nous déjeunons à la cantine. | We eat lunch in the cafeteria. |
| Les élèves sont dans la cour. | The students are in the schoolyard. |
From learning to practice
When you see a French school schedule, look for familiar subject names, days, and times before reading the whole timetable. In conversations about school, listen for avoir cours de followed by a subject and for place names that indicate where a class or activity takes place.