List 3 - Talking about school

Languages.Org.Au HomeFrenchFrench Language → Talking about school

School - general

la bibliothèque; le CDI (centre de documentation et d'information) etc library; resource centre
le cahier exercise book
la cantine canteen, school cafeteria
le cartable; le sac school bag; bag
le casier locker
la chaise chair
une colle detention
le collège / un collège junior high school (about Years 6 to 9)
un contrôle formal test
la cour school yard, playground
des cours de (ex: elle suit des cours d'anglais) classes in (eg: she's taking English classes)
le crayon pencil
les devoirs homework
l'école / une école school
un(e) élève school student, pupil
un(e) étudiant(e) (tertiary/university) student
la fenêtre window
la gomme eraser, rubber
la grande salle the hall
le gymnase gymnasium
la leçon lesson
le livre book
sortir to go out
le lycée senior secondary school (about Years 10-12)
le lycée

senior secondary school (like a secondary college in the A.C.T., about Years 10 to 12)

le navigateur web browser
un ordinateur a computer
la porte door
le professeur (formal, traditionally uses masc. article) / le/la prof (informal, can use either masc. or fem. article) teacher
le proviseur principal of a lycee
le proviseur-adjoint deputy principal of a lycee
la règle ruler
la rentrée the return to school at the start of the school year
la salle de classe classroom
la salle de permanence supervised study centre for students without a class scheduled
le stylo (ballpoint) pen
la table table

le tableau blanc

whiteboard

les toilettes (on le dit au pluriel: "Je peux aller aux toilettes s'il vous plaît?") the toilets (you say it in the plural: "Can I go to the toilets please?")
la trousse (aussi: trousse à outils; trousse de secours) pencil case, satchel for stationery, tool bag, kit bag (also: tool kit; first aid kit)

School subjects

Adjectival "proper names" like "English" do not require an initial capital in French – like the days of the week and the months.
l'anglais English
l'allemand German
l'art art
EPS (Education Physique et Sport) PE
le français French
histoire-géo (histoire-géographie) history-geography
l'informatique computing
les maths maths
les sciences (note plural usage) science
la technologie technology

School activities

aller to go
allumer la lumière to switch on the light

casser la croûte

to have a bite to eat

chercher to look for

se connecter, ouvrir une session

to log in

écouter to listen
écrire to write

entrer

to go in

écrire

to write

éteindre la lumière to switch off the light
faire (eg "faites l'exercice 5 ce soir") to do (eg "do exercise 5 tonight")
(faire) démarrer, mettre en marche to start (machine/computer)

lire

to read

mettre (eg "mettez vos cartables ici") to put (eg "put your bags here")
prendre (eg "prenez vos stylos") to take (eg "take your pens"
partir, s'en aller ("je pars", "je m'en vais') to leave ("I'm leaving", "I'm heading off")
poser une question (eg "poser une question à un(e) camarade de classe" – à noter, on ne dit pas "demander une question") to ask a question (eg "ask a classmate a question"
regarder to watch(eg "take your pens"
rentrer (eg "je rentre chez moi maintenant" – the "chez moi" is redundant but sometimes included) to go home (eg "I'm going home now")
répondre (eg "répondez en français") to reply (eg "reply in French"
sortir to go out
venir to come

Last updated

© Languages.Org.Au