Spanish Vocabulary - Las materias escolares
la materia = a school subject
la tarea, los deberes = homework / task
la pluma = pen [lit. “feather, quill”]
el bolígrafo, el boli = pen [ballpoint]
la lectura = reading, a reading assignment
la lección = lesson, lecture
el examen, los exámenes = test(s), exam(s)
el tema = subject / theme
el aula, las aulas = classroom, classrooms [feminine noun with masculine article like agua, alma, ave]
el título, el grado, la diploma = degree, diploma
el jardín de infancia, el jardín de niños = kindergarten
el kindergarten, el kínder = kindergarten [Latin America]
la (escuela) primaria = elementary school
la secundaria = middle school
la universidad, la uni = university, college
la escuela de posgrado, la escuela posgraduada, la escuela de postgrado = graduate school
la escuela/universidad técnica = vocational school
académico/a = academic, related to school/university
escolar = scholarly, scholastic / school-related
estudantil = student-related
el maestro, la maestra = teacher
el profesor, la profesora = professor
el / la profe = “teach” [informal slang for profesor(a)]
el doctor, la doctora = doctor
el tutor, la tutora = tutor
el estudiante, la estudiante = student
el alumno, la alumna = student, pupil
el condiscípulo, la condiscípula = classmate / schoolmate [formal]
el compañero de clase, la compañera de clase = classmate [more common]
el director, la directora = principal / director / headmaster, headmistress
el decano, la decana = dean (of a university)
el enfermero, la enfermera = nurse
el consejero, la consejera = adviser, counselor
el consejero académico, la consejera académica = guidance counselor [lit. “academic counselor/adviser”]
el socio, la socia = partner
el / la colega = colleague
el / la conserje (o conserja) = janitor, custodian / concierge (hotel)
el ámbito de estudio / el campo de estudio = field of study
el ámbito de trabajo / el campo de trabajo =
el ámbito de… = the field of…
las matemáticas, las mates = mathematics, maths [Spain]
la matemática, la mate = mathematics, math [Latin America]
el álgebra = algebra [feminine noun with masculine article like agua, alma, ave]
la trigonometría = trigonometry
las finanzas, la administración = finance
la contabilidad, la administración = accounting
la gestión = management, administration
la estadística = statistics [as a field of study]
la antropología = anthropology
la ciencia, las ciencias = science, sciences
la medicina deportiva = sports medicine
la odontología = dentistry
la educación física = physical education
la veterinaria = veterinary medicine
la zoología = zoology / animal science
la enfermería = nursing / medical study
la biología = biology / life science
la biología marina = marine biology
la agricultura = agriculture
la arquitectura = architecture
la ingeniería = engineering
la geología = geology / earth science
la meteorología = meteorology / weather science
la astronomía = astronomy
la psicología, la sicología = psychology
la psiquiatría, la siquiatría = psychiatry
la sociología = sociology
la filosofía = philosophy
la política / la ciencia política = politics / political science
la literatura = literatura
la historia del arte = art history
las bellas artes = fine arts
el arte culinario = culinary arts
el arte gráfico = graphic arts
el arte dramático = dramatic arts
el drama, el teatro = drama, theater
la historia del teatro = theater history
los artes liberales / las humanidades = liberal arts / humanities
el periodismo = journalism
la ciencia empresarial = business science
la abogacía = law / study to become a lawyer
la lengua, el idioma = language
las lenguas extranjeras, los idiomas extranjeros = foreign languages
la lingüística = linguistics
la traducción = translation
la interpretación = interpreting
la informática = computer science / information technology (IT)
la ciencia computacional = computer science
la educación, la enseñanza = teaching
estudiar en el extranjero = to study abroad
entregar = to hand in, to turn in
escuchar = to hear / to listen
oír = to hear / to listen
recordar = to recall, to remember
empezar a hacer algo = to start to do something
comenzar a hacer algo = to begin to do something
investigar = to investigate / to research
licenciarse = to graduate, to get a degree
graduarse = to graduate (from school)
preguntar = to question, to wonder
hacer una pregunta = to ask a question
tener una pregunta = to have a question
ensayar = to try out, to test / to rehearse (theater)
poner a prueba = to put to the test
empeorar = to get worse, to worsen
mejorar = to get better, improve
desarrollar = to develop, to build
desarrollarse = to grow, to develop (oneself)
prestar (la) atención = to pay attention
equivocarse = to be wrong
tener (la) razón = to be right
tener sentido = to make sense
*Note: There are some regionalisms in here, and some have so many regionalisms I couldn’t include them on the list.
For instance, “to take a test” has so many regionalisms it’s difficult to list them all. In Mexico you’re probably going to hear presentar un examen. Some places will say hacer un examen, some even put it as el maestro / la maestra pone un examen a los estudiantes.
The default way of saying “to take a test” is dar un examen which is literally “to give an exam”, because you hand a test in to your teacher. Along the same lines, the default way a teacher “gives a test” is tomar un examen because they “take” the tests that the students turn in. For that reason, dar un examen is often translated as “to sit for an exam” to help the meaning come across more easily.
