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Readers may find this glossary of French school terms useful. We will include here all types of items associated with shools, including types of schools, studens, schoolwear, school supplies, classroon items and anything else associayed with schools. Feelb free to suggest items that you woul;d like to see included or have suggestions about our translation. Some of the terms have meanings that have changed over time, especially the types of schools. In some cases we have whole pages discussing the particular item.
(un) beret: A beret is a brimless cap, usually black, which was once fairly standard schoolwerar for Fench boys. Berets have been out of fashion since World War II.
(une) blouse: School smock a protective garment once very commun by French children more 10 years old and the adult too. They are butonned at the front.
(un) bureau: Desk for the teacher.
(un) collège: This is a difficult word to translate because the meaning in France and America are different and in France the term has changed in meaning over time. An American college is essentially a small university (teritary education), although there are other usages. In France and many other European countries, a college has traditionally been a private school (mostly Catholic) with a combined primary and secondary program, but there were not very many. After the 1968 reforms, a collège became a secondary school preparing the BEPC (children 11-15 years old), essentially a middle school or junior high school.
(un) cahier: Notebook
(une) calculatrice: Calculator
(un) cartable: Backpack for pupils and students
(une) carte: Map
(un) classeur: Binder
(un) collégien/(une) collégienne: Student at a college or middle school who has left primary school for a college (12-15 years old) and preparing the Brevet Elémentaire du Premier Cycle (BEPC).
(un) cours: A course of study like hitory, math, or science.
(une) craie: Chalk
(un) crayon: Pencil
(des) devoirs (m): Homework
(un) dictionnaire: Dictionary
(une) école: Term used for eihr a school in general or a primary school.
(une) école catholique: I t is a traditionally private school with a combined primary and secondary program and even professional school. In France school is entirely free, except the catholic schools. They are vey numerous and are very respected with high discipline and academic standards. While there are school fees, in most cases they are not as high as private schools in America and Britain.
(une) Grande école: Prestigious school preparing at the Ingenieur or Docteur diplom.
ecolé maternelle: Nursery school and Kindergarten. The little children calle their teacher by their firstname. They learn to used correctly the French you and thou.
(une) école privée: It is a private school, which can combine primary and secondary programs and even professional school. They are not very numerous.
(un) écolier/(une) écolière: Primary school school student (6-11 years old)
(un) étudiant, (une) étudiante: University student
(un) examen: Test or exam.
(une) feuille de papier: Piece of paper
(une) gomme: Eraser
(un) livre: Book
(un) lycée: This term has been used variously in France over time. Until 1968 was primarily a secondary school. Since the 1968 reforms, Lycée means only the school preparing the "baccalauréat" (16-18 years old).
(un) lycéen/(une) lycéenne: Student at a lycée. Now meaning a senior secondary student--preparing the Baccalauréat (16-18 years old).
(un) maître/(une) maîtresse: Word to mean the teachers in primary school. It is the word used by the children to address their teacher. The academy called primary school teachers "Professeurs des écoles".
maternelle: See Ecolé maternelle
(le) papier: Paper
Parcours: Petit de maternelle (3-5 years) then Ecolier (6-11years) then Collégien (12-15 years) then Lycéen (16-18 years) and later Etudiant (most as 18 years olds)
(un) pupitre: Student desk. This word ' pupitre ' was used in the 18th century, but declined during the 19th century. The word means lectern desk, or control console. If a teacher would say to a student "Va au pupitre " the poor child wouldn't
understand!
(un) professeur: Word used for teachers in secondary level (college and high school) and universities. This of course is different that the American term whuich used professor for a univerzity level teacher or instructor. The French also say (un/e) prof informally to mean teacher. The forml word professeur is always masculine, regardless of the gender of the actual teacher. The informal apocope prof, however, can be masculine or feminine.
(un) sac à dos: Backpack for travel.
une salle de classe: Classroom
(un) stylo: Pen
(une) table: Desk for the pupil or student
(un) tableau: Chalkboard
tablier: School smock, a protective garment once very commonly worn by French school children from 4 to 8 years old. They were butonned at the back.
(une) université: University which would include an American college.
Related Chronolgy Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
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[Main school uniform page]
[Main country page]
[Long pants suits]
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[Jacket and trousers]
[Blazer
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