🏫 Classrooms - Aulas

Aa ⏱ ≈ 14 minutes

Beginner Spanish · In the classroom

Classroom Spanish

Classroom Spanish becomes useful when you can ask a question, request repetition, explain that you do not understand, and check what you need to do for class.

Your next small win: ask for clarification, understand common classroom tasks, talk about homework and exams, and use tener que + infinitive for things you have to do.

Start with the classroom

Core Classroom Vocabulary

These words help you identify the people, activities, and materials that come up throughout a class.

aula
Classroom
profesor / profesora
Teacher
estudiante
Student
clase
Class / course
lección
Lesson
ejercicio
Exercise

Name four classroom words

Say “teacher, student, lesson, and exercise” in Spanish.

More classroom vocabulary
salón de clases
Classroom
pupitre
Desk
pregunta
Question
respuesta
Answer

Regional note: both aula and salón de clases can mean classroom. Usage varies by region.

Speak up when you need help

Questions, Repetition, and Understanding

A few fixed phrases can make it much easier to participate when something is unclear.

¿Puedo hacer una pregunta?
Can I ask a question?
¿Puede repetirlo, por favor?
Can you repeat that, please?
No entiendo.
I don't understand.
No entiendo esta parte.
I don't understand this part.
¿Qué significa esta palabra?
What does this word mean?
Ahora entiendo.
Now I understand.

Useful classroom pattern: ¿Puedo...? asks permission. ¿Puede...? is useful when politely asking the teacher to do something.

Asking for clarification

A
Disculpe, profesora. No entiendo esta parte del ejercicio.
Excuse me, teacher. I don't understand this part of the exercise.
B
Claro. Voy a explicarla otra vez.
Of course. I'm going to explain it again.
A
Gracias. Ahora lo entiendo mejor.
Thank you. Now I understand it better.

Ask for help

Say that you do not understand this part, then ask the teacher to repeat it.

Understand what you have to do

Classroom Actions and Tener Que

Use tener que + infinitive to talk about something you have to do.

escuchar
To listen
leer
To read
escribir
To write
responder
To answer
Tenemos que leer el capítulo cinco.
We have to read chapter five.
Tengo que terminar la tarea esta noche.
I have to finish the homework tonight.

Pattern: tengo que + infinitive means “I have to...” and tenemos que + infinitive means “we have to...”

¿Qué página tenemos que leer?
What page do we have to read?
Tenemos que terminar los ejercicios.
We have to finish the exercises.
Tenemos que entregar la tarea mañana.
We have to turn in the homework tomorrow.

Talk about two class tasks

Say that you have to read chapter five and that you have to finish the homework tonight.

Keep track of class work

Homework and Exams

These questions help you check what is due and when important class activities happen.

tarea
Homework
examen
Test / exam
horario
Schedule
¿Tenemos tarea para mañana?
Do we have homework for tomorrow?
¿Cuándo es el examen?
When is the exam?
¿Tenemos que entregarlo mañana?
Do we have to turn it in tomorrow?

Checking the homework

A
¿Tenemos tarea para mañana?
Do we have homework for tomorrow?
B
Sí. Tenemos que terminar los ejercicios de la página veinte.
Yes. We have to finish the exercises on page twenty.
A
¿Tenemos que entregarlos mañana?
Do we have to turn them in tomorrow?
B
Sí, al principio de la clase.
Yes, at the beginning of class.

Check your class work

Ask whether there is homework for tomorrow and when the exam is.

Your turn · 8 quick questions

Practice: In the Classroom

Choose the answer that best fits each situation. Focus on clarification, classroom tasks, homework, exams, and tener que.

Audio uses your device's Spanish text-to-speech voice. Listen to each phrase, then practice asking for clarification and checking what you need to do for class.