Spanish Classroom Vocabulary: Essential School Words and Phrases

Key takeaways

• Spanish classroom vocabulary covers three main areas: the people in the room, the physical objects around you, and the verbs and phrases used during a lesson.
• Classroom instructions in Spanish are most often given in the formal imperative plural: siéntense (sit down), escuchen (listen), abran el libro (open the book).
• Knowing how to ask for clarification in Spanish, ¿Puede repetirlo? or No entiendo, keeps you active in a lesson rather than silent when you lose the thread.
• School subjects have some regional variation: computación is common in Latin America while informática is used in Spain for the same subject.

Most learners encounter Spanish in a classroom before anywhere else, yet the vocabulary for what actually happens in that room often goes unlearned.

You study food, travel, and family vocabulary before you know how to say whiteboard, homework, or I don’t understand. Knowing the language of the classroom means you can follow instructions, ask questions, and stay engaged rather than nodding along and hoping for the best.

italki connects learners with experienced Spanish teachers who use these words naturally in every lesson, giving you constant exposure to classroom language in context.

This guide covers people in the classroom, classroom objects, instruction verbs and commands, school subjects, phrases for asking for help, school-related verbs, grading vocabulary, and a section on online classroom terms.

People in the classroom

The words for classroom roles vary slightly by country, but the most widely understood terms are:

Spanish	English
el/la maestro/a	teacher (primary/elementary level)
el/la profesor/a	teacher / professor (secondary and above)
el/la alumno/a	student (of any age)
el/la estudiante	student (general, any level)
el/la compañero/a	classmate
el/la director/a	principal / headteacher
el/la tutor/a	tutor / form teacher
el/la conserje	janitor / caretaker

Note: maestro/a is the standard term for a primary school teacher in most of Latin America. Profesor/a covers secondary school, university, and adult education. Both are respectful and widely used.

Classroom objects

Spanish	English
el cuaderno	notebook
el libro	book
el bolígrafo	pen
el lápiz	pencil
la goma	eraser
la regla	ruler
la mochila	backpack
el sacapuntas	pencil sharpener
la pizarra / el pizarrón	blackboard / whiteboard
el marcador	marker
el borrador	board eraser / duster
la hoja	sheet of paper
la carpeta	folder
el pupitre	student desk
la silla	chair
la mesa	table
el proyector	projector
la pantalla	screen
el ordenador / la computadora	computer (Spain / Latin America)
la impresora	printer
los auriculares	headphones
el diccionario	dictionary

The words for certain objects vary by region. El bolígrafo is standard in Spain; in many Latin American countries, la pluma or el lapicero is used for pen. El ordenador is the standard computer term in Spain; la computadora or la computador is used throughout Latin America.

Classroom instructions

Teachers give instructions in the formal imperative when addressing a group. Here are the most common commands you will hear, with singular (one person) and plural (group) forms:

Instruction	Singular (tú)	Plural (ustedes/vosotros)	English
Sit down	siéntate	siéntense / sentaos	Sit down
Stand up	levántate	levántense / levantaos	Stand up
Open the book	abre el libro	abran el libro	Open the book
Close the book	cierra el libro	cierren el libro	Close the book
Write	escribe	escriban	Write
Read	lee	lean	Read
Listen	escucha	escuchen	Listen
Repeat	repite	repitan	Repeat
Answer	responde	respondan	Answer
Raise your hand	levanta la mano	levanten la mano	Raise your hand
Look at the board	mira la pizarra	miren la pizarra	Look at the board
Work in pairs	trabaja en parejas	trabajen en parejas	Work in pairs
Be quiet	silencio	silencio	Be quiet
Pay attention	pon atención	pongan atención	Pay attention

In Spain, the vosotros imperative form (sentaos, levantaos, escribid) is used for groups. In Latin America, ustedes imperatives (siéntense, levántense, escriban) are standard throughout.

A Spanish tutor online uses these instructions naturally in every lesson, so you absorb them through real exposure rather than studying them as a list.

School subjects

Spanish	English
las matemáticas	mathematics
las ciencias	science
la historia	history
la geografía	geography
la lengua / el español	Spanish language / Spanish
el inglés	English
la educación física	physical education / PE
el arte	art
la música	music
la biología	biology
la química	chemistry
la física	physics
la informática / la computación	computing / computer science
la filosofía	philosophy
la economía	economics
la literatura	literature
la tecnología	technology
el dibujo	drawing

Note: informática is the standard term in Spain for the computing subject; computación is the more common term across Latin America. Both refer to the study of computers and technology.

Asking for help and clarification

These phrases are essential for staying active in any Spanish lesson or classroom:

Spanish	English
No entiendo.	I don’t understand.
¿Puede repetirlo?	Can you repeat that? (formal)
¿Puede hablar más despacio?	Can you speak more slowly?
¿Cómo se dice… en español?	How do you say… in Spanish?
¿Qué significa…?	What does… mean?
¿En qué página estamos?	What page are we on?
Tengo una pregunta.	I have a question.
¿Puede explicarlo de nuevo?	Can you explain it again?
¿Puedo ir al baño?	Can I go to the bathroom?
¿Cuándo es el examen?	When is the exam?
¿Cuándo hay que entregar la tarea?	When is the homework due?

These phrases work equally well in a physical classroom, an online lesson, or a language exchange. Knowing them takes the pressure off when you lose the thread of an explanation, which happens to every learner regardless of level.

Essential Spanish words are the next layer when you want classroom vocabulary to connect with everyday situations.

School-related verbs

Spanish	English
estudiar	to study
aprender	to learn
enseñar	to teach
preguntar	to ask
responder	to answer / respond
escribir	to write
leer	to read
escuchar	to listen
entender	to understand
recordar	to remember
repasar	to review
tomar apuntes	to take notes
hacer los deberes / la tarea	to do homework
pasar lista	to take attendance
suspender	to fail (an exam)
aprobar	to pass (an exam)
presentar	to present
participar	to participate

Note: hacer los deberes is the common expression in Spain; hacer la tarea is more common in Latin America. Both mean to do homework.

Essential Spanish verbs help you use these school-related verbs in real sentences instead of memorizing them as isolated infinitives.

Grading vocabulary

Spanish	English	Notes
la nota	grade / mark	The general word for a grade
el examen	exam	Also prueba for a shorter test
la prueba	quiz / test	Shorter than an examen
el trabajo	assignment / coursework	Written work outside of exams
el proyecto	project	Group or individual longer work
la presentación	presentation	Oral or slide-based
sobresaliente	outstanding (A)	Spain grading term
notable	notable / good (B)	Spain grading term
aprobado	pass (C)	Spain grading term
suspenso / reprobado	fail	suspenso in Spain; reprobado in Latin America
la calificación	grade / mark (Latin America)	Equivalent of nota in Spain

Grading systems vary between Spain and Latin American countries. In Spain, the scale typically runs from 0 to 10, with 5 as the passing mark. Many Latin American countries use 0-10 or 0-100 scales with different passing thresholds. The descriptors (sobresaliente, notable, aprobado) are more common in Spain; in much of Latin America, numeric grades are used with qualifiers like excelente, bueno, or reprobado.

Online classroom vocabulary

Distance learning and online tutoring have made this vocabulary increasingly practical:

Spanish	English
la clase virtual	online class
la videollamada	video call
compartir pantalla	to share screen
silenciar el micrófono	to mute the microphone
activar el micrófono	to unmute the microphone
el chat	chat
la tarea en línea	online homework
la sala de espera	waiting room
los subtítulos	subtitles / captions
el enlace de la clase	class link
la cámara	camera
encender / apagar la cámara	to turn on / off the camera

If you are taking online Spanish lessons, you will hear and use these terms constantly. Knowing them means you can respond to technical instructions quickly and focus on the language lesson rather than the logistics.

Take your Spanish further with a teacher

Classroom vocabulary is useful in lessons, but the Spanish you use with a tutor goes well beyond these words. Working with a real teacher means you get live feedback, can ask questions the moment they arise, and build the kind of fluency that comes from real interaction rather than self-study. italki has 30,000+ expert tutors trusted by over 10 million learners worldwide. Book a trial lesson with a native Spanish tutor and start putting all of this vocabulary to use in a real lesson.

FAQ

What is the difference between maestro and profesor in Spanish?

Both mean teacher, but they are used at different educational levels. Maestro/a typically refers to a primary school teacher, especially in Latin American Spanish. Profesor/a is used for secondary school teachers, university lecturers, and adult education instructors. In Spain, profesor/a is the more common term across all levels. In everyday conversation, either is understood, but using the appropriate term in context shows cultural awareness.

How do you say I don’t understand in Spanish?

The most direct phrase is No entiendo. (I don’t understand.) You can also say No comprendo (slightly more formal) or No he entendido (I didn’t understand, referring to something just said). To ask for clarification: ¿Puede repetirlo? (Can you repeat that? formal), or ¿Puedes repetirlo? (informal). Adding por favor softens the request in any situation.

Are Spanish grading terms the same across all Spanish-speaking countries?

No. The descriptors sobresaliente, notable, aprobado, and suspenso are typical in Spain. Most Latin American countries use numeric grades (often 0-10 or 0-100) with different pass marks and qualifiers. The word for a failing grade also varies: suspenso in Spain, reprobado or jalado in different parts of Latin America. If you are studying in or with material from a specific country, it helps to learn that country’s grading vocabulary specifically.