French Study Vocabulary
Education vocabulary is essential for the DELF A2 and B1 exams. Reading texts frequently deal with school systems, student life and exams. This guide gives you school and university vocabulary in French, with pronunciation and real-life examples.
At school — À l'école
la maternelle
/matɛʁnɛl/
Les enfants vont à la maternelle dès 3 ans.
Children start nursery school at age 3.
le collège
/kɔlɛʒ/
Elle est en 4ème au collège.
She's in her second year of middle school (around age 13).
le lycée
/lise/
Il prépare le baccalauréat au lycée.
He's preparing for the baccalauréat at high school.
le baccalauréat (le bac)
/bakalɔʁea/
J'ai obtenu mon bac avec mention.
I passed my bac with honors.
la salle de classe
/sal də klas/
La salle de classe a 25 élèves.
The classroom has 25 students.
le tableau (blanc/noir)
/tablo/
Le professeur écrit au tableau.
The teacher writes on the board.
At university — À l'université
la faculté / la fac
/fakylte/ /fak/
J'étudie à la fac de droit.
I study law at university.
la licence
/lisɑ̃s/
Elle a une licence en psychologie.
She has a bachelor's degree in psychology.
le master
/mastɛʁ/
Il prépare un master en finance.
He's doing a master's degree in finance.
l'amphi (l'amphithéâtre)
/ɑ̃fi/
Le cours magistral est en amphi 12.
The lecture is in lecture hall 12.
la bourse d'études
/buʁs detyd/
Il reçoit une bourse d'études de l'État.
He receives a state scholarship.
Exams and assessment — Les examens
passer un examen
/pase ɛ̃n ɛɡzamɛ̃/
Je passe mon examen de français demain.
I'm taking my French exam tomorrow.
réussir / échouer à
/ʁeysiʁ/ /eʃwe/
Il a réussi son bac du premier coup.
He passed his bac on the first try.
la note / la mention
/nɔt/ /mɑ̃sjɔ̃/
J'ai eu une très bonne note en maths.
I got a very good grade in math.
réviser
/ʁevize/
Il faut réviser tous les soirs.
You need to study every evening.
Ejercicios de vocabulario
1What is the final exam of French high school called?
2What does 'réussir son examen' mean?
3What is 'une bourse d'études'?
Consejos de pronunciacion
- Le lycée: the '-ée' ending is a single, closed /e/ sound — there's no diphthong the way an English speaker might expect from a double vowel.
- Passer un examen is a classic false friend: it means to take or sit an exam, not to pass it — passing is réussir.
- La licence: the 'c' between two vowels sounds like /s/, and stress falls on the very last syllable, unlike English words where stress usually sits near the front.
- Réviser: the 'v' is a clear, voiced sound and the ending '-er' is pronounced like a closed 'ay' — say 'ray-vee-zay'.