Back-to-School Vocabulary in French

Quick Answer

It’s that time of year! In this article, you'll learn key vocabulaire de la rentrée(back-to-school vocabulary) in French, including school supplies, classroom objects, people at school, and common phrases students use when returning to school.

Questions This Article Answers

How do you say back to school in French?

What are the names of common school supplies in French?

How do you talk about school staff and classroom items in French?

What are some useful expressions for the first day of school?

How Do You Say "Back to School" in French?

In French, the phrase for "back to school" is la rentrée scolaireor la rentrée des classes(the start of the school year or the first day of school), or simply la rentrée. It refers to the beginning of the school year, which usually happens in early September in France.

examples
La rentrée scolaire a lieu début septembre. The start of the school year takes place in early September.
Les enfants préparent leurs affaires pour la rentrée. Children are getting their things ready for the first day of school.

Essential School Supplies in French

Let’s start with some must-know nouns related to les fournitures scolaires(school supplies). These are the things you’ll find in a backpack in a French-speaking country!

Common School Supply Vocabulary in French

French	English
le cahier	the notebook
le cartable	the schoolbag
les ciseaux	the scissors
le classeur	the binder
la colle	the glue
le crayon	the pencil
les feuilles	the sheets of paper
la gomme	the eraser
le livre	the book
le manuel scolaire	the textbook
la règle	the ruler
le sac à dos	the backpack
le stylo	the pen
le surligneur	the highlighter
le taille-crayon	the pencil sharpener
la trousse	the pencil case

examples
Tu as mis ton cahier de français dans ton sac à dos ? Did you put your French notebook in your backpack?
Il me faut une trousse, des feuilles et un stylo. I need a pencil case, some sheets of paper, and a pen.

Color Matters!

French students often color-code their notebooks and folders. You might hear: Mon cahier de maths est le bleu.(My math notebook is the blue one.)

Classroom Objects in French

These are the things you’ll see and hear about in any salle de classe(classroom).

Classroom Vocabulary in French

French	English
le bureau	the desk
la chaise	the chair
la fenêtre	the window
l’horloge	the clock
le marqueur	the marker
l’ordinateur	the computer
la porte	the door
le projecteur	the projector
la table	the table
le tableau	the board
le tableau blanc	the whiteboard
le tableau noir	the blackboard

examples
Le tableau blanc est juste à côté de la porte. The whiteboard is right next to the door.
Le prof a utilisé un projecteur et un ordinateur pour montrer la vidéo. The teacher used a projector and a computer to show the video.

Names for People at School in French

Here are the most common school-related vocabulary words for talking about people. These words will help you talk about classmates and staff.

School People Vocabulary in French

French	English	Notes
le conseiller d’orientation	the career counselor	male
la conseillère d’orientation	the career counselor	female
le directeur	the principal	male
la directrice	the principal	female
l’élève	the student	until the end of high school
l’étudiant	the student	male, university
l’étudiante	the student	female, university
le personnel	the staff
le professeur	the teacher	male, formal
la professeure	the teacher	female, formal
le prof	the teacher	male, casual
la prof	the teacher	female, casual
le surveillant	the hall supervisor	male
la surveillante	the hall supervisor	female

examples
La directrice nous a accueillis dans la cour. The principal welcomed us in the schoolyard.
Notre prof de maths est super sympa. Our math teacher is really nice.

Useful Phrases for Back to School

Here are some common expressions students and parents might say during la rentrée.

French	English
C’est la rentrée !	It’s the first day of school!
Tu es prêt pour la rentrée ?	Are you ready for back to school?
Je dois acheter toutes mes fournitures scolaires.	I need to buy all my school supplies.
Je ne connais personne dans ma classe.	I don’t know anyone in my class.
Je me suis levé trop tôt.	I woke up too early.
J’ai oublié mon cahier.	I forgot my notebook.
Je suis dans la classe de Mme Dupont.	I’m in Mrs. Dupont’s class.

The School System Differs

In France, school levels are named and organized differently than in the U.S. There are three schools you attend throughout childhood and adolescence.

Elementary school is called l’école primaire.

Middle school is called le collège.

High school is called le lycée.

One important difference is the way grades are numbered. In the U.S., grade numbers go up each year: 6th grade, 7th grade, 8th grade, etc. In contrast, French secondary school levels count down from la 6ème(6th grade). The countdown continues until la terminale(senior year of high school), which is the last year of le lycée.

French Grade	French School	United States Equivalent
CP	école primaire	1st grade
CE1	école primaire	2nd grade
CE2	école primaire	3rd grade
CM1	école primaire	4th grade
CM2	école primaire	5th grade
6ème	collège	6th grade
5ème	collège	7th grade
4ème	collège	8th grade
3ème	collège	9th grade
2nde	lycée	10th grade
1ère	lycée	11th grade
terminale	lycée	12th grade

examples
Mon frère est en 4ème cette année. My brother's in 8th grade this year.
Le collège commence à onze ans, en général. Middle school usually starts around age eleven.
Après le lycée, Jérémy veut faire des études de médecine. After high school, Jérémy wants to study medicine.

False Friend Alert: Le Collège Is for Young Kids

In French, le collège refers to middle school, not college or university. The English word college is a false cognate. In French, higher education is called l’université(university or college) or la fac(university or college). La fac is short for la faculté.