School subjects (AQA GCSE Spanish): Revision Notes
School subjects
Introduction to talking about school subjects
When discussing education in Spanish, you'll need to know the names of different school subjects and how to talk about your study experiences. This topic involves essential vocabulary, helpful language patterns, and key grammar points that will help you express your academic interests and plans.
Mastering school subject vocabulary is fundamental for academic conversations in Spanish. This knowledge will help you discuss your educational background, current studies, and future academic plans with confidence.
Essential vocabulary for school subjects
Understanding the Spanish names for school subjects is fundamental for discussing your education. Many of these subjects will look familiar because they share similarities with English words, making them easier to remember and use in conversation.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| la asignatura | subject |
| la clase | class, classroom |
| el dibujo | Art, drawing |
| la(s) ciencia(s) | Science |
| la educación física | PE |
| el español | Spanish |
| los estudios | studies |
| la historia | History, story |
| el idioma | language |
| el inglés | English |
| la lengua | language |
| las matemáticas | Maths |
| la música | Music |
| la nota | grade, mark, result |
| la religión | Religion, RE |
| la tecnología | Technology |
| continuar | to continue, carry on |
| dejar | to leave, drop (a subject) |
Notice how many of these words are cognates - they look similar to their English equivalents. This makes Spanish school vocabulary particularly accessible for English speakers.
Recognising cognates and word families
Cognates - your linguistic friends
Cognates are words that look and sound very similar in both Spanish and English because they share common origins. These are particularly helpful when learning Spanish vocabulary as you can often recognise their meaning immediately. Examples of cognates in school subjects include religión (religion), música (music), and historia (history).
When you encounter new Spanish vocabulary, look for these familiar patterns. Even if you've never seen a Spanish word before, you might be able to guess its meaning if it's a cognate.
Recognising Cognates in Action:
- Religión → Religion (identical meaning)
- Música → Music (identical meaning)
- Historia → History (identical meaning)
- Tecnología → Technology (identical meaning)
Notice the pattern: these words maintain their core spelling while following Spanish pronunciation rules.
Word families - related vocabulary groups
Word families consist of words that connect to the same core concept or topic. Once you learn one word in a family, you can often work out the meanings of related words. This makes vocabulary learning more efficient and helps you understand how Spanish builds new words.
Word Family Examples:
Cooking family:
- cocina (kitchen/cooking)
- cocinar (to cook)
- cocinero/a (cook, chef)
Travel family:
- viaje (journey)
- viajar (to travel)
- viajero/a (traveller)
Expressing time in relation to your studies
When discussing your educational journey, you'll need to talk about past experiences and future plans. Time expressions are essential for describing your academic timeline and making your Spanish sound natural and fluent.
Past experiences:
- Dejé la religión hace dos años - I dropped RE two years ago
- Llevo tres años estudiando... - I've been studying... for three years
Future plans:
- El año próximo, voy a estudiar... - Next year, I am going to study...
The expression hace + time period means "ago" and is crucial for talking about past events. Similarly, el año próximo (next year) helps you discuss future academic plans.
Grammar focus - dropping subjects
When you want to say you've dropped a subject, use the regular verb dejar (to leave/drop). In the preterite tense (past), the first person singular form is dejé.
Critical Grammar Pattern: Dejé + [subject] + hace + [time period]
This structure is essential for discussing past academic decisions and will appear frequently in conversations about education.
Worked Example: Using "dejar" in context
Pattern: Dejé + [subject] + hace + [time period]
Step 1: Choose the subject you dropped
- la religión (RE)
Step 2: Apply the pattern
- Dejé la religión hace dos años
Translation: I dropped RE two years ago
You can also express this concept by saying when someone will see their grades or results: Cuando ella haya visto sus notas (After she has seen her marks/grades).
Translation practice
Practising translation helps reinforce vocabulary and grammar patterns. Work through these exercises to test your understanding of school subject vocabulary and time expressions.
Translation Exercise: English to Spanish
Try translating these sentences:
- I study Maths and Science.
- I dropped History last year.
- She wants to continue with Spanish and English.
- I hope to study Art in the future.
- We have a PE lesson at two o'clock today.
Translation Exercise: Spanish to English
- Mi clase favorita es ciencias.
- Julia va a dejar música después de los exámenes.
Answer Key:
English to Spanish:
- Estudio matemáticas y ciencias.
- Dejé historia el año pasado.
- Ella quiere continuar con español e inglés.
- Espero estudiar dibujo en el futuro.
- Tenemos una clase de educación física a las dos hoy.
Spanish to English:
- My favourite class is Science.
- Julia is going to drop Music after the exams.
Key Points to Remember:
- Many school subject names in Spanish are cognates - they look similar to English words, making them easier to remember
- Word families help you learn multiple related words at once by understanding their common themes
- Use dejar in the preterite tense to talk about subjects you've dropped in the past
- Time expressions like hace (ago) and el año próximo (next year) are essential for discussing your educational timeline
- Practice recognising patterns in vocabulary to speed up your learning and improve your comprehension skills