Rules (Junior Cert Spanish): Revision Notes
School rules / Las normas escolares
Understanding school rules is essential when learning Spanish, as you'll encounter these situations in Spanish-speaking countries. This topic covers key vocabulary for talking about what's allowed and forbidden at school, plus important grammar structures for expressing rules and obligations.
This vocabulary is particularly useful for students planning to study abroad or visit Spanish-speaking countries, as school environments provide common contexts for practising prohibition and obligation expressions.
Key vocabulary
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| la regla | the rule |
| la norma escolar | the school rule |
| el instituto/colegio | the school |
| está prohibido | it is forbidden |
| no se puede | you cannot/may not |
| hay que | you must/it's necessary to |
| no puedes | you cannot |
| llevar | to wear/to carry |
| usar | to use |
| comer | to eat |
| fumar | to smoke |
| llegar | to arrive |
| el teléfono móvil | the mobile phone |
| el uniforme | the uniform |
| los deberes | the homework |
| respetar | to respect |
| el/la profesor/a | the teacher |
| los compañeros | the classmates |
| tirar basura | to drop litter |
Pronunciation tip: Remember that "está prohibido" is pronounced [es-TAH pro-ee-BEE-doh] with stress on the underlined syllables. Practice these key phrases aloud to build confidence in speaking situations.
Example sentences
The following examples demonstrate how to use different expressions for rules and prohibitions in Spanish schools:
Using prohibition expressions:
-
Está prohibido comer chicle en clase. (It's forbidden to chew gum in class.)
-
No se puede usar el teléfono durante las clases. (You cannot use the phone during lessons.)
-
No puedes llevar piercings en el instituto. (You cannot wear piercings at school.)
Using obligation expressions:
-
Hay que llegar a tiempo todos los días. (You must arrive on time every day.)
-
Hay que hacer los deberes cada noche. (You must do homework every night.)
Grammar note: Hay que is followed by the infinitive form of the verb and means "it's necessary to" or "you must". It's an impersonal expression used for general obligations that apply to everyone.
Grammar focus: Expressing negatives and prohibitions
Making verbs negative
To make any Spanish verb negative, simply place no directly before it:
- Rompo las reglas → No rompo las reglas (I break the rules → I don't break the rules)
- Llego tarde → No llego tarde (I arrive late → I don't arrive late)
Common negative words
These words can appear before or after the verb, just like in English:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| nadie | nobody/no one |
| nunca | never |
| nada | nothing |
| ninguno/a | none/not any |
Examples with negative words:
-
Nadie quiere trabajar / No vi a nadie allí (Nobody wants to work / I didn't see anyone there)
-
Nunca llego tarde / No llego tarde nunca (I never arrive late / I don't arrive late ever)
Translation practice
Test your understanding with these translation exercises:
Translation Practice
Spanish to English:
- No se puede correr en el edificio.
- Hay que respetar a los profesores.
English to Spanish: 3. It is forbidden to smoke at school. 4. You must wear the correct uniform.
Phrase bank
These are useful phrases for talking about school rules in conversation:
- ¿Qué reglas hay en tu instituto? (What rules are there at your school?)
- En mi colegio está prohibido... (At my school it's forbidden to...)
- No está permitido usar... (It's not allowed to use...)
- Tenemos que llegar a tiempo (We have to arrive on time)
- Los estudiantes deben... (Students must...)
- ¿Se puede...? (Can you...? / Is it allowed to...?)
These phrases are perfect for role-playing activities and conversations about school life. Practice using them in different contexts to build fluency.
Common errors and fixes
Watch out for these frequent mistakes when discussing school rules:
Error 1: Using no puedo for general rules
- ❌ No puedo usar el móvil (I can't use my phone - personal ability)
- ✅ No se puede usar el móvil (You can't use phones - general rule)
Fix: Use no se puede for general prohibitions that apply to everyone.
Error 2: Forgetting the infinitive after hay que
- ❌ Hay que el uniforme (Missing verb)
- ✅ Hay que llevar el uniforme (You must wear the uniform)
Fix: Always follow hay que with an infinitive verb (-ar, -er, -ir ending).
Error 3: Double negatives in English translation
- ❌ "No veo a nadie" = "I don't see nobody"
- ✅ "No veo a nadie" = "I don't see anyone" OR "I see no one"
Fix: Spanish uses double negatives naturally, but avoid them in English translation.
Translation answers
- You cannot run in the building.
- You must respect the teachers.
- Está prohibido fumar en el colegio.
- Hay que llevar el uniforme correcto.
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- Use está prohibido + infinitive for things that are forbidden
- Use hay que + infinitive for things you must do
- Put no directly before any verb to make it negative
- No se puede expresses general rules that apply to everyone
- Negative words like nadie, nunca, nada work differently than in English - they can create double negatives naturally in Spanish