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école

school

noun eh-KOL Common

Origin: Greek 'skholē' via Latin 'schola'

Usage Note

École refers primarily to primary school (ages 6–11) in the French education system; secondary school is collège then lycée. Note that French keeps the article where English drops it: aller à l'école literally means 'to go to the school'. A famous derived phrase, Grande École, refers to France's elite higher-education institutions.

Examples

"Les enfants vont à l'école."

Natural Translation

The children go to school.

Literal Translation

The children go to the-school

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