This image shows different classroom items like scissors, a ruler, different pencils, a sharpener, and notebooks.

An Essential List of Classroom Objects in Spanish & Useful Classroom Phrases

Maria Claudia Alvarado Published on November 18, 2024

Whether you’re a teacher wanting to connect with Spanish-speaking students or a Spanish learner eager to increase your vocabulary, knowing the right words and phrases for common classroom items in Spanish can come in handy for everyday life. In this article, we’ll explore essential classroom objects in Spanish and phrases to help you navigate common situations you might experience. Get ready to fill your classroom lessons with new words en español. ¡Vamos!

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Classroom Objects in Spanish

Let’s begin with the supplies you use in school every day. Take a look at the chart below to learn the Spanish words for common school supplies like pencils, books, and more.

Spanish English Meaning
El lápizPencil
El bolígrafo/lapiceroPen
El borradorEraser
El cuadernoNotebook
La mochilaBackpack
La reglaRuler
El pegamentoGlue
Las tijerasScissors
El libroBook
La etiquetaLabel
La calculadoraCalculator
This image shows different classroom items like scissors, a ruler, different pencils, a sharpener, and notebooks.

Classroom Decorations

Classrooms often have decorations or information on the walls to make them look nice and help you learn. We’ll look at the Spanish words for these decorations, like posters and maps, so you can talk about what you see around the classroom.

SpanishEnglish Meaning
El pósterPoster
El mapa del mundo/mapamundiWorld Map
El calendarioCalendar
El tablón de anunciosBulletin board
Los cuadros educativosEducational charts

Technology in the Classroom

Schools are becoming more modern and introducing technology in the classrooms to help students learn. We use a lot of technology in school, like computers and interactive whiteboards. Let’s take a look at the Spanish names for these tech items you might use in class.

SpanishEnglish Meaning
La computadoraComputer
La tabletaTablet
El proyectorProjector
La pizarra interactivaInteractive whiteboard
La impresoraPrinter

School Subjects in Spanish

Everyone has favorite subjects in school, like math or art. Let’s look at how to say these subjects in Spanish so you’ll have the classroom vocabulary you need to talk about what classes you like or what you’re studying.

SpanishEnglish Meaning
CienciasScience
HistoriaHistory
ArteArt
Educación FísicaP.E. (Physical Education) 
MúsicaMusic
Comunicación*Communication
Lengua y LiteraturaLanguage Arts
MatemáticasMathematics
InglésEnglish
GeografíaGeography
TeatroDrama
BiologíaBiology
QuímicaChemistry
FísicaPhysics
T.I. (Tecnología de la Información) / CómputaciónI.T. (Information Technology)
Lenguas ExtranjerasForeign Languages
Ciencias SocialesSocial Studies
FilosofíaPhilosophy
CálculoCalculus
LiteraturaLiterature
ÁlgebraAlgebra
GeometríaGeometry
TecnologíaTechnology

*In Spanish-speaking countries, the Spanish language course is usually called “Comunicación” and not “Español.” 

Useful Spanish Verbs for the Classroom 

A classroom is full of interactive activities like reading, writing, and drawing so you’ll need to know the verbs to explain what you’re doing in class.

SpanishEnglish Meaning
EscribirTo write
LeerTo read
EscucharTo listen
HablarTo speak
EntenderTo understand
DescribirTo describe
ExplicarTo explain
AprenderTo learn
EnseñarTo teach
DibujarTo draw
BorrarTo erase

Classroom Furniture and Layout

In this section, we’ll look at the names of furniture and other common objects used in a classroom.

SpanishEnglish Meaning
El escritorioDesk
La sillaChair
El escritorio del profesorTeacher’s desk
La estantería/El libreroBookshelf
La pizarraBlackboard/Whiteboard
La puertaDoor
La ventanaWindow
El relojClock
El aulaClassroom
La bibliotecaLibrary

Classroom Routine and Activities

School days are packed with a variety of activities and routines. Let’s dive into some essential Spanish vocabulary for these moments, from the first tasks of the morning to group activities and study sessions.

SpanishEnglish Meaning
La lista de asistenciaAttendance List
El recreoRecess
El refrigerio/La loncheraLunch break
El trabajo en grupo/trabajo grupalGroup work
La prueba/El examen/La prácticaQuiz / Exam / Test / Assessment
La tareaHomework
La presentaciónPresentation
La excursiónField trip
El tiempo de lecturaReading time
El horarioSchedule
El proyectoProject
A teacher smiles and stands in front of her students in a classroom.

Useful Phrases for the Spanish Classroom

If you’re just starting to learn Spanish, knowing how to ask questions or say you don’t understand something is important. Let’s look at some phrases that will help you express yourself in the Spanish classroom. These sentences will make it easier for you to ask for help, understand what’s happening, and participate in class.

SpanishEnglish Meaning
¿Cómo se dice…?How do you say…?
¿Qué significa…?What does…mean?
¿Puedes repetir, por favor?Can you repeat, please?
No entiendo.I don’t understand.
¿Puedes hablar más despacio, por favor?Can you speak slower, please?
¿Cómo se escribe…?How do you spell…?
¿Cuál es la tarea?What is the homework?
Tengo una pregunta.I have a question.
¿Puedo ir al baño?Can I go to the bathroom?
¿Puedes ayudarme, por favor?Can you help me, please?
¿En qué página estamos?What page are we on?
Disculpe, profesor/profesora.Excuse me, teacher.
Estoy listo/lista.I’m ready.
No sé.I don’t know.
¿Me prestas un bolígrafo/lápiz?Can I borrow a pen/pencil?
¿Esto es correcto?Is this correct?
¿Cuál es el ejercicio?What is the exercise?
¿Puedes explicarlo otra vez, por favor?Can you explain it again, please?

Learn Spanish With Langoly!

Learning Spanish can be exciting and rewarding, and there are many ways to practice and improve your skills. Using Spanish books is a good start. Or, you can download apps to increase your Spanish vocabulary and learn the names of other common objects. If you enjoy listening to Spanish, you can follow a Spanish podcast or watch videos on these YouTube channels. They have tons of videos about everything from grammar to fun slang phrases. 

One of the best ways to learn Spanish is with an online course. We made the Siempre Spanish course to teach you the Spanish you need to know to become conversational quickly. No more wasting your time with words and phrases you’ll never use. Or, if you’d like to test your Spanish comprehension, you can listen to episode 07 of the Siempre Spanish podcast.

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Maria Claudia Alvarado

Maria Alvarado is a content writer and translator from Lima, Peru. She graduated from the Savannah College of Arts and Design in 2017 with a Bachelor’s degree in Writing. She is fluent in Spanish and English, has intermediate knowledge of French and German, and is learning Japanese. She hopes to bring consciousness about the importance of language learning through her articles and aspires to learn as many languages as possible.

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