What it's NOT
college does NOT translate to colegio.
To say "colegio" in English, use school.
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False cognate · False friend
college
Does NOT mean colegio
It means university
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
What it IS
college means university.
Why it's confused
In many Spanish-speaking countries, "colegio" is elementary or high school. English "college" is a higher-education institution. This gap in educational level is the source of the confusion.
How it's pronounced
collegeCÁ-lich
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Examples of correct use
English
She's going to college next year.
Spanish
Va a entrar a la universidad el próximo año.
English
He studied art in college.
Spanish
Estudió arte en la universidad.
A trick to remember it
College = university. A children's school (Spanish "colegio") = school.
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Frequently asked questions
What does "college" mean in English?
"College" means "university". It looks a lot like "colegio", which is exactly why it gets confused, but they don't mean the same thing.
How do you say "colegio" in English?
To say "colegio" in English, use "school". If you use "college" instead, you would actually be saying "university".
Do "college" and "colegio" mean the same thing?
In many Spanish-speaking countries, "colegio" is elementary or high school. English "college" is a higher-education institution. This gap in educational level is the source of the confusion.
Other confusing false friends
More confusing false friends
Library, embarrassed, actually... the full list of words that look the same but mean something different.
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