French word

collégien

Pronunciation

IPA/koleʒjɛ̃/

Meaning

  • masculine nounmiddle school student

Example

Mon frère est collégien.

My brother is a middle school student.

Illustration for collégien (middle school student)

More examples

Les collégiens révisent pour leur contrôle.

Middle school students are reviewing for their test.

Core concept

A young student moving between classes in a French collège, typically aged 11 to 15.

Common phrases

  • un collégien

    a middle schooler

  • être collégien

    be in middle school

Similar words

élève: A school pupil who attends lessons.
écolier: A child in elementary school.
lycéen: A high school student.
étudiant: A student in higher education, such as at a university.

Definition in French

Élève du cycle appelé « collège » en France, correspondant en général à l'âge scolaire de 11 à 15 ans.

Word origin

Collégien is formed from collège with the suffix -ien; collège comes from Latin collegium, meaning an association or community, and became a school term.

Usage tips

  • Collégien is not usually an English college student: French collège means middle school, while higher education is l'université or une grande école.

Opposites

Word lists with this word