In Portuguese, 'escola' is the place of basic education and can include elementary and high school. 'Universidade' refers to higher education, typically with internal faculties called 'faculdade'. 'Sala de aula' is the physical space where classes take place and 'turma' is the group of students who learn together in that context. 'Direção' is the administration of the school or institution.

'Aluno' is the person who is learning and is equivalent to 'student' in general contexts. 'Professor' is someone who teaches in schools and universities and can be referred to as 'docente' in formal contexts. 'Coordenador' organizes an area or discipline and can support teachers. 'Diretor' is the one who leads a school or unit. 'Funcionário' covers other workers of the institution, such as administrative support or general services.

'Discipline' is the subject or curricular component, a term used for each set of organized content. 'Matemática' and 'português' are central subjects in the curriculum. 'Ciências' usually cover content of biology, physics and chemistry in basic education. 'História' and 'geografia' are disciplines aimed at society, time and space. 'Educação física' refers to physical activities in the school context.

'Aula' is the organized time of teaching, in-person or remote, led by a teacher. 'Estudo' is the activity of learning by oneself or with guidance, including reading and exercises. 'Tarefa' and 'atividade' are assignments requested by the teacher to be completed inside or outside of class. 'Avaliação' is the process of checking what has been learned, possibly including tests and assignments. 'Prova' is a formal assessment instrument with a scheduled date.

'Biblioteca' is the space with books and materials for consultation and study. 'Material didático' are the resources used to support teaching and learning, such as books, handouts and slides. 'Livro didático' is the book officially adopted as the base for a discipline. 'Quadro' is the surface used by the teacher to write during class, which can be chalkboard or whiteboard. 'Laboratório' is the environment equipped for practical activities, especially in science and technology.

'Currículo' is the set of disciplines, contents and objectives defined by the institution or education system. 'Grade horária' is the distribution of classes throughout the week for each class. 'Ano letivo' is the official period of school operation, usually divided into bimesters or trimesters. 'Calendário escolar' brings the important dates, such as the beginning of classes, assessments and recesses. 'Reunião pedagógica' is the meeting of educators to plan and monitor educational work.