Subjects in Spanish, including academic disciplines, school subjects, and how to talk about different areas of study.
This article covers how to talk about school and university subjects in Spanish, including common vocabulary for different fields of study, how to say “I study…,” and tips for discussing classes and degrees. You’ll also find example sentences and a review of key grammar points along the way.
Academic Subjects
Here are some of the most common subjects you’ll encounter in school or university. When talking about subjects in Spanish, it’s important to remember that the noun form can be singular or plural and often appears with a definite article (el, la, los, las).
Table: Academic Subjects in Spanish
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Example (Singular) | Example (Plural) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| la matemática | las matemáticas | mathematics | mathematics | La matemática es difícil. | Me gustan las matemáticas. |
| la historia | las historias | history | histories | La historia es interesante. | Estudio muchas historias. |
| la biología | las biologías | biology | biology | La biología es mi favorita. | Las biologías son complejas. |
| la química | las químicas | chemistry | chemistries | La química es importante. | Tengo dos clases de química. |
| la física | las físicas | physics | physics | La física explica el movimiento. | Las físicas son complicadas. |
| la literatura | las literaturas | literature | literatures | Leo literatura española. | Estudio varias literaturas. |
| el inglés | — | English | — | El inglés es obligatorio. | — |
| el español | — | Spanish | — | El español es mi idioma. | — |
| la geografía | las geografías | geography | geographies | La geografía estudia mapas. | Las geografías son interesantes. |
| la educación | — | education | — | La educación es fundamental. | — |
Note: Most subjects that end in -a are feminine, and some plural forms are always used in the plural (e.g., “las matemáticas”).
___ es una materia interesante en la escuela.
What is 'history' in Spanish?
La historia
The correct answer is 'La historia,' which means 'history' in Spanish. The sentence means 'History is an interesting subject in school.'
How to Say “I Study ...” in Spanish
When talking about what subjects you study, you can use the phrase “Estudio...” followed by the subject. If you’re specifying a major or field of study, you can say “Estudio…” + [subject/field]. Here are some common patterns:
- Estudio [subject]. (I study [subject].)
- Estudio [field]. (I study [field].)
- Estoy estudiando [subject]. (I am studying [subject].)
- Mi especialidad es [subject]. (My major is [subject].)
Table: How to Say “I Study ...” in Spanish
| Spanish Phrase | English Translation | Example (Spanish) | Example (English) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estudio biología. | I study biology. | Estudio biología en la universidad. | I study biology at the university. |
| Estoy estudiando historia. | I am studying history. | Estoy estudiando historia mundial. | I am studying world history. |
| Mi especialidad es química. | My major is chemistry. | Mi especialidad es química orgánica. | My major is organic chemistry. |
| Estudio matemáticas. | I study mathematics. | Estudio matemáticas y física. | I study mathematics and physics. |
| Estudio español. | I study Spanish. | Estudio español todos los días. | I study Spanish every day. |
Tip: You don’t need to use an article before the subject when saying estudio (e.g., “Estudio biología,” not “Estudio la biología”).
Talking About University Degrees
When discussing university degrees, you can specify the level using these common terms:
- la licenciatura (bachelor's degree)
- la maestría (master's degree)
- el doctorado (doctorate/PhD)
And you can say:
- Soy licenciado/a en [subject]. (I have a bachelor's degree in [subject].)
- Tengo una maestría en [subject]. (I have a master's degree in [subject].)
- Estoy haciendo un doctorado en [subject]. (I’m doing a PhD in [subject].)
Table: Talking About University Degrees in Spanish
| Spanish Phrase | English Translation | Example (Spanish) | Example (English) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soy licenciado/a en historia. | I have a bachelor's in history. | Soy licenciada en historia del arte. | I have a bachelor's in art history. |
| Tengo una maestría en química. | I have a master's in chemistry. | Tengo una maestría en química ambiental. | I have a master's in environmental chemistry. |
| Estoy haciendo un doctorado en biología. | I’m doing a PhD in biology. | Estoy haciendo un doctorado en biología molecular. | I’m doing a PhD in molecular biology. |
| Me gradué en matemáticas. | I graduated in mathematics. | Me gradué en matemáticas aplicadas el año pasado. | I graduated in applied mathematics last year. |
| Estudio psicología en la universidad. | I study psychology at university. | Estudio psicología en la universidad local. | I study psychology at the local university. |
Note: The endings change for gender—licenciado (male), licenciada (female).
Other Common Educational Subjects
In addition to academic disciplines, here are some other subjects you might find in school or specialized programs:
- la informática (computer science)
- la economía (economics)
- la filosofía (philosophy)
- el arte (art)
- la música (music)
- el derecho (law)
- la psicología (psychology)
- la administración (business/administration)
- las ciencias sociales (social sciences)
- la educación física (physical education)
Table: Other Common Subjects in Spanish
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Example (Singular) | Example (Plural) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| la informática | — | computer science | — | La informática es mi pasión. | — |
| la economía | — | economics | — | Estudio economía internacional. | — |
| la filosofía | — | philosophy | — | La filosofía cuestiona todo. | — |
| el arte | los artes | art | arts | El arte contemporáneo es fascinante. | Estudio diferentes artes visuales. |
| la música | — | music | — | La música clásica es relajante. | — |
| el derecho | — | law | — | El derecho protege los derechos humanos. | — |
| la psicología | — | psychology | — | La psicología estudia el comportamiento. | — |
| la administración | — | business/management | — | Estudio administración de empresas. | — |
| las ciencias sociales | — | social sciences | — | Las ciencias sociales incluyen sociología y antropología. | — |
| la educación física | — | physical education | — | La educación física es obligatoria. | — |
Tip: Some subjects are always plural (e.g., las ciencias sociales) or singular with no plural form (e.g., la economía).
How to Ask Someone What They Study
Here are some common questions for asking someone about their studies or major:
- ¿Qué estudias? (What do you study?)
- ¿Cuál es tu especialidad? (What is your major/specialization?)
- ¿En qué carrera estás? (What degree/program are you in?)
- ¿Qué asignaturas tienes? (What subjects/classes do you have?)
- ¿Qué te gusta estudiar? (What do you like to study?)
Table: Questions About Studies in Spanish
| Spanish Question | English Translation | Example (Spanish) | Example (English) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¿Qué estudias? | What do you study? | ¿Qué estudias en la universidad? | What do you study at university? |
| ¿Cuál es tu especialidad? | What is your major? | ¿Cuál es tu especialidad, biología o química? | What is your major, biology or chemistry? |
| ¿En qué carrera estás? | What degree are you in? | Estoy en la carrera de ingeniería. | I’m in the engineering program. |
| ¿Qué asignaturas tienes? | What subjects do you have? | Tengo asignaturas de matemáticas y física. | I have math and physics classes. |
| ¿Qué te gusta estudiar? | What do you like to study? | Me gusta estudiar historia y literatura. | I like to study history and literature. |
Tip: These questions are great for starting conversations about education and making new friends in academic settings.
What is the meaning of the question '¿Qué estudias?' in English?
What do you study?
'¿Qué estudias?' translates to 'What do you study?' It uses the second-person singular present tense of 'estudiar.'
Summary
- Use la/el [subject] or just the subject name to talk about academic disciplines.
- Use Estudio [subject] to say “I study [subject].”
- Use degree terms like licenciatura, maestría, and doctorado to talk about university levels.
- Ask questions like ¿Qué estudias? and ¿Cuál es tu especialidad? to learn about others’ studies.
- Remember gender and number agreements (e.g., “la química,” “las matemáticas,” “el arte”).
You can now confidently discuss academic subjects, talk about your own studies, and ask others about their educational paths—all in Spanish!
What are the Spanish terms for bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees?
licenciatura, maestría, doctorado
The correct order is 'licenciatura' (bachelor's), 'maestría' (master's), and 'doctorado' (PhD/doctorate).
Flashcards (1 of 35)
- Example (Singular): La matemática es difícil.
- Example (Plural): Me gustan las matemáticas.
- English Singular: mathematics
- English Plural: mathematics
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
