School Work in Spanish | Say It Like A Native Student

In Spanish, “school work” is usually “las tareas” or “los deberes,” with “tarea” also meaning a task or assignment.

You’ll hear “school work” translated a few ways in Spanish, and they’re not all interchangeable. That’s normal. Spanish changes by region, by school level, and by what the teacher assigned.

This page shows the clean, everyday Spanish you’ll see in notebooks, parent portals, and teacher emails. You’ll get the best default translation, when to switch terms, and ready-to-use phrases you can copy into real sentences.

What “School Work” Means In Spanish Class Talk

In English, “school work” can mean homework, classwork, a project, or any assignment tied to school. Spanish often splits that meaning into clearer buckets.

These are the main options you’ll use most:

• Las tareas: assignments or tasks (often homework, also any assigned work).
• Los deberes: homework (common in Spain; often said in plural).
• El trabajo / los trabajos: a piece of work, a paper, an assignment, or “work” in a broader sense.
• Las actividades: activities, often practice tasks or worksheet-style items.

If you’re picking one phrase that works in most places, start with las tareas. It’s widely understood and fits many contexts.

School Work in Spanish For Homework, Classwork, And Projects

Here’s a quick way to choose the right term without overthinking it:

When You Mean Homework Done At Home

Las tareas works in most regions. In Spain, you’ll also hear los deberes a lot, especially from parents and teachers.

You can treat these as “homework” in day-to-day speech. The nuance is more regional than grammatical.

When You Mean Work Done In Class

Use el trabajo en clase or las actividades en clase for classwork. If you say tarea in this context, it can still work, but the phrase “en clase” keeps it clear.

When You Mean A Bigger Assignment Or Paper

Use un trabajo for “a paper” or “an assignment,” and un proyecto for a project. Teachers also use entrega when they care about submission.

Common phrasing you’ll see:

• Entregar un trabajo (to submit an assignment)
• Fecha de entrega (due date)
• Trabajo en grupo (group project/assignment)

Best Translation Options You Can Use Right Away

If you just need a clean translation for a sentence, these are safe, natural picks:

• “I have school work.” → Tengo tareas.
• “I need to finish my school work.” → Tengo que terminar las tareas.
• “I did my school work.” → Hice la tarea / Hice los deberes / Hice las tareas (choose based on region and quantity).
• “School work is hard.” → Las tareas son difíciles.

A small tip that saves mistakes: tarea can be singular or plural. deberes is most often used in plural when it means homework.

How Spanish Dictionaries Frame “Tarea” And “Deber”

If you’re writing for school, a portal message, or anything that needs a more formal feel, it helps to know how standard references define these words.

The RAE dictionary includes “tarea” as work that must be done, and it also marks a student sense tied to “deber” (homework). You can check the exact entry in the RAE definition of “tarea”. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

The RAE entry for “deber” is broader (duty/obligation), and it also lists senses tied to assignments and school tasks. See the RAE entry for “deber”. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

In plain student talk, you won’t quote dictionary language. Still, those entries explain why Spanish often links “tarea” and “deberes” to the same “assigned work” idea.

Regional Choices: “Tareas” Vs “Deberes” Without Drama

Both words can refer to homework. The bigger difference is what people around you say every day.

If you’re dealing with Spain, los deberes is a common default. In Latin America, la tarea and las tareas often show up more. In mixed groups, las tareas usually lands well.

If you want a quick check that matches real usage, FundéuRAE often comments on Spanish usage and wording in current contexts, including “deberes” as school homework phrasing. You can see their page on “deberes” usage notes. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

Now let’s make this practical with a fast reference table you can keep open while you write or speak.

Common Schoolwork Words And Phrases

English	Spanish	When It Fits
school work	las tareas / los deberes	General “stuff I have to do for school”
homework	los deberes / la tarea	Work assigned to do outside class
assignment	la tarea / el trabajo	A specific assigned piece of work
classwork	el trabajo en clase	Work done during class time
worksheet	la hoja de ejercicios	Paper with questions/exercises
project	el proyecto	Multi-step assignment over days/weeks
paper / report	el trabajo / el informe	Written assignment with structure
quiz	la prueba corta	Short assessment, often low stakes
test / exam	el examen	Formal assessment
to study	estudiar	Reviewing and preparing for exams
due date	la fecha de entrega	When something must be submitted
to submit	entregar	Handing in work (paper or digital)

Ready-Made Sentences That Sound Natural

Once you have the right noun, the next hurdle is getting the sentence to sound like something a student would say. Here are patterns that work in real life.

Short Student Phrases

• Tengo tareas para mañana. (I have homework for tomorrow.)
• No terminé las tareas. (I didn’t finish the homework.)
• Me falta una tarea. (I still have one assignment left.)
• Ya entregué el trabajo. (I already submitted the assignment.)

Messages To A Teacher

If you’re writing a polite message, keep it simple and direct. These are common shapes:

• Buenas tardes, profesora/profesor. ¿Cuál es la fecha de entrega?
• ¿Podría confirmar si la tarea es para hoy o para mañana?
• Adjunto el trabajo en este mensaje.

Notice what’s missing: fancy wording. Simple Spanish reads as confident Spanish.

Common Mistakes That Give You Away

Spanish learners often get tripped up by a few predictable issues. Fix these and your writing looks cleaner right away.

Using “Trabajo” For Every Kind Of Homework

Trabajo can mean “work” in a broad sense, and it can also mean an assignment or paper. Still, if you mean nightly homework, tareas or deberes is usually the better pick.

Forgetting Plurals

Homework is often treated as plural in Spanish: las tareas, los deberes. If you have one specific item, singular is fine: una tarea.

Mixing Up “Deber” And “Deberes”

Deber (singular) often reads as “duty” or “obligation.” Deberes (plural) is the common “homework” sense in many settings. The dictionary background for “deber” helps explain that split. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

Verb Phrases That Pair With Schoolwork

Spanish relies on set verb + noun pairings. If you choose the right pairing, you sound natural even with basic vocabulary.

What You Want To Say	Spanish Phrase	Notes
I have homework	Tengo tareas / Tengo deberes	“Deberes” is common in Spain
I need to do homework	Tengo que hacer la tarea	Singular works for “the homework” as a set
I did my homework	Hice la tarea / Hice los deberes	Pick the noun that matches your region
I’m missing an assignment	Me falta una tarea	Also: “Me falta entregar…”
I turned it in	Lo entregué	“Entregar” is the core verb for submission
It’s due tomorrow	Se entrega mañana	Also: “La fecha de entrega es…”
I studied for the exam	Estudié para el examen	Clear, standard phrasing

A Simple Shortcut For Choosing The Right Word

If you’re stuck and you just want a solid choice, use this quick filter:

• If it’s nightly homework: tareas (safe in most places), deberes (common in Spain).
• If it’s a paper, report, or graded assignment: trabajo or informe.
• If it’s multi-step and bigger: proyecto.
• If it’s done in class: add en clase to keep it clear.

That’s it. No need to chase a “perfect” single translation when Spanish already offers a couple of normal choices.

Where These Terms Show Up In Spanish Teaching Materials

If you’re learning Spanish in a structured way, you’ll see “tarea” used in another sense too: task-based learning, where “tarea” refers to a classroom task designed to use language in a goal-driven way. The Instituto Cervantes publishes a reference dictionary for Spanish teaching terminology, and it includes entries tied to tasks and teaching methods. You can start at the Centro Virtual Cervantes dictionary index. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

For everyday school talk, you’ll still say “tareas” and “deberes” the way students do. This section just explains why you may see “tarea” in course notes even when the topic isn’t homework.

Quick Practice: Turn English Into Natural Spanish

Try these as mini drills. Say them out loud once, then write them.

• “I can’t go out. I have school work.” → No puedo salir. Tengo tareas.
• “Is the assignment due today?” → ¿La entrega es hoy?
• “I submitted the project.” → Entregué el proyecto.
• “We did classwork.” → Hicimos trabajo en clase.

If you want to level up, swap nouns while keeping the verbs steady. That’s how you build speed without memorizing endless phrases.