| Collège (Junior High) | ||
| Age | Grade | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| 11–12 | Sixième | 6e |
| 12–13 | Cinquième | 5e |
| 13–14 | Quatrième | 4e |
| 14–15 | Troisième | 3e |
| Lycée (High school) | ||
| Age | Grade | Abbreviation |
| 15–16 | Seconde | 2de |
| 16–17 | Première | 1e |
| 17–18 | Terminale | Term or Tle |
Someone in French 2 this morning asked how to saw her brother is a seventh grader. Ah, the joys of translating not just language, but education systems! We can't just grab septième and slap it in front of some French term for grade or level. We need to put the statement in terms a French speaker would understand.–
In the French education system, les années scolaires ("grades") are numbered in reverse. Our sixth grade corresponds with la class de sixième in France. From there, the classes count down. Our freshmen would be in French troisième; our sophomores, seconde; our juniors, première, and our seniors, terminale. The chart at right from Wikipedia shows the full range from our grade six to HS graduation.
In the French education system, les années scolaires ("grades") are numbered in reverse. Our sixth grade corresponds with la class de sixième in France. From there, the classes count down. Our freshmen would be in French troisième; our sophomores, seconde; our juniors, première, and our seniors, terminale. The chart at right from Wikipedia shows the full range from our grade six to HS graduation.
