¿Quién es? means “Who is it?” Many people work hard at our school. Let us learn their names in Spanish and how to greet them with respect.
People at my school
| Man / boy | Woman / girl | English |
|---|---|---|
| el maestro | la maestra | the teacher |
| el director | la directora | the principal |
| el secretario | la secretaria | the secretary |
| el guardia | la guardia | the security guard |
| el limpiador | la limpiadora | the cleaner |
| el alumno | la alumna | the pupil |
| el amigo | la amiga | the friend |
See the pattern? Many words for men and boys end in -o and use el. Words for women and girls often end in -a and use la.
Being polite
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Buenos días, maestra. | Good morning, Miss. |
| Buenas tardes, señor. | Good afternoon, Sir. |
| Por favor. | Please. |
| Gracias. | Thank you. |
| Con permiso. | Excuse me. |
We show respect to everyone at school: we greet them, say please and thank you, and listen when they speak.
The activity reads the Spanish aloud using your device’s voice. If you hear no sound, check the volume, or try Chrome or Safari. Some devices need a Spanish voice to be installed.
TRY IT¿Quién es?
Tap a card to hear it.
Let’s practise
Try each one. Then tap Show answer to check.
1. What is “the teacher” (a woman) in Spanish?
Show answer
la maestra
2. What is el guardia?
Show answer
The security guard.
3. A boy pupil is el alumno. A girl pupil is …
Show answer
la alumna
4. How do you say thank you?
Show answer
Gracias.
5. Give one way to show respect to school workers.
Show answer
Greet them, say please and thank you, listen to them.
Quick check
1. ¿Quién es? 👨💼 (the principal, a man)
Show answer
el director
2. What does Por favor mean?
Show answer
Please.
3. el secretario or la secretaria – which is for a woman?
Show answer
la secretaria
Words to know
Say these words with a grown-up. Can you use each one in a sentence?
¿Quién es? · el maestro · la maestra · el director · la directora · el secretario · la secretaria · el guardia · el limpiador · la limpiadora · el alumno · la alumna · Gracias · Por favor
Try it at home
- Greet your teacher in Spanish tomorrow: Buenos días, maestra / maestro.
- Thank a school worker in Spanish: ¡Gracias!
- Draw three people at school and label them in Spanish with el or la.
For parents and teachers
After this lesson, your child should be able to:
- name seven people at school in Spanish with el / la
- answer ¿Quién es? correctly
- greet people at school politely in Spanish
Spanish also uses “el profesor / la profesora” for teacher; maestro/maestra is used here because it is common for primary teachers.
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