Is "grado" used for school grade?

Question

I'm preparing for the school supply give away tomorrow and I don't want to appear completely ignorant (if possible).

Is the word "grado" used for grade in school? For example, first grade, primer grado, etc.

If so, to ask the question "What grade will you be in?", should I ask

¿Qué grado estará en?

or

¿Qué grado será en?

or something else. (I'm not sure if I need the "en").

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Hola, Bruce.

I've heard --

"¿En qué nivel estás?" (What grade are you in?) "Estoy en quilnta/tercera/etc." (I'm in 5th/3rd/etc.)

Heidi may be able to answer this more fully since she has many students in different grades.

¡Gracias, Mariana! :) - 0066c384, Aug 5, 2011

Answer 2

In the United States, we certainly use the word "grado" for "grade level" in school (1st through 12th grades). But you've got the "en" in the wrong place.

¿En qué grado estará?

¿En qué grado va a estar?

EDIT: I just noticed you wanted to ask "What grade will you be in?" I thought perhaps you were asking the parents what grade their child will be in. If you are speaking to children, you would usually use the "tú" forms of the verb.

¿En qué grado estarás?

¿En qué grado vas a estar?

Thanks, gintar. I knew something looked wrong about it. :) - 0066c384, Aug 5, 2011

Thanks! I really need both. The children can most often speak English. :) - 0066c384, Aug 5, 2011

I believe we are working more with the parents, so I asked the question wrong the first time. - 0066c384, Aug 5, 2011

The first answer is most likely what I need. - 0066c384, Aug 5, 2011

Answer 3

¿Qúe grado estará en?

This is a rule, Bruce, you never finish a sentence in Spanish with a preposition

In spain we say curso.

¿En qué curso estás?

¿A qué curso pasas?

Same rule applies to English, mi reina española...there are exceptions, but it's still considered improper in some circumstances to end your sentence with a proposition. - cristalino, Aug 5, 2011

Thanks! I thought it looked weird. :) - 0066c384, Aug 5, 2011

Answer 4

Grado is used for grades in parts of Mexico...in south america I heard año more. (¿Qué año llevas de la escuela?

and both...the response would simply be:

primero, segundo, sexto.....without saying year or grade.

Gracias! :) - 0066c384, Aug 5, 2011

Answer 5

En México decimos:

--¿A qué año pasaste?

--Pasé a quinto año.

--Pasé a quinto.