Learn Spanish (Spain): Mi prima es maestra en un colegio. - My cousin is a teacher at a primary school.

Mi prima es maestra en un colegio.

My cousin is a teacher at a primary school.

Breakdown of Mi prima es maestra en un colegio.

ser

to be

a, an, some

in / on / by (means of transport) / about (after pensar)

Questions & Answers about Mi prima es maestra en un colegio.

Why isn't there an "una" before "maestra"? Shouldn't it be "es una maestra"?

In Spanish, when you state someone's profession using the verb ser (to be), you do not use un or una (a/an). You only add una if you describe the profession with an adjective, such as es una maestra excelente (she is an excellent teacher).

Does "colegio" mean "college" or "university"?

No, colegio is a false friend! In Spain, a colegio (often shortened to cole) is a primary or elementary school for children. If you want to talk about a university, use the word universidad. For high school, use instituto.

Why use the verb "es" instead of "está" for her job?

Professions and occupations are treated as a core part of someone's identity in Spanish. Therefore, we use the verb ser (here, the form es) rather than estar, even if the person might change their job later in life.

How would this sentence change if I were talking about a male cousin?

You would need to change the feminine nouns to their masculine forms to match his gender. The sentence would become Mi primo es maestro en un colegio.