Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
Graduate in Spanish: Graduarse
Graduarse · verb · grah-DWAHR-seh
Graduarse is the reflexive Spanish verb meaning to graduate. The noun form egresado refers to a person who has graduated or completed a program of study. In many Latin American countries, licenciado/a is used as a professional title for university graduates, sometimes even as a form of address.
Say grah-DWAHR-seh, with the stress on the second syllable. The dua creates a smooth dw glide similar to English.
Mi hermana se graduó de la universidad el mes pasado.
My sister graduated from the university last month.
Graduate in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for graduate, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| graduarse | graduate | grah-DWAHR-seh | Default, widely understood |
| egresado | graduate | noun: a graduate (someone who has completed studies) | |
| licenciado | graduate | university graduate with a bachelor's degree |
How Native Speakers Use Graduarse
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Graduating from school
¿Cuándo te vas a graduar de la preparatoria?
When are you going to graduate from high school?
Graduarse works for all levels of education, from high school through doctoral programs.
Referring to a graduate
Los egresados de esta universidad tienen muy buenas oportunidades laborales.
The graduates of this university have very good job opportunities.
Egresado is the standard noun for a graduate in academic and professional contexts.
Using the title licenciado
Buenos días, licenciado Ramírez, aquí tiene su expediente.
Good morning, Licenciado Ramírez, here is your file.
In Mexico and other countries, licenciado is both a degree title and a respectful form of address.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Graduarse
Forgetting the reflexive pronoun
Incorrect: Ella graduó el año pasado.
Correct: Ella se graduó el año pasado.
Graduarse is reflexive — the se is required. Without it, the sentence is grammatically incomplete and sounds unnatural to native speakers.
Using graduado as the only noun form
Incorrect: Soy un graduado de medicina. (in formal contexts)
Correct: Soy egresado de medicina.
While graduado is understood, egresado is the preferred term in many Latin American academic and professional environments. It carries more formal weight.
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See Graduarse used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using graduarse in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Mi hermana se graduó de la universidad el mes pasado. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
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Common Questions About Graduate in Spanish
- How do you say graduate in Spanish?
- The verb to graduate is graduarse (reflexive). The noun for a person who has graduated is egresado/a or graduado/a. In many Latin American countries, licenciado/a is specifically used for university graduates.
- What does licenciado mean in Spanish?
- Licenciado (abbreviated Lic.) originally referred to someone holding a university bachelor's degree (licenciatura). In countries like Mexico, it has evolved into a respectful form of address used broadly for professionals, similar to how Doctor is used in English.
- How do you say graduation ceremony in Spanish?
- A graduation ceremony is la ceremonia de graduación or simply la graduación. The celebratory event is often called la fiesta de graduación, and the graduation cap and gown are el birrete y la toga.