French Phrase
Ça marque la fin de l'école.
Meaning
Literally, 'That marks the end of school.' It is used to point out a specific event, date, or signal that school is over for the term or year.
When to use
Say this phrase when a bell rings, a ceremony ends, or any clear moment signals that classes are finished—e.g., the last day of the school year, the end of a semester, or the conclusion of a school trip.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Çamarquelafindel'école
Ça
Informal demonstrative pronoun meaning 'this' or 'that'. Used in spoken French to refer to something just mentioned.
marque (marquer)
Third‑person singular present of the verb 'marquer' – to mark, to signify. Regular -er verb.
la fin
Noun phrase meaning 'the end'. 'Fin' is feminine, so it takes the article 'la'.
de l'
The preposition 'de' + the elided article 'le' before a vowel. It means 'of the'.
école
Noun meaning 'school'. Here it is singular and preceded by the definite article.
🗨In Conversation
Ça marque la fin de l'école.
That marks the end of school.
Enfin, on peut profiter des vacances !
Finally, we can enjoy the holidays!
✕Common Mistakes
Ça marque le fin de l'école.
‘Fin’ is feminine, so the correct article is ‘la’, not ‘le’.
Ça marque la fin de le école.
When ‘de’ meets ‘le’ before a vowel, it contracts to ‘de l’’.
Ça marque la fin de l'ecole.
The word needs the accent aigu: ‘école’. Without it, spelling is incorrect.
↔Alternatives
C'est la fin de l'école.
It's the end of school.
Cela signifie la fin de l'école.
That means the end of school.
Nous arrivons à la fin de l'année scolaire.
We are reaching the end of the school year.
Cultural Tip
In France, the school year typically ends in early July, but many regions have a summer break starting in late June. The phrase is often heard at the "rentrée" (return) and "vacances" (holiday) ceremonies. Use a slightly upbeat tone because it usually signals a happy transition to vacation.