noun
school-leaving exam, matura
B1
Matura means 'school‑leaving exam' or 'matura'. It's a feminine noun (die Matura) with plural Maturen and regular declension. It denotes the final secondary‑school examination used in some German‑speaking countries (notably Austria and Switzerland). In Germany the equivalent is usually called the Abitur.
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Sie hat letztes Jahr die Matura bestanden.
She passed the school-leaving exam last year.
Meine Tochter hat gerade die Matura gemacht.
My daughter has just finished the Matura.
In Österreich ist die Matura der Abschluss an der höheren Schule.
In Austria, the matura is the final qualification from secondary school.
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Imagine a student receiving a big certificate stamped 'Matura' at graduation.
Sounds a bit like 'mature' — think of finishing school and becoming 'mature' after the final exam.
Die Matura — imagine a female student holding the diploma (die = feminine).
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Austro-Swiss term for the final secondary-school exam; roughly equivalent to the British A-levels or the international concept of a school-leaving certificate. In ordinary German usage outside Austria/Switzerland you may also hear 'Abitur'.