¡Hola de nuevo! After learning to describe people, let's now turn our attention to the places where we live – our homes! In this chapter, you'll learn essential vocabulary for rooms, furniture, and common household items. We'll also practice using 'estar' to talk about where things are located, and introduce 'hay' to say 'there is/there are' in a general sense. Get ready to describe your ideal living space in Spanish!
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
(Optional Review): Recall from Chapter 7, we used 'estar' for temporary states and location. Think about how we might use it to describe where a chair is in a room. Also, remember 'tener' (to have) from Chapter 11 – how is 'tener' different from 'hay' (there is/are)? (Answer: 'Tener' means possession, 'hay' means existence).
As a reminder, "estar" is used to express location (where something or someone is).
Conjugation of Estar (Present Tense):
| Pronoun | Estar |
|---|---|
| yo | estoy |
| tú | estás |
| él/ella/usted | está |
| nosotros/as | estamos |
| vosotros/as | estáis |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | están |
Examples:
"Hay" is an impersonal form of the verb "haber" and means "there is" or "there are." It is used to express the existence of something.
Examples:
Master vocabulary for the house, furniture, and prepositions.
Import Chapter 19 Flashcards(Requires login to import/study)
Instructions: Draw a line to match the Spanish room on the left with its English equivalent on the right.
el dormitorio ( ) the kitchen
la cocina ( ) the bathroom
la sala ( ) the dining room
el baño ( ) the bedroom
el comedor ( ) the living roomAnswer Key:
el dormitorio → the bedroom
la cocina → the kitchen
la sala → the living room
el baño → the bathroom
el comedor → the dining roomInstructions: Choose the correct word to complete the sentence: "estar" (conjugated) or "hay".
Answer Key:
Instructions: Look at the image (imagine a simple drawing of a room with objects) or read the description and choose the best preposition.
Description: El gato está _________ la silla y la mesa. (The cat is _________ the chair and the table.)
Answer Key:
b) entre
Instructions: Write down the Spanish names for five pieces of furniture you have in your living room or bedroom. (Answers will vary)
(No specific answer key as answers are personal.)
Instructions: Describe your favorite room in your house or apartment. Write three Spanish sentences using vocabulary for rooms, furniture, and 'estar' or 'hay' for location. (Answers will vary)
(No specific answer key as answers are personal.)
Instructions: Translate the following English questions into Spanish using "hay" or "estar".
Answer Key:
Instructions: In pairs, take turns describing your ideal house or apartment. Mention at least three rooms and two pieces of furniture in each, using "hay" and "estar" with prepositions.
Example:
Student A: En mi casa ideal, hay una cocina grande. En la cocina, la nevera está al lado de la estufa. Instructions: One person thinks of a common household item (e.g., la lámpara, el sofá) and says its name. The other person asks "¿Dónde está (item)?" (Where is the item?) and the first person answers using prepositions of location.
Example:
Student A: La cama.
Student B: ¿Dónde está la cama?
Student A: Está en el dormitorio, delante de la ventana. Instructions: Imagine you are giving a virtual tour of your home. Describe each room as you "enter" it, mentioning what items "hay" in the room and where they "están."
Housing styles vary significantly across Spanish-speaking countries and regions. In many older cities, apartments (pisos) or houses with internal patios (patios) are common, offering private outdoor space. In more modern or suburban areas, standalone houses are also prevalent.
The kitchen is often considered the heart of the home, especially in cultures where meals are central to family life. It's a place for cooking, eating, and socializing.
Open doors (literally and figuratively) are common for family and close friends. It's typical for guests to be offered a drink or snack upon entering a home.
While some vocabulary for 'apartment' differs (apartamento vs. piso), both are widely understood. 'Piso' is more common in Spain.
Understanding the subtle differences between similar words can greatly enhance your fluency. Let's look at a couple of common pairs related to the home.
La habitación : This is the most general and widely applicable term for "room" in any building. It's the safest and most common choice when you simply mean a space within a structure. You'll hear it for rooms in a house, an apartment, a hotel, an office building, etc.
Example: Mi apartamento tiene tres habitaciones. (My apartment has three rooms.)
Example: ¿Cuál es tu habitación en el hotel? (Which is your room in the hotel?)
El cuarto : Also means "room," and can often be used interchangeably with habitación for rooms within a house or apartment. However, cuarto has additional meanings, such as "quarter" (e.g., un cuarto de hora - a quarter of an hour) or even "bathroom" in some very informal contexts (¿Dónde está el cuarto? - Where's the bathroom?). When specifically talking about a living space, it's very common, but habitación is arguably broader.
Example: Tengo un cuarto de estudio en casa. (I have a study room at home.)
Example: Vamos al cuarto de estar. (Let's go to the living room.)
El dormitorio : This term is specific and always refers to a "bedroom" – a room specifically designated for sleeping. While a dormitorio is a type of habitación or cuarto, you would only use dormitorio if the room's primary function is sleeping.
Example: Mi dormitorio es pequeño, pero cómodo. (My bedroom is small, but comfortable.)
Example: La casa tiene dos dormitorios y un baño. (The house has two bedrooms and a bathroom.)
Key takeaway: Use "habitación" for "room" in general. Use "cuarto" as a common synonym for "room" within a house, but be aware of its other meanings. Use "dormitorio" exclusively for "bedroom."
El suelo : This refers to the ground or the surface on which you walk, whether indoors or outdoors. It's the universal term for the bottom surface of a room or the earth outside.
Example: El libro está en el suelo. (The book is on the floor/ground.)
Example: El suelo del bosque está húmedo. (The ground in the forest is humid.)
El piso : This word has two main meanings depending on context and region:
Key takeaway: Use "suelo" for "floor" as the general surface. Use "piso" when referring to an "apartment" (especially in Spain) or to the type/material of the floor or a building level.
La estantería : Refers to the entire piece of furniture—the complete shelving unit or bookshelf. It’s the whole structure.
Example: Compré una estantería nueva para mis libros. (I bought a new bookshelf for my books.)
El estante : Refers to a single shelf within the unit. An estantería is made up of several estantes.
Example: Por favor, pon el libro en el estante de arriba. (Please, put the book on the top shelf.)
Key takeaway: Think of estantería as the "bookshelf" and estante as the "shelf."
El cuadro : This is a general term for a framed picture on a wall. It can be a painting, a print, a photograph, or any other type of artwork that is framed.
Example: Vamos a colgar este cuadro en la sala. (Let's hang this picture in the living room.)
La pintura : This specifically refers to a painting—an artwork created with paint. It can also refer to the paint itself. While every pintura on a wall can be called a cuadro, not every cuadro is a pintura.
Example: Esta pintura de Frida Kahlo es famosa. (This painting by Frida Kahlo is famous.)
Key takeaway: Use cuadro for any framed picture. Use pintura when you know it's a painting. They are often used interchangeably for paintings.
El televisor : Refers to the physical appliance, the television set. It’s the box or screen you watch.
Example: El televisor nuevo es muy grande. (The new television set is very big.)
La televisión (la tele) : Refers to the medium, the programming, or the concept of television broadcasting. It’s what you watch, not what you watch it on.
Example: No me gusta ver la televisión por la noche. (I don't like to watch television at night.)
Key takeaway: El televisor is the hardware. La televisión is the content/medium.
La nevera : The most common word for "refrigerator" in Spain. It is widely understood but less common in many parts of Latin America.
Example (Spain context): Guarda la leche en la nevera, por favor. (Put the milk in the fridge, please.)
El refrigerador : The standard term in most of Latin America. It's more formal and universally understood everywhere. Often shortened to "el refri" informally.
Example (LatAm context): No hay nada en el refrigerador. (There's nothing in the refrigerator.)
Key takeaway: This is mostly a regional difference. Use nevera in Spain and refrigerador in Latin America to sound more natural, but both will be understood.
El lavaplatos : Literally "the plate-washer." This is the common term for "dishwasher" in much of Latin America.
Example (LatAm context): El lavaplatos está lleno. (The dishwasher is full.)
El lavavajillas : Literally "the tableware-washer." This is the standard term in Spain.
Example (Spain context): Tienes que poner el lavavajillas. (You have to run the dishwasher.)
Key takeaway: Another regional difference, like "soda" vs. "pop." Use lavavajillas in Spain and lavaplatos in Latin America.
La sala : The most common word for "living room" in Latin America. It's the main room for relaxing and receiving guests.
Example (LatAm context): Estamos viendo una película en la sala. (We are watching a movie in the living room.)
El salón : The standard term for "living room" in Spain. It can sometimes imply a larger or more formal room than sala, and can also mean "hall" or "lounge" in other contexts.
Example (Spain context): Mi abuela tiene un salón muy elegante. (My grandmother has a very elegant living room.)
Key takeaway: Primarily a regional preference. Sala is standard in Latin America, while salón is standard in Spain.
Let's visit the García family's new house!
La familia García tiene una casa nueva. Es una casa grande y bonita en el campo.
En la casa hay cuatro dormitorios. El dormitorio de los padres está en el primer piso. Los dormitorios de los niños están en el segundo piso. Cada dormitorio tiene una cama, un armario y una estantería.
La sala es muy cómoda. Hay un sofá grande y dos sillas. La televisión está encima de una mesa pequeña.
El comedor está al lado de la cocina. En el comedor hay una mesa grande y seis sillas. En la cocina, la nevera está a la derecha de la estufa, y el microondas está encima del horno. ¡No hay lavaplatos!
Hay dos baños. Un baño está en el primer piso y otro baño está en el segundo piso. Cada baño tiene un inodoro, un lavabo y una ducha. No hay bañera.
Fuera de la casa, hay un jardín grande con muchas flores y un patio pequeño con una mesa y sillas. También hay un garaje para el coche.
La familia García está muy feliz en su casa nueva.
The García family has a new house. It is a big and beautiful house in the countryside.
In the house, there are four bedrooms. The parents' bedroom is on the first floor. The children's bedrooms are on the second floor. Each bedroom has a bed, a closet, and a bookshelf.
The living room is very comfortable. There is a big sofa and two chairs. The television is on top of a small table.
The dining room is next to the kitchen. In the dining room, there is a big table and six chairs. In the kitchen, the refrigerator is to the right of the stove, and the microwave is on top of the oven. There is no dishwasher!
There are two bathrooms. One bathroom is on the first floor and another bathroom is on the second floor. Each bathroom has a toilet, a sink, and a shower. There is no bathtub.
Outside the house, there is a big garden with many flowers and a small patio with a table and chairs. There is also a garage for the car.
The García family is very happy in their new house.
House parts: la casa, el apartamento, el piso, la habitación, el cuarto, el dormitorio, la sala, el salón, el comedor, la cocina, el baño, el jardín, el patio, el balcón, el garaje, el pasillo, la puerta, la ventana, el techo, el suelo, el piso, la pared.
Furniture/Objects: los muebles, la cama, el sofá, la silla, la mesa, el escritorio, la lámpara, el armario, la estantería, el estante, el cuadro, la pintura, el espejo, la alfombra, el televisor, la televisión, la nevera, el refrigerador, la estufa, la cocina, el horno, el microondas, el lavaplatos, el lavavajillas, el inodoro, la ducha, la bañera, el lavabo, el fregadero.
Prepositions: en, al lado de, detrás de, delante de, encima de, sobre, debajo de, entre, a la derecha de, a la izquierda de, cerca de, lejos de.
Other: hay, dónde, aquí, nuevo/a, el campo, primer/segundo, cada, cómodo/a, fuera de, muchas, flores, para.
Using "estar" for location, using "hay" (there is/are), prepositions of location.
¡Felicidades! You've learned to describe homes and their contents in Spanish, which is a fantastic skill for everyday conversations. In our next chapter, 'Los Pasatiempos' (Hobbies), we will expand our vocabulary to talk about common leisure activities and introduce new verbs like 'gustar' to express preferences. Get ready to share what you love to do in your free time!