How do you say room in spanish

As you know, we love to highlight the diversity that exists in Spanish vocabulary. Here I’ll show another example, this time the use of the word “room” or “bedroom.”

If you want to say “room” or “bedroom” in Spanish you will have several options to choose from:

1. cuarto
2. pieza
3. recámara
4. dormitorio
5. habitación
6. ambiente

From this list, only the sixth word (ambiente which translates to “environment” in English) was the only one totally unknown to me. Jared told me that using the word ambiente to refer to a “room” is used in Argentina. The rest of the words I knew, but I generally mix their usage, according to the formality of each.

For example, my perception of formality or informality goes according to use in Puerto Rico. The most common or less formal word is cuarto. Furthermore, the words habitación and dormitorio are used in formal occasions, such as in real estate advertisements. For example:

“Se vende apartamento en Condado. Dos habitaciones y 1 baño.”
“Apartment for sale in Condado. Two bedrooms, 1 bathroom.”

However, the words pieza and recámara are not used in my country. We know them because we hear them in television programs, movies dubbed in Spanish and/or Hispanic telenovelas.

When room does not mean cuarto in Spanish

An extra point worth adding to this topic is that there are times that the word room does not translate to cuarto in Spanish and here is a real story. A few years ago I had a boss who was Hispanic, but his first language was English. He used to ask us about the availability of rooms to have business meetings. He used to say sentences like this one:

“¿En cuál cuarto nos vamos a reunir a las 2pm?”
“In which bedroom will we gather at 2pm?”

That sounded a bit awkward coming from your boss, right? When “room” does not mean bedroom in Spanish you can use the word sala or salón.

¿En qué sala se llevará acabo la reunión?
In which room will the meeting take place?

ROOM in Spanish: Infographic

Check out these other English Spanish articles.

A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling or idea (e.g. man, dog, house).

noun

1. (living space)

a. la habitación

(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(F)

My room is very comfortable.Mi habitación es muy cómoda.

b. el cuarto

(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(M)

My brother's room has blue walls.El cuarto de mi hermano tiene paredes azules.

c. la sala

(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(F)

I think the break is over; let's go back to the room.Creo que ya se acabó el descanso; vamos a regresar a la sala.

d. la pieza

(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(F)

They have an apartment with three rooms.Tienen un departamento de tres piezas.

e. la recámara

(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(F)

(bedroom) (Andes)

Regionalism used in Central America: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama

(Central America)

Regionalism used in Mexico

(Mexico)

Your books are in the other room.Tus libros están en la otra recámara.

f. el dormitorio

(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(M)

(bedroom)

The girls are studying in their room.Las niñas están estudiando en su dormitorio.

2. (space)

a. el sitio

(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(M)

There is no room left for my shoes!¡No queda sitio para mis zapatos!

b. el espacio

(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(M)

The hotel says it doesn't have room for us.Dice el hotel que no tiene espacio para nosotros.

c. el lugar

(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(M)

Can you move over a little? - Sorry, there's no room left.¿Te puedes hacer un poco para allá? - Lo siento; ya no hay lugar.

d. el campo

(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(M)

(Andes)

Look at all the room there is in this stadium.Mira todo el campo que hay en este estadio.

3. (scope)

a. el lugar

(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(M)

There's no room for error.No hay lugar para el error.

An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g. The man sneezed.).

intransitive verb

4. (to lodge)

a. hospedarse

I won't room with such an arrogant person.No me hospedaré con alguien tan arrogante.

c. vivir con

In college, I roomed with my best friend.En la universidad viví con mi mejor amiga.

room

A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling or idea (e.g. man, dog, house).

Noun

1. (in house)

a. el habitación f, cuarto

(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(M)

2. (in hotel)

a. la habitación

(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(F)

3. (bedroom)

a. el dormitorio

(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(M)

b. el cuarto

(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(M)

Regionalism used in Latin America: all the countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Does not include Spain.

(Latin America)

c. la recámara

(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(F)

4. (large, public)

a. la sala

(f) means that a noun is feminine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(F)

double/single roomhabitación doble/individual

room and boardpensión completa

room serviceservicio de habitaciones

room temperaturetemperatura ambiente

5. (space)

a. el espacio m, sitio

(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(M)

b. el lugar

(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(M)

Regionalism used in Latin America: all the countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Does not include Spain.

(Latin America)

c. el campo

(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).

(M)

(Andes)

there's no roomno hay sitio or

to make room (for somebody)hacer sitio or

is there room for one more?¿cabe uno más?

there's no room for doubtno hay lugar a dudas

there is room for improvementse puede mejorar

room [rʊm]

noun

1 (in house, hotel) habitación (f); cuarto (m); pieza (f); especially (LAm) recámara (f); (Méx) ambiente (m); (Arg) (large, public) sala (f)

in room 504 (hotel) en la habitación número 504

double room habitación (f) etc doble

furnished room cuarto (m) amueblado

ladies' room servicios (m) de señoras

this is my room esta es mi habitación

single room habitación (f) individual

2 rooms (lodging) alojamiento (m)

they've always lived in rooms siempre han vivido de alquiler; he has rooms in college tiene un cuarto en el colegio

3 (space) sitio (m); espacio (m); campo (m); (And)

is there room? ¿hay sitio?; there's plenty of room hay sitio de sobra

is there room for this? ¿cabe esto?; ¿hay cabida para esto?

is there room for me? ¿quepo yo?; ¿hay sitio para mí?

to make room for sb hacer sitio a algn

make room! ¡abran paso!

there's no room for anything else no cabe más

standing room only! no queda asiento

there is no room for doubt no hay lugar a dudas

to leave room for imponderables dar cabida a un margen de imponderables

there is room for improvement esto se puede mejorar todavía

intransitive verb

(US)

to room with three other students estar en una pensión con otros tres estudiantes; compartir un piso or un departamento con otros tres estudiantes; (LAm) to room with a landlady alojarse en casa de una señora

modifier

room clerk (n) (US) recepcionista (m) (de hotel)

room divider (n) (screen) biombo (m); (wall) tabique (m)

room service (n) (in hotel) servicio (m) de habitaciones

room temperature (n) temperatura (f) ambiente

Phrases

living room

la sala de estar

el salón

dining room

el comedor

laundry room