A1 vocabulary guide
Spanish house and home: name the spaces you live in
Descriptions of a home bring together concrete nouns, location words and a few useful verbs. Learn each room with its article, then practise saying where things are and what a space is like.
Start with the pattern
Words are easier to keep when they make sense.
A house is una casa; a flat in Spain is commonly un piso. Use hay to say that something exists in a room and estar to locate a specific item: En el salón hay un sofá; el sofá está junto a la ventana. Ser describes a characteristic such as size, while estar says where something is or how it is currently arranged.
Spanish noun gender is not always predictable from the ending. El día and el mapa are masculine despite ending in -a; la mano is feminine despite ending in -o. Learn the article with each noun rather than relying on a spelling shortcut.
Hear it in a sentence
Examples in everyday Spanish
El piso tiene dos dormitorios y un balcón pequeño.
The flat has two bedrooms and a small balcony.
Hay una mesa de madera en la cocina.
There is a wooden table in the kitchen.
Deja las llaves junto a la puerta, por favor.
Leave the keys next to the door, please.
El sofá está delante de la ventana.
The sofa is in front of the window.
Listen for the local detail
A note on Spanish in Spain
- Piso is the common word for an apartment in Spain; departamento or apartamento are common in other regions, though terms overlap.
- Nevera and frigorífico both mean fridge; preference varies by speaker and context.
Look out for
Common mistakes, made clearer
Avoid
La mapa.
Use / understand
El mapa.
Mapa is masculine despite ending in -a.
Avoid
La sofa.
Use / understand
El sofá.
Sofá is masculine and carries an accent.
Avoid
El sofá es junto a la ventana.
Use / understand
El sofá está junto a la ventana.
Estar locates a specific piece of furniture.
Five quick checks
Try it before you peek.
- 01
Choose the article: ___ mano.
Reveal answer and explanation
La mano.
Mano is feminine, despite ending in -o.
- 02
Translate “There is a bed in the bedroom.”
Reveal answer and explanation
Hay una cama en el dormitorio.
Hay introduces something that is present in a place.
- 03
What does el piso mean in Spain?
Reveal answer and explanation
Flat or apartment.
Piso is the usual Spain-focused word.
- 04
Complete: La mesa ___ en la cocina.
Reveal answer and explanation
está.
Estar locates the specific table.
- 05
Translate “wardrobe.”
Reveal answer and explanation
El armario.
Armario is masculine.
Still wondering
Questions about spanish house and home: name the spaces you live in
Is piso always a floor?
It can mean floor, but in Spain it commonly means a flat or apartment. The sentence and context tell you which meaning is intended.
How do I say “there is” in Spanish?
Use hay: Hay una ventana (There is a window). To locate a known object, use estar: La ventana está abierta.
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