Thread: Words around the house

I'm building a list of vocabulary words to practice. Starting with words around the house. I have a couple of questions about some of them. I realize that what I find with online (or offline) dictionaries will not always reflect what is actually used ... especially with ones that only learn to speak spanish in the home, versus school.

I have found some suggestions for "family room."

• la habitacion para familia
• la estancia
• el cuarto de estar

Would one of these be used or a combination? Or, something completely different?

I learned "living room" to be la sala. However, there is also la estancia and el salon (accents missing, obviously). I believe from the examples that I have found that salon is used for more formal out of the home occasions, like beauty salon (salon de belleza). I think estancia just means large room.

How would you say "family room" and "living room?"

Also, would bedroom just be "el cuarto?" (Like ... "Go to your room.") When might you use "el dormitorio?" Are there any other words for "bedroom?"

Thanks in advance.

Mark

Well, both family room and living room are "la sala". There is usually no distinction, except:

I've found some homes are divided so that there are two living rooms, one to receive guests in, and the other is for the family exclusively. They referred to them as "la sala" and ""sala familiar".

I've also heard "cuarto de estar" in reference to the living room, but much less so than "sala".

----

Bedrooms are usually referred to as your room, so "go to your room" is "vete a tu cuarto" or "vayase a su cuarto".

I've heard "dormitorio" used mostly when people are describing their houses. for example, "La casa tiene 3 dormitorios y 2 baños".

This is in Central American spanish, mind you (Honduras, specifically). I'm sure other regions use dormitorio more generally.

Hope this helps!

Regards,
Henry

Originally Posted by HenryA

Bedrooms are usually referred to as your room, so "go to your room" is "vete a tu cuarto" or "vayase a su cuarto".

I've heard "dormitorio" used mostly when people are describing their houses. for example, "La casa tiene 3 dormitorios y 2 baños".

This is in Central American spanish, mind you (Honduras, specifically). I'm sure other regions use dormitorio more generally.

Hope this helps!

Regards,
Henry

The same way for Mexico, but I think "dormitorio" is used in a formal way.
As Henry said, nobody says "casa con tres cuartos", but "casa con tres dormitorios, cocina, baño, etc..." This is because "cuarto" refers to any room of the house, unless we're talking about who is the owner of the room: "mi cuarto", "el cuarto de los niños", "nuestro cuarto", etc. Most of the people understand we are talking about bedrooms.

What about "recamara?"
Mis estudiantes, casi todos de Mexico, dicen "recamara."

Originally Posted by HenryA

Well, both family room and living room are "la sala". There is usually no distinction, except:

I've found some homes are divided so that there are two living rooms, one to receive guests in, and the other is for the family exclusively. They referred to them as "la sala" and ""sala familiar".

I've also heard "cuarto de estar" in reference to the living room, but much less so than "sala".

Thanks for the reply. I have found reference to "sala familiar" so that translation makes sense. "Cuarto de estar" makes sense too if you think about it. "Room of living (being)" is where a family might spend most of their time just chilling (being). So, I guess it would be good to know both.

What about la estancia? Or, salon? Have you ever heard anyone use those in a formal way, refering to a room in their house?


Mark

Originally Posted by Julio Jaubert

The same way for Mexico, but I think "dormitorio" is used in a formal way.
As Henry said, nobody says "casa con tres cuartos", but "casa con tres dormitorios, cocina, baño, etc..." This is because "cuarto" refers to any room of the house, unless we're talking about who is the owner of the room: "mi cuarto", "el cuarto de los niños", "nuestro cuarto", etc. Most of the people understand we are talking about bedrooms.

The same is true for English, so I guess it shouldn't surprise me. Thanks for the reply.

Mark

En España el family room sería el cuarto de estar y una habitación un poco más formal el salón. En España es muy normal tener, si la casa es grande, una habitación más formal y otra más familiar, influencia mora creo yo.

Tenía une amiga asturiana que siempre decía que se iba a tomar café a la "salita" y siemre me sonaba muy raro, aquí las salas son de espera, de reuniones etc.

De acuerdo con lo de cuarto/dormitorio.

Nunca he oido recamara y estancia es una palabra muy literaria.

No tiene nada que ver, pero en inglés yo siempre digo sitting room, mi marido dice lounge (como un aeropuerto!) y no se porqué me da muchísima grima.

Originally Posted by Popette

En España el family room sería el cuarto de estar y una habitación un poco más formal el salón. En España es muy normal tener, si la casa es grande, una habitación más formal y otra más familiar, influencia mora creo yo.

Originally Posted by Popette

Nunca he oido recamara y estancia es una palabra muy literaria.

Hay más de una manera de decir algo. Eso es seguro, ¿verdad?

Recamara is in the dictionary ... so some people must use it. And, I think estancia is the coolest word. I can see where it would fit well into a poem.

Mark

Claro Marcuslee, claro que hay muchas maneras. Cada uno estamos dando nuestra opinión del castellano que hablamos y que no se oigan esas palabras "en España en la vida diaria" no quiere decir que no existan, por Dios, ni que no esten el el diccionario, ni que no queden preciosas es un contexto literario, ni que medio mundo al otro lado del Atlantico no las use!!!.

¿Es de uso común la palabra recámara en México? Yo también la escuché.

En la Argentina, "living room" es "el living" (muy fácil para los angloparlantes).