Welcome to Unit 7! In this unit, you'll learn to talk about your home and neighborhood. Today, we start with the most fundamental topic — the rooms in a house. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to name the main rooms in a home and describe what state they're in. This is vocabulary you'll use every day!
Learning tips
- Think of your own home as you learn each room name — mental imagery helps vocabulary stick.
- In Colombia, 'el cuarto' is the most common word for bedroom, while in Spain you'll hear 'la habitación' or 'el dormitorio.'
- Notice how 'la sala' (living room) is different from 'el salón' used in Spain — Latin American Spanish has its own preferences.
- Practice describing your own home in Spanish — even simple sentences like 'Mi cocina es grande' help build fluency.
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ir | to go |
| vamos | let's go |
| venir | to come |
| vengo | I come |
| el lugar | the place |
| mejor | better |
| peor | worse |
| favorito | favorite |
| juntos | together |
| esta noche | tonight |
Dialog
Valentina gives Andrés a tour of her apartment in Bogotá. Notice how she uses 'estar' to describe the state of rooms (está limpia, está ocupado) rather than 'ser.' When describing temporary conditions or states of a room, Spanish uses 'estar + adjective.' Also listen for 'entrar' (to enter) and 'salir' (to go out) — two very common verbs for talking about moving through a home.
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| la cocina | /ko.ˈsi.na/ | the kitchen | Where you cook — from 'cocina' which also means 'cuisine' or 'stove' |
| el baño | /ˈba.ɲo/ | the bathroom | In Colombia, you can also say 'el baño' to mean 'restroom' in public places |
| la sala | /ˈsa.la/ | the living room | Called 'la sala' in Latin America; 'el salón' in Spain |
| el cuarto | /ˈkwaɾ.to/ | the bedroom | Also means 'the room' in general; in Colombia, 'cuarto' is the everyday word |
| el comedor | /ko.me.ˈðoɾ/ | the dining room | From 'comer' (to eat) — the room where you eat |
| el balcón | /bal.ˈkon/ | the balcony | Very common in Bogotá apartments |
| la puerta | /ˈpweɾ.ta/ | the door | Feminine noun — la puerta |
| la ventana | /ben.ˈta.na/ | the window | Feminine noun — la ventana |
| entrar | /en.ˈtɾaɾ/ | to enter, to go in | Regular -ar verb; 'entrar a' or 'entrar en' |
| salir | /sa.ˈliɾ/ | to go out, to leave | Irregular yo form: 'salgo'; other forms regular: sales, sale, salimos, salen |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| el pasillo | /pa.ˈsi.ʝo/ | the hallway, the corridor | |
| el techo | /ˈte.tʃo/ | the roof, the ceiling | |
| el piso | /ˈpi.so/ | the floor, the apartment (Colombia) | In Colombia, 'piso' can also mean an apartment or a story of a building |
| la escalera | /es.ka.ˈle.ɾa/ | the stairs, the staircase | |
| el garaje | /ɡa.ˈɾa.xe/ | the garage | |
| el jardín | /xaɾ.ˈðin/ | the garden, the yard |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| vamos a entrar | let's go in, let's enter |
| al lado de | next to, beside |
Grammar: 'Estar' + adjective for describing states of rooms and things
| Subject | estar | + Adjective | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| la cocina | está | limpia | La cocina está limpia. |
| el baño | está | ocupado | El baño está ocupado. |
| las ventanas | están | abiertas | Las ventanas están abiertas. |
| los cuartos | están | ordenados | Los cuartos están ordenados. |
When describing the state or condition of a room or object, Spanish uses estar + adjective, not 'ser.'
- La cocina está limpia. (The kitchen is clean.) — clean is a current state
- El baño está ocupado. (The bathroom is occupied.) — occupied right now
- Las ventanas están abiertas. (The windows are open.) — open at the moment
This is different from using 'ser' for permanent characteristics:
- La cocina es grande. (The kitchen is big.) — size is a permanent feature
- El cuarto es oscuro. (The bedroom is dark.) — a characteristic of the room
Key rule: If the condition can change (clean/dirty, open/closed, occupied/free), use estar. If it's an inherent quality (big, small), use ser.
Remember that the adjective must agree in gender and number with the noun:
- el baño está limpio (masculine singular)
- la cocina está limpia (feminine singular)
- los cuartos están limpios (masculine plural)
- las ventanas están abiertas (feminine plural)
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the correct room name.
- Voy a preparar la cena en .(the room where you cook)
- Me ducho en .(the room where you shower)
- Vemos televisión en .(the room where the sofa is)
- Abro para que entre aire fresco.(it lets light and air in)
- Todos comemos juntos en .(the room where you eat at the table)
Grammar Application
Fill in the correct form of 'estar' to describe the state of each room or thing.
- La cocina limpia. (estar)(third person singular — la cocina)
- El baño ocupado. (estar)(third person singular — el baño)
- Las ventanas abiertas. (estar)(third person plural — las ventanas)
- El cuarto ordenado. (estar)(third person singular — el cuarto)
- La puerta cerrada. (estar)(third person singular — la puerta)
Translation (English → Spanish)
Translate each sentence into Spanish.
- The kitchen is clean.
- The bathroom is next to the bedroom.
- Let's go into the living room.
- The balcony window is open.
- I want to go out to the garden.
Creative Construction
Describe rooms in a home using at least 4 vocabulary words from this lesson. Write 1-2 sentences for each.
Takeaway
Use 'estar + adjective' for temporary states of rooms (está limpia, está ocupado) and 'ser' for permanent characteristics (es grande, es oscuro). Remember: rooms are 'la cocina, el baño, la sala, el cuarto, el comedor.'