adentro
“adentro” means “inside” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
inside, in
Also: inward
📝 In Action
Hace frío afuera, ¡vamos adentro!
A1It's cold outside, let's go inside!
Por favor, pasen adentro y siéntense.
A2Please, come inside and sit down.
El perro no quiere entrar, prefiere estar afuera que adentro.
B1The dog doesn't want to come in; he prefers to be outside than inside.
the inside, the interior
📝 In Action
El adentro de la cueva era muy oscuro y húmedo.
B2The inside of the cave was very dark and damp.
Tenemos que limpiar los adentros del coche este fin de semana.
B2We have to clean the inside of the car this weekend.
inwardly, to oneself
Also: on the inside
📝 In Action
Parecía tranquilo, pero por adentro sentía mucho miedo.
B2He seemed calm, but on the inside he felt very scared.
«Qué extraño», pensó para sus adentros.
C1'How strange,' he thought to himself.
🔀 Commonly Confused With
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "adentro" in Spanish:
in→inside→inward→inwardly→the inside→the interior→to oneself→✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: adentro
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'adentro' to mean 'let's go inside'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the combination of three old words: 'a' (meaning 'to' or 'towards'), 'de' (from), and the Latin 'intro' (within). It literally packs the meaning of 'towards the inside' into one word.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the real difference between 'adentro' and 'dentro'?
It's a great question because they are very similar! The simplest way to think about it is that 'adentro' often suggests movement *to* the inside (like 'inward'), while 'dentro' is more about the location *at* the inside. A key rule is when you want to say 'inside OF something,' you almost always use 'dentro de'. For example, 'Estoy dentro de la casa' (I'm inside the house) is much more common than 'Estoy adentro de la casa,' although you will hear the second one in Latin America.
Can I say 'adentro de'?
Yes, you can, and many native speakers do, especially in Latin America. However, in formal writing and in Spain, it's considered more correct to use 'dentro de'. For learners, it's a safe bet to use 'adentro' when it stands alone ('Vamos adentro') and 'dentro de' when you're specifying what it's inside of ('dentro de la caja').