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cama

kah-mah/ˈka.ma/

“cama” means “bed” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

bed

Also: berth
NounfA1
A cozy, neatly made wooden bed with colorful blankets and pillows inside a simple bedroom.

📝 In Action

Todas las mañanas hago la cama.

A1

Every morning I make the bed.

El niño ya está en la cama.

A1

The child is already in bed.

Compramos una cama nueva para el dormitorio.

A2

We bought a new bed for the bedroom.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • lecho (bed (more poetic or formal))

Common Collocations

  • hacer la cama – to make the bed
  • ir a la cama – to go to bed
  • ropa de cama – bedding, bedclothes
  • cama doble / individual – double / single bed

Idioms & Expressions

  • guardar cama – To stay in bed because you're sick.
  • caer en cama – To get sick and have to go to bed.

bed

Also: truck bed, riverbed, layer
NounfB2
Various Latin American countries
A piece of cooked salmon resting on a vibrant green layer of spinach on a white dining plate.

📝 In Action

Pusimos las herramientas en la cama de la camioneta.

B1

We put the tools in the bed of the truck.

El chef preparó el salmón sobre una cama de espinacas.

B2

The chef prepared the salmon on a bed of spinach.

Debido a la sequía, se puede ver la cama del río.

B2

Due to the drought, you can see the riverbed.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • la cama de un río – the riverbed
  • la cama de un camión – the bed of a truck

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "cama" in Spanish:

bed→berth→layer→riverbed→truck bed→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: cama

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'cama' to mean something OTHER than a piece of furniture for sleeping?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
camilla(stretcher, gurney) — Noun
camarote(cabin (on a ship), bunk) — Noun
encamar(to put to bed (usually due to illness)) — Verb
acamar(to lay down, to flatten (crops by wind/rain)) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin word 'cama', which meant a 'low, narrow bed'. It was likely a word borrowed from a pre-Roman language spoken in the Iberian Peninsula.

First recorded: Around the 10th century.

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: camaCatalan: camaGalician: cama

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'cama' and 'lecho'?

'Cama' is the everyday word for bed that you'll use 99% of the time. 'Lecho' also means bed, but it sounds much more formal or poetic. You might find 'lecho' in literature or in phrases like 'lecho de muerte' (deathbed) or 'lecho del río' (riverbed), where it's also a synonym for 'cama'.

Why do you say 'hacer la cama' and not 'hacer mi cama'?

Great question! While 'hacer mi cama' is understandable, it's much more common in Spanish to use 'la cama'. The 'la' works like 'the' but often replaces possessives like 'my' or 'your' when it's obvious whose item you're talking about. Since you're usually making your own bed, 'hacer la cama' is the most natural way to say it.