cuarto
“cuarto” means “room” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
room
Also: bedroom
📝 In Action
Mi cuarto está al final del pasillo.
A1My room is at the end of the hallway.
Necesitamos un hotel con dos cuartos.
A1We need a hotel with two rooms.
Voy a pintar mi cuarto de color azul.
A2I'm going to paint my bedroom blue.
quarter
Also: fourth
📝 In Action
Son las cinco y cuarto.
A2It's a quarter past five.
Falta un cuarto para las diez.
A2It's a quarter to ten.
Necesito un cuarto de kilo de jamón.
B1I need a quarter of a kilo of ham.
Se comió un cuarto de la tarta.
B1He ate a fourth of the cake.
fourth
📝 In Action
Abril es el cuarto mes del año.
A2April is the fourth month of the year.
Vivo en el cuarto piso.
A2I live on the fourth floor.
Esta es la cuarta vez que te llamo.
B1This is the fourth time I've called you.
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: cuarto
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'cuarto' to mean 'room'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'quartus', which means 'the fourth'. This single idea of a 'fourth part' branched out to give us all its modern meanings: the 'fourth' in a series, a 'quarter' of an hour or a kilo, and a 'room' as a divided section or quarter of a house.
First recorded: Around the 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'cuarto' and 'cuatro'?
It's a common mix-up! 'Cuatro' (with an 'a') is the number four (4). 'Cuarto' (with an 'o') means 'fourth' (like in a race), 'quarter' (like a quarter of an hour), or 'room'. Think of the 'o' in 'cuarto' as standing for 'order' or 'one part'.
Is 'habitación' the same as 'cuarto'?
They are very similar and often interchangeable when you mean 'room'. 'Habitación' is a bit more general, while 'cuarto' is very commonly used for 'bedroom'. You can use either in most situations and be understood perfectly.