Inklingo
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cuarto

/KWAR-toh/

room

A simple, cozy bedroom containing a bed, a window, and a small nightstand, illustrating a room within a house.

As a noun, 'cuarto' means 'room' or, very commonly, 'bedroom' (cuarto de dormir).

cuarto(Noun)

mA1

room

?

a space within a building

Also:

bedroom

?

specifically a room for sleeping

📝 In Action

Mi cuarto está al final del pasillo.

A1

My room is at the end of the hallway.

Necesitamos un hotel con dos cuartos.

A1

We need a hotel with two rooms.

Voy a pintar mi cuarto de color azul.

A2

I'm going to paint my bedroom blue.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • habitación (room)
  • dormitorio (bedroom)

Common Collocations

  • cuarto de baño – bathroom
  • cuarto de estar – living room
  • compañero de cuarto – roommate

Idioms & Expressions

  • no tener ni un cuarto – to be broke, to have no money

⭐ Usage Tips

Room vs. Bedroom

While 'cuarto' can mean any room, it's very often used to mean 'bedroom', just like in English. If you need to be specific, you can use 'dormitorio' for 'bedroom'.

Bathroom Shortcut

You'll often hear 'cuarto de baño' shortened to just 'baño'. Both are perfectly understood to mean 'bathroom'.

A round, colorful pie that has been perfectly sliced into four equal pieces, with one slice slightly pulled away from the main pie.

As a noun, 'cuarto' also means 'quarter' or 'fourth,' representing one of four equal parts, often used for time or fractions.

cuarto(Noun)

mA2

quarter

?

one of four equal parts

Also:

fourth

?

as in 'a fourth of the pizza'

📝 In Action

Son las cinco y cuarto.

A2

It's a quarter past five.

Falta un cuarto para las diez.

A2

It's a quarter to ten.

Necesito un cuarto de kilo de jamón.

B1

I need a quarter of a kilo of ham.

Se comió un cuarto de la tarta.

B1

He ate a fourth of the cake.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • la cuarta parte (the fourth part)

Common Collocations

  • un cuarto de hora – a quarter of an hour / 15 minutes
  • y cuarto – quarter past (used for time)
  • menos cuarto – quarter to (used for time)

💡 Grammar Points

Telling Time with 'Cuarto'

To say 'quarter past' the hour, you use 'y cuarto'. To say 'quarter to' the hour, you use 'menos cuarto'. For example, 2:15 is 'las dos y cuarto' and 2:45 is 'las tres menos cuarto'.

Four identical, colorful toy wooden blocks lined up in a row. The fourth block in the sequence is distinctly highlighted to show its position.

As an adjective, 'cuarto' means 'fourth,' indicating the ordinal position in a sequence.

cuarto(Adjective)

mA2

fourth

?

the ordinal number

📝 In Action

Abril es el cuarto mes del año.

A2

April is the fourth month of the year.

Vivo en el cuarto piso.

A2

I live on the fourth floor.

Esta es la cuarta vez que te llamo.

B1

This is the fourth time I've called you.

Word Connections

Antonyms

  • tercero (third)
  • quinto (fifth)

Common Collocations

  • el cuarto mandamiento – the fourth commandment
  • la cuarta dimensión – the fourth dimension

💡 Grammar Points

Matching the Noun

Like most Spanish adjectives, 'cuarto' changes to match the thing it's describing. If the noun is feminine, you use 'cuarta'. For example, 'el cuarto libro' (the fourth book) but 'la cuarta página' (the fourth page).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Fourth vs. Four

Mistake: "'Yo tengo cuarto gatos.'"

Correction: 'Yo tengo cuatro gatos.' (I have four cats). Remember, 'cuarto' means 'fourth' (the order), while 'cuatro' is the number 4.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: cuarto

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'cuarto' to mean 'room'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

cuatro(four) - number
cuarteto(quartet) - noun
cuartel(barracks, headquarters) - noun
cuarta(fourth (feminine)) - adjective/noun

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.