Inklingo
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cuento

KWEN-toh/ˈkwen̪.t̪o/

story, tale

Also: short story, fable
NounmA1
A small child listening intently to an adult reading from an open storybook, with imaginative elements like stars floating above the book.

📝 In Action

¿Leemos un cuento antes de acostarnos?

A1

Shall we read a story before going to bed?

Mi abuela siempre me contaba cuentos de hadas.

A2

My grandmother always used to tell me fairy tales.

Este escritor es famoso por sus cuentos cortos.

B1

This writer is famous for his short stories.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • relato (narrative)
  • historia (story/history)

Common Collocations

  • libro de cuentos – story book
  • cuento de hadas – fairy tale

lie, excuse

Also: nonsense, tall tale
NounmB1informal
A cartoon character standing awkwardly, attempting to hide a large, ridiculously fake object behind their back, symbolizing a lie.

📝 In Action

¡Ese es un cuento muy viejo! No te creo nada.

B1

That's a very old excuse! I don't believe anything you say.

Siempre viene con el mismo cuento de que el tráfico fue terrible.

B2

He always comes up with the same story/excuse about the traffic being terrible.

No me vengas con cuentos, sé la verdad.

C1

Don't give me any of your nonsense; I know the truth.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • venir con cuentos – to come up with excuses/lies
  • dejarse de cuentos – to stop the nonsense

Idioms & Expressions

  • Dejar de cuentos – To cut the talk and get serious.

I count, I tell

Also: I rely (on)
VerbA1irregular ar
A person's hands actively pointing at and moving a small pile of colorful wooden blocks on a surface, illustrating the action of counting.
infinitivecontar
gerundcontando
past Participlecontado

📝 In Action

Yo cuento hasta diez antes de abrir los ojos.

A1

I count to ten before opening my eyes.

Te cuento mi día cuando volvamos a casa.

A2

I'll tell you about my day when we get back home.

Cuento contigo para organizar la fiesta de esta noche.

B1

I'm counting on you to organize the party tonight.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • narrar (to narrate)
  • numerar (to number)

Common Collocations

  • contar chistes – to tell jokes
  • contar dinero – to count money

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedcuenta
yocuento
túcuentas
ellos/ellas/ustedescuentan
nosotroscontamos
vosotroscontáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedcontaba
yocontaba
túcontabas
ellos/ellas/ustedescontaban
nosotroscontábamos
vosotroscontabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedcontó
yoconté
túcontaste
ellos/ellas/ustedescontaron
nosotroscontamos
vosotroscontasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedcuente
yocuente
túcuentes
ellos/ellas/ustedescuenten
nosotroscontemos
vosotroscontéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedcontara
yocontara
túcontaras
ellos/ellas/ustedescontaran
nosotroscontáramos
vosotroscontarais
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: cuento

Question 1 of 2

Which English translation is NOT appropriate for the sentence: 'Siempre cuento con un buen amigo.'

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
contar(to count, to tell) — Verb
cuentista(short story writer) — Noun
contabilidad(accounting/countability) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin word *computāre*, meaning 'to count' or 'to calculate'. This connection explains why the Spanish word 'contar' (and its derived noun 'cuento') covers both 'counting' and 'telling' (since telling a story involves listing or recounting events).

First recorded: Around the 10th-11th century in Spanish.

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: contoFrench: compte

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if 'cuento' means 'story' or 'I count/I tell'?

Look at the sentence structure. If the word is preceded by 'el' or 'un' (an article), it's the noun ('the story'). If it's used with a subject like 'Yo' or clearly performs an action, it's the verb form ('I count' or 'I tell').

Is 'cuento' always used for short stories, or can it mean a novel?

'Cuento' almost always refers specifically to a short story or tale. For a long fictional work, you should use 'novela' (novel).