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cuentos

KWEHN-tohs/kwe̞n̪.t̪os/

stories, tales

Also: narratives
NounmA1
A colorful, open storybook resting on a surface, showing simple illustrations of a castle and a friendly dragon emerging from the pages.

📝 In Action

Mi abuela siempre nos leía cuentos antes de dormir.

A1

My grandmother always read us stories before bed.

Hay muchos cuentos populares sobre dragones en esta región.

A2

There are many popular tales about dragons in this region.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • relatos (accounts, stories)
  • narraciones (narrations)

Common Collocations

  • cuentos de hadas – fairy tales
  • libro de cuentos – story book

lies, excuses

Also: nonsense
NounmB1informal
A simplified person standing innocently, but clumsily hiding a large, obviously bright red, awkward object behind their back to represent a lie.

📝 In Action

No me vengas con cuentos; sé que no estudiaste.

B1

Don't come to me with excuses; I know you didn't study.

Todo lo que dice son cuentos para llamar la atención.

B2

Everything he says is lies/nonsense just to get attention.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • dejarse de cuentos – to stop the nonsense
  • vivir del cuento – to live by scrounging/scamming

Idioms & Expressions

  • cuento chino – a tall tale, a ridiculous lie

you tell, you count

VerbA1irregular (stem-changing o>ue) ar
Two stylized figures sitting facing each other. One figure has an animated expression and is gesturing while speaking to the second figure, who is listening quietly.
infinitivecontar
gerundcontando
past Participlecontado

📝 In Action

Si cuentas hasta diez, te sentirás mejor.

A1

If you count to ten, you will feel better.

Tú cuentas la historia de una forma muy divertida.

A1

You tell the story in a very funny way.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • narrar (to narrate)
  • calcular (to calculate)

🔄 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

Words that translate to "cuentos" in Spanish:

excuses→lies→narratives→stories→tales→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: cuentos

Question 1 of 2

Which of these sentences uses 'cuentos' to mean 'lies or excuses'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

The word comes from the Latin verb *computāre*, which meant 'to count,' 'to calculate,' or 'to reckon.' This single origin explains both the modern Spanish meanings: 'to count' (numbers) and 'to recount' (a story or tale).

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: contosFrench: compte

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'cuentos' always plural, or can I use 'cuento'?

Yes, you can use the singular 'cuento' (A story, a single lie). 'Cuentos' is simply the plural form, meaning 'stories' or 'multiple lies/excuses.' The verb form 'cuentas' is used when speaking to one person informally ('Tú').

How do I know if 'cuentos' means 'stories' or 'excuses'?

Context is key. If it is preceded by verbs like 'leer' (read) or 'escribir' (write), it means stories. If it's used with verbs like 'venir con' (come with) or 'dejarse de' (stop), it means excuses or nonsense.