departamento
/de-par-ta-MEN-to/
apartment
In Latin America, departamento is the common word for an apartment or flat, often located in a large building.
departamento(Noun)
apartment
?A place to live (common in most of Latin America)
,flat
?UK English equivalent for a place to live
condo / condominium
?Often used when the apartment is owned, not rented
📝 In Action
Vivo en un departamento pequeño en el centro de la ciudad.
A2I live in a small apartment in the city center.
¿Estás buscando un departamento para alquilar?
B1Are you looking for an apartment to rent?
Mis padres compraron un departamento con vista al mar.
B1My parents bought an apartment with an ocean view.
💡 Grammar Points
Masculine Noun
Even though it ends in '-o', remember that 'departamento' is a masculine word. So, you'll always use 'el' or 'un' with it: 'el departamento' (the apartment), 'un departamento' (an apartment).
⭐ Usage Tips
Spain vs. Latin America
In most of Latin America, 'departamento' is the go-to word for 'apartment.' In Spain, you'll almost always hear 'piso' instead. Both are understood everywhere, but using the local term will make you sound more natural!
This image represents a departamento (department) within a company or organization, such as Human Resources or Marketing.
departamento(Noun)
department
?A division of a company, university, or store
section
?A smaller part of a larger organization
,division
?A major unit of a corporation
📝 In Action
Trabajo en el departamento de marketing.
B1I work in the marketing department.
Si tienes una pregunta, llama al departamento de servicio al cliente.
B1If you have a question, call the customer service department.
La universidad tiene un excelente departamento de historia.
B2The university has an excellent history department.
💡 Grammar Points
Connecting with 'de'
To say what kind of department it is, you connect it with the word 'de'. For example, 'departamento de ventas' (department of sales) or 'departamento de historia' (department of history).
⭐ Usage Tips
One Word, Two Meanings
Notice how English uses 'department' for both a part of a company and a part of a country. Spanish does the same! The meaning is always clear from the conversation.
In countries like Colombia or Peru, departamento refers to a major administrative division of the country, similar to a state or province.
departamento(Noun)
department
?An administrative division of a country, like a state or province
state
?An equivalent in countries like the USA or Mexico
,province
?An equivalent in countries like Canada or Argentina
📝 In Action
Colombia está dividida en 32 departamentos.
B2Colombia is divided into 32 departments.
La capital del departamento de Antioquia es Medellín.
C1The capital of the department of Antioquia is Medellín.
El gobierno asignó más fondos a los departamentos del sur.
C1The government assigned more funds to the southern departments.
⭐ Usage Tips
Country-Specific Term
This meaning is specific to certain countries that use 'departamento' for their main regions, like Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Guatemala, and France. In Mexico they use 'estados', and in Spain they use 'comunidades autónomas' and 'provincias'.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: departamento
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'departamento' to mean a place to live?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'departamento', 'apartamento', and 'piso'?
They all mean 'apartment' but where you use them changes. 'Departamento' is the most common word in Latin America. 'Apartamento' is also used and understood everywhere. 'Piso' is the main word you'll hear in Spain. Think of it like 'soda' vs. 'pop' vs. 'coke' in English!
How do I know if 'departamento' means an apartment or a part of a company?
You can almost always tell from the other words in the sentence. If you hear about 'alquilar' (renting), 'vivir' (living), or 'habitaciones' (rooms), it's an apartment. If you hear about 'ventas' (sales), 'recursos humanos' (HR), or a 'jefe' (boss), it's a company department.