departamento
“departamento” means “apartment” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
apartment, flat
Also: condo / condominium
📝 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.
department
Also: section, division
📝 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.
department
Also: state, province
📝 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.
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "departamento" in Spanish:
apartment→department→division→flat→province→section→state→✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: departamento
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'departamento' to mean a place to live?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the French word 'département', which itself comes from the verb 'départir', meaning 'to separate' or 'to divide'. This makes sense, as all meanings of 'departamento' refer to a part that has been divided from a larger whole—whether it's an apartment in a building, a team in a company, or a region in a country.
First recorded: 18th century
Cognates (Related words)
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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.