A tall, colorful storybook illustration of a red brick apartment building with many windows, representing a structure.

edificio

/e-di-FI-sio/

NounmA1

building?any structure with a roof and walls

Also:edifice?a more formal word, usually for a large, impressive building

📝 In Action

Trabajo en el edificio más alto de la ciudad.

I work in the tallest building in the city.

Mi apartamento está en un edificio antiguo.

My apartment is in an old building.

La construcción del nuevo edificio de oficinas tomará dos años.

The construction of the new office building will take two years.

Word Connections

Synonyms

construcción (construction, building)
inmueble (property, real estate)

Antonyms

terreno (plot of land)

Common Collocations

edificio de oficinas – office building
edificio de apartamentos – apartment building
edificio residencial – residential building
edificio histórico – historic building

💡 Grammar Points

Always Masculine

Like most Spanish words ending in '-o', 'edificio' is a masculine word. This means you'll always use masculine articles like 'el' (the) and 'un' (a/an) with it. For example, 'el edificio' or 'un edificio grande'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

'Edificio' vs. 'Casa'

Mistake: "Vivo en un edificio con mi familia."

Correction: This is okay if you live in an apartment, but if you mean a 'house', the word is 'casa'. Use 'casa' for a house and 'edificio' for a larger building, often with multiple units or offices.

⭐ Usage Tips

Describing Buildings

You can easily describe what a building is used for by adding 'de' + [purpose]. For example, 'edificio de apartamentos' (apartment building) or 'edificio de gobierno' (government building).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: edificio

Question 1 of 1

If you want to talk about a modern skyscraper where people work, which phrase is the most specific?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

edificar(to build, to construct) - verb

edificación(construction, the act of building) - noun

edificante(edifying, uplifting) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Can 'edificio' ever mean a small building, like a shed?

Not usually. While technically a shed is a building, 'edificio' implies a more substantial structure for people to live or work in. For a shed, you'd be more likely to use words like 'cobertizo' or 'caseta'.

What's the plural of 'edificio'?

The plural is 'edificios'. Since it ends in a vowel, you just add an '-s'. For example, 'Hay muchos edificios altos en Nueva York' (There are many tall buildings in New York).