orden

/OR-den/

NounmA2

order?arrangement, sequence, tidiness

Also:organization?the way things are structured,tidiness?neatness, lack of clutter

📝 In Action

Por favor, pongan los libros en orden alfabético.

Please, put the books in alphabetical order.

Me gusta tener mi escritorio en orden antes de trabajar.

I like to have my desk in order (tidy) before working.

El orden de los factores no altera el producto.

The order of the factors does not alter the product.

Word Connections

Synonyms

organización (organization)
secuencia (sequence)
disposición (arrangement)

Antonyms

desorden (disorder, mess)
caos (chaos)

Common Collocations

poner en orden – to put in order, to tidy up
orden del día – agenda (for a meeting)
orden público – public order

💡 Grammar Points

Always 'el orden' for This Meaning

When talking about sequence, tidiness, or structure, 'orden' is a masculine word, so you'll always use 'el' or 'un' with it. For example, 'el orden de la lista' (the order of the list).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Mixing up 'el orden' and 'la orden'

Mistake: "Me gusta la orden en mi casa."

Correction: Me gusta el orden en mi casa. The word for tidiness is 'el orden'. Using 'la orden' sounds like you're talking about a command or a restaurant order.

⭐ Usage Tips

Talking About How Things Should Be

'El orden' isn't just about being neat. It can also refer to the proper, established way things work in society, like in the phrase 'el orden social' (the social order).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: orden

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence is correct for asking a friend to tidy up their room?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

ordenar(to order, to command; to tidy up) - verb

ordenado(tidy, orderly) - adjective

desorden(disorder, mess) - noun

ordenador(computer (in Spain)) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is 'orden' sometimes 'el orden' and sometimes 'la orden'? This is so confusing!

It's a great question! Think of them as two completely different words that just happen to be spelled the same. 'El orden' (masculine) is all about structure, tidiness, and sequence. 'La orden' (feminine) is about commands and requests. The key is to connect the meaning to 'el' or 'la'. If it's about tidiness, use 'el'. If it's a command, use 'la'.