váter
“váter” means “toilet” in Spanish (the ceramic fixture in a bathroom).
toilet
Also: loo, commode
📝 In Action
¿Dónde está el váter?
A1Where is the toilet?
Tengo que limpiar el váter hoy.
A2I have to clean the toilet today.
El váter está atascado y no funciona bien.
B1The toilet is clogged and isn't working right.
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: váter
Question 1 of 3
If you are in a restaurant in Madrid and need the toilet, what is the most natural word for the fixture itself?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Borrowed from the English term 'water closet' (W.C.), specifically the first word 'water'. It became 'váter' in Spanish to match how it sounds.
First recorded: 20th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'váter' a polite word?
Yes, it is perfectly neutral. It is not a 'dirty' word or slang, though 'inodoro' is the more technical term used in plumbing or formal contexts.
Should I use 'váter' in Mexico?
It is better to use 'inodoro'. While people in Mexico will understand 'váter' because of movies/TV from Spain, it sounds foreign to them.
Why does it have an accent mark on the 'a'?
Because the stress is on the second-to-last syllable and it ends in 'r'. In Spanish, words with this stress pattern that don't end in n, s, or a vowel need a written accent.