Inklingo

How to Say "ceiling" in Spanish

English → Spanish

techo

/TAY-cho//ˈte.tʃo/

nounA1general
Use 'techo' for the interior upper surface of a room, house, or building that you are inside.
A storybook illustration showing the perspective looking up at a plain white room ceiling with a small lamp.

Examples

El pintor está pintando el techo de la habitación.

The painter is painting the ceiling of the room.

La lámpara cuelga del techo de la sala.

The lamp hangs from the ceiling of the living room.

El techo es demasiado bajo; casi puedo tocarlo.

The ceiling is too low; I can almost touch it.

cielo

/SYEH-loh//ˈsjelo/

nounA1figurative
Use 'cielo' figuratively for the sky above, or the 'ceiling' of a very large, open, and often sacred or grand space, like a cathedral or a vast hall.
A vibrant, vast blue sky filled with large, fluffy white cumulus clouds on a clear day.

Examples

Las bóvedas del cielo de la catedral son impresionantes.

The vaulted ceilings of the cathedral are impressive.

El cielo está azul hoy.

The sky is blue today.

Vimos muchas estrellas en el cielo nocturno.

We saw many stars in the night sky.

El avión volaba por encima de las nubes, en un cielo despejado.

The plane was flying above the clouds in a clear sky.

Always Masculine

'Cielo' is a masculine word, so you always use 'el cielo' (the sky) or 'un cielo' (a sky), never 'la' or 'una'.

Using 'cielo' for 'weather'

Mistake:El cielo está malo hoy.

Correction: Hace mal tiempo hoy. While the sky's appearance is part of the weather, Spanish generally uses the verb 'hacer' to talk about what the weather is 'doing'.

Techo vs. Cielo

Learners often mistakenly use 'cielo' for the inside of a room. Remember that 'cielo' primarily means 'sky' or the upper expanse of a grand space. For the normal interior ceiling of a room, 'techo' is always the correct word.

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.