Inklingo

How to Say "flat" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “flat” is “piso” — use 'piso' when referring to an apartment or flat, especially common in Spain and a widely understood term for a place to live..

piso🔊A1

Use 'piso' when referring to an apartment or flat, especially common in Spain and a widely understood term for a place to live.

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apartamento🔊A1

Use 'apartamento' for an apartment, a common and widely understood term across most Spanish-speaking countries, particularly in Latin America.

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departamento🔊A2

Use 'departamento' to refer to an apartment or flat, very common in many Latin American countries.

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pis🔊A1

Use 'pis' as a British English equivalent for an apartment or flat, understood but less common in general Spanish conversation.

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plano🔊A1

Use 'plano' when describing a surface that is level, even, or without curves, like a flat surface for construction.

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unidad🔊B2

Use 'unidad' as a more general or sometimes technical term for an apartment or unit, often used in real estate contexts.

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mate🔊B2

Use 'mate' to describe a non-shiny, dull finish, most commonly used when talking about paint or surfaces.

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English → Spanish

piso

/pee-so//ˈpiso/

nounA1general
Use 'piso' when referring to an apartment or flat, especially common in Spain and a widely understood term for a place to live.
A colorful, simple illustration of a multi-story city building with a single apartment window highlighted, representing a flat or apartment.

Examples

Mi hermana vive en un piso en el centro de Barcelona.

My sister lives in an apartment in the center of Barcelona.

¿Estás buscando un piso para alquilar o para comprar?

Are you looking for an apartment to rent or to buy?

Regional Usage

Mistake: “Using 'piso' in all Spanish-speaking countries to mean 'apartment'.”

Correction: While understood, 'apartamento' or 'departamento' are much more common in most of Latin America. 'Piso' is the main word in Spain.

apartamento

/ah-par-tah-MEN-toh//a.paɾ.taˈmen.to/

nounA1general
Use 'apartamento' for an apartment, a common and widely understood term across most Spanish-speaking countries, particularly in Latin America.
A colorful illustration depicting the exterior facade of a tall apartment building, showing multiple stacked windows and balconies representing individual dwelling units.

Examples

Necesito un apartamento con dos dormitorios.

I need an apartment with two bedrooms.

¿Cuánto cuesta alquilar este apartamento cerca de la playa?

How much does it cost to rent this apartment near the beach?

Hemos decorado el apartamento con muebles modernos.

We have decorated the flat with modern furniture.

Masculine Noun Rule

Since 'apartamento' ends in -o, it uses the masculine article 'el' (el apartamento) and the masculine plural 'los' (los apartamentos). This is a very common pattern for Spanish nouns.

Using the wrong article

Mistake: “La apartamento es muy grande.”

Correction: El apartamento es muy grande. Remember 'apartamento' is masculine.

departamento

/de-par-ta-MEN-to//depaɾta'mento/

nounA2general
Use 'departamento' to refer to an apartment or flat, very common in many Latin American countries.
A brightly lit window on the third floor of a large, colorful apartment building, showing a small potted plant on the windowsill.

Examples

Vivo en un departamento pequeño en el centro de la ciudad.

I live in a small apartment in the city center.

¿Estás buscando un departamento para alquilar?

Are you looking for an apartment to rent?

Mis padres compraron un departamento con vista al mar.

My parents bought an apartment with an ocean view.

Masculine Noun

Even though it ends in '-o', remember that 'departamento' is a masculine word. So, you'll always use 'el' or 'un' with it: 'el departamento' (the apartment), 'un departamento' (an apartment).

pis

pees/pis/

nounA1informal/regional
Use 'pis' as a British English equivalent for an apartment or flat, understood but less common in general Spanish conversation.
A colorful, three-story residential apartment building with several identical windows and small balconies.

Examples

Estamos buscando un pis de tres habitaciones cerca del metro.

We are looking for a three-bedroom flat near the subway.

Mi pis está en el quinto piso, así que uso el ascensor.

My apartment is on the fifth floor, so I use the elevator.

Always Masculine

This abbreviated noun is masculine: 'un pis' or 'el pis'.

Confusing with 'Piso'

Mistake: “Thinking 'pis' refers to the floor level (like 'first floor').”

Correction: 'Pis' is only used to mean the entire dwelling (the apartment). If you mean the level, you must say 'piso'.

plano

/plah-noh//ˈplano/

adjectiveA1general
Use 'plano' when describing a surface that is level, even, or without curves, like a flat surface for construction.
A perfectly smooth, wide green field extending flatly to the horizon under a clear blue sky, emphasizing the level, two-dimensional nature of the surface.

Examples

Necesitamos una superficie completamente plana para construir la pared.

We need a completely flat surface to build the wall.

La carretera es muy plana aquí; no hay colinas.

The road is very level here; there are no hills.

Gender Agreement

As an adjective, 'plano' must match the noun it describes. Use 'plano' for masculine nouns (el muro plano) and 'plana' for feminine nouns (la tabla plana).

unidad

oo-nee-DAHD/u.niˈðað/

nounB2formal/technical
Use 'unidad' as a more general or sometimes technical term for an apartment or unit, often used in real estate contexts.
A colorful storybook cross-section drawing of a building, focusing on a single, well-lit apartment unit on the middle floor.

Examples

Estamos buscando una unidad de dos dormitorios para alquilar.

We are looking for a two-bedroom apartment (unit) to rent.

El edificio tiene 40 unidades residenciales.

The building has 40 residential units.

mate

MAH-teh/ˈma.te/

adjectiveB2general
Use 'mate' to describe a non-shiny, dull finish, most commonly used when talking about paint or surfaces.
A simple illustration of a solid green cube with a completely non-reflective, flat matte surface finish.

Examples

Prefiero la pintura mate para las paredes de la sala.

I prefer the matte paint for the living room walls.

Su piel tenía un tono mate y uniforme.

Her skin had a dull (matte) and even tone.

Agreement

As an adjective, 'mate' must match the noun it describes in gender and number (e.g., 'pintura mate', 'tonos mates').

Housing vs. Surface

The most common mistake is confusing terms for housing ('piso', 'apartamento', 'departamento', 'pis', 'unidad') with 'plano' which means a flat surface. Always ensure you're referring to a dwelling before choosing one of the housing terms.

Related Translations

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