Inklingo

How to Say "floors" in Spanish

English → Spanish

pisos

/pee-sos//ˈpisos/

nounA2general
Use 'pisos' when referring to the general levels of a building, whether for living or general discussion. It's the most common and widely understood term.
A simplified cross-section view of a three-story building, showing the distinct horizontal levels or floors separated by thick lines.

Examples

Mi apartamento está en el tercer piso.

My apartment is on the third floor.

Subimos por las escaleras hasta los últimos pisos.

We went up the stairs to the top floors.

Hay que limpiar todos los pisos de la casa antes de la fiesta.

We have to clean all the floors of the house before the party.

Counting Levels

When counting the levels of a building, 'pisos' (or the singular 'piso') is the standard word across all Spanish-speaking regions. Remember that the ground floor is usually called 'la planta baja'.

plantas

/plan-tas//ˈplantas/

nounA2general
Use 'plantas' when referring to specific levels within a building, often in more formal or commercial settings like offices, hospitals, or shopping centers. It can also refer to the ground floor ('planta baja').
An illustration showing the side view of a simple building structure cut open, revealing three separate horizontal floors stacked on top of each other.

Examples

Las oficinas de recursos humanos se encuentran en la segunda planta.

The human resources offices are located on the second floor.

¿En qué plantas están las oficinas principales?

On which floors are the main offices?

Subimos por las escaleras hasta las plantas superiores.

We went up the stairs to the upper floors.

Regional Differences

In some regions, 'piso' is used more often than 'planta' for 'floor' or 'apartment', but 'planta' is universally understood to mean the level of a building.

Pisos vs. Plantas

Learners often confuse 'pisos' and 'plantas' because both mean 'floors'. While 'pisos' is a safe general choice, remember that 'plantas' is frequently used for specific business or official contexts, and also for the ground floor ('planta baja').

Related Translations

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