Inklingo

How to Say "hallway" in Spanish

English → Spanish

pasillo

/pah-SEE-yo//paˈsiʝo/

nounA1general
Use 'pasillo' for the most common, general hallway that connects rooms within a home or building, often where you might leave shoes.
A simple, empty hallway inside a building, featuring several closed doors lining one wall and a light source at the far end.

Examples

Dejé mis zapatos en el pasillo antes de entrar.

I left my shoes in the hallway before coming in.

El pasillo de este hotel es muy largo y tiene muchas puertas.

The corridor in this hotel is very long and has many doors.

Masculine Noun Rule

Remember that 'pasillo' is a masculine word, so you must always use the masculine articles 'el' (the) or 'un' (a) before it.

Mixing up Gender

Mistake: “La pasillo está limpio.”

Correction: El pasillo está limpio. (Because 'pasillo' is masculine, we use 'el'.)

corredor

koh-rreh-DOR/ko.reˈðoɾ/

nounA2general
Choose 'corredor' for a longer, more expansive passage or corridor within a building, especially one that leads to multiple rooms or areas.
A long, brightly lit interior passage in a building with wooden floorboards and several identical closed doors lining the white walls.

Examples

Necesitamos pintar el largo corredor que lleva a las habitaciones.

We need to paint the long hallway that leads to the bedrooms.

Los niños no deben correr en el corredor de la escuela.

Children should not run in the school corridor.

Invariable Gender

When referring to the physical passage, 'corredor' is always masculine, regardless of the size or type of building.

pasaje

pah-SAH-heh/paˈsa.xe/

nounB1general
Use 'pasaje' for a passage that might be more enclosed or less formal, like an alleyway or a narrow, sometimes dark, interior passage.
A view down a long, narrow, empty corridor with colorful walls, illustrating a passageway.

Examples

El pasaje detrás del edificio es muy oscuro.

The alleyway behind the building is very dark.

Para ir al baño, tienes que cruzar este pasaje.

To go to the bathroom, you have to cross this passageway.

Physical Space

This meaning relates to the noun's root: 'the act of passing through.' Think of it as a physical route designed for movement.

Pasillo vs. Corredor

The most frequent confusion is between 'pasillo' and 'corredor'. Remember that 'pasillo' is the everyday word for a standard hallway connecting rooms, while 'corredor' implies a longer, perhaps more formal or grander, passage.

Related Translations

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