Home Sweet Home: Rooms in Spanish and French

Imagine a friend calls you and asks, 'Where are you right now?' You might say 'In the kitchen!' or 'In my bedroom!' Easy in English — but could you say it in Spanish or French? Today you are going to find out. Think about your own home. How many different rooms does it have? Count them in your head before we start.

In Spanish and French, every noun (a word for a person, place, or thing) has a gender — it is either masculine or feminine. This changes the word for 'the' in front of it. In Spanish, 'el' means 'the' for masculine nouns and 'la' means 'the' for feminine nouns. In French, 'le' means 'the' for masculine nouns and 'la' means 'the' for feminine nouns. Here are the key rooms you need to know: 🏠 KITCHEN • Spanish: la cocina (say: la ko-SEE-na) • French: la cuisine (say: la kwee-ZEEN) 🛋️ LIVING ROOM • Spanish: el salón (say: el sa-LON) • French: le salon (say: luh sa-LON) 🛏️ BEDROOM • Spanish: el dormitorio (say: el dor-mee-TOR-ee-oh) • French: la chambre (say: la SHAHM-bruh) 🚿 BATHROOM • Spanish: el baño (say: el BAN-yo) • French: la salle de bains (say: la sal duh BAN) 🍽️ DINING ROOM • Spanish: el comedor (say: el ko-meh-DOR) • French: la salle à manger (say: la sal ah mahn-ZHAY) 🪜 HALLWAY / ENTRANCE • Spanish: el pasillo (say: el pa-SEE-yo) • French: le couloir (say: luh koo-LWAHR) Notice that 'salon' is almost the same in both languages — words that look or sound similar in two languages are called cognates. They are helpful shortcuts when you are learning! Top tip: Say each word out loud three times. Hearing yourself say it helps your brain remember it.