silla
/ˈsiʝa/feminine
The English word chair translates to Spanish as silla. Wiktionary also lists asiento and butaca.
Meaning: furniture (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| silla | /ˈsiʝa/ | feminine |
| asiento | /aˈsjento/ | masculine |
| butaca | /buˈtaka/ | feminine |
| cadera | /kaˈdeɾa/ | feminine, obsolete |
The most common and universally accepted term for chair in Spanish is silla. If you wish to express the action of 'chairing' a meeting or a committee, you use the verb presidir.
Which one should you use?
While silla refers specifically to a chair, asiento is a more general term for any kind of seat (like a bench or a stool). Furthermore, butaca refers to a more comfortable, upholstered chair, often used for armchairs or the specific seats found in a cinema or theater.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of silla is sillas, the plural of asiento is asientos and the plural of butaca is butacas.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈsiʝa/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word cadera can refer to a throne, but in modern everyday usage, it is the standard word for the 'hip' part of the human body.
- The word butaca is a loanword from the Cumanagoto language, an indigenous language of Venezuela.
Examples in context
- Está bajo la silla.It is under the chair.This sentence shows the location of an object relative to the silla.Tatoeba #1636267 by marcelostockle, translation #28185 by CK
- Yo hice esta silla.I made this chair.This sentence describes the creation of a silla.Tatoeba #2028949 by Shishir, translation #1572959 by fanty
- La silla está rota.The chair is broken.This sentence describes the condition of the silla.Tatoeba #12028680 by JSKabylie15, translation #3422015 by CK
- Por favor, tome asiento en esa silla.Please have a seat in that chair.
- Por favor, tome asiento en esta butaca.Please have a seat in this chair.
- Siéntate en el sillónSit on the armchair
- Aquí hay sillas para todosThere are chairs for everyone here
- 160 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Mateo are arranging a room.
- MaríaMateo, ¿puedes mover esa silla?Mateo, can you move that chair?
- MateoSí, ¿dónde quieres la silla?Yes, where do you want the chair?
- MaríaPonla junto a la mesa, por favor.Put it next to the table, please.
- MateoListo, ya está en su lugar.Done, it is in its place now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chair” translations and entries silla, asiento, butaca, cadera, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries asiento, butaca, cadera, silla, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
