cuadra
everyday, Mexico
In Mexico a city block is a cuadra. People give directions with it, as in a dos cuadras de aquí, meaning "two blocks from here". It is also called manzana.
Meaning: a street section between two corners (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mexican | Note |
|---|---|
| cuadra | everyday, Mexico |
| manzana | block of buildings |
Mexicans count distance in cuadras: una cuadra, dos cuadras. The verb phrase for going straight is seguir derecho.
Which one should you use?
Manzana also means a block, but as a group of buildings between four streets, and it is more common in maps and addresses than in speech. In Spain manzana is more common for this meaning.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In everyday Mexican directions you will hear cuadra far more often than manzana.
Did you know?
- Many old Mexican cities, such as Mérida and Oaxaca, are laid out in a grid around a central zócalo or plaza, so counting cuadras works well there.
Examples in context
- La farmacia está a dos cuadras.The pharmacy is two blocks away.
- Camine una cuadra y dé vuelta a la derecha.Walk one block and turn right.
- Vivo en la misma cuadra que mi abuela.I live on the same block as my grandmother.
Example conversation
A visitor, Tomás, asks a shopkeeper in Mérida for directions.
- TomásDisculpe, ¿dónde está el parque?Excuse me, where is the park?
- TenderaSiga derecho dos cuadras.Keep straight for two blocks.
- TomásMuchas gracias.Thank you very much.
