manzana
/manˈθana/feminine
The English phrase "city block" is translated into Spanish as manzana or cuadra.
Meaning: part of town enclosed by streets (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| manzana | /manˈθana/ /manˈsana/ |
feminine |
| cuadra | /ˈkwadɾa/ | feminine |
Both terms are used to describe a part of town enclosed by streets. You can also use these words to express distance. For example, you can say a dos cuadras or a dos manzanas to mean "two blocks away".
What does it mean word for word?
The word manzana is a homonym. It can mean both a city block and an apple.
Which one should you use?
In Spain, manzana is the standard way to refer to a city block. In many Latin American countries, cuadra is more commonly used than manzana for this purpose.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina and Uruguay, the term cuadra is widely used to refer to a single block.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both manzana and cuadra are feminine nouns, so they must agree in number with any adjectives used with them.
How do you pronounce it?
/manˈθana/
Did you know?
- The word manzana comes from the name of Gaius Matius, a Roman friend of Julius Caesar and Cicero who wrote cookbooks and specialized in horticulture.
- While cuadra refers to a city block, it also refers to a stable or a horse's stall in Spanish.
- In some Latin American regions, cuadra can describe the actual distance walked, whereas manzana refers specifically to the land area inside the streets.
Examples in context
- La tienda está a dos manzanas de aquíThe store is two city blocks away
- La plaza está a tres cuadras de aquíThe square is three city blocks away
- Vivo en esta manzana.I live on this city block.
- Cruza la manzana para llegar al parque.Cross the city block to get to the park.
- Hay una tienda en la siguiente manzana.There is a shop on the next city block.
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are walking in a residential neighborhood.
- Mateo¿Sabes dónde está la farmacia?Do you know where the pharmacy is?
- LucíaEstá en la próxima manzana.It is on the next city block.
- MateoGracias, Lucía. Caminamos muy rápido.Thanks, Lucía. We are walking very fast.
- LucíaSí, pero falta solo una manzana.Yes, but there is only one city block left.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “city block” translations and entries manzana, cuadra, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuadra, manzana, CC BY-SA 4.0.
