Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| mansión | /manˈsjon/ | feminine |
| casoplón | /kasoˈplon/ | colloquial |
| palacete | /palaˈθete/ /palaˈsete/ |
masculine |
All these terms refer to a large house or building.
Which one should you use?
Use mansión for a standard, formal description of a large, luxurious house. If you want to emphasize that a house is impressively large or expensive in an informal setting, use casoplón. For a building that has the architectural style of a palace but is smaller in scale, use palacete, which refers to a small palace.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
mansión is a standard, formal term. In formal contexts, you might also use palacete to denote a small palace or residencia señorial to convey luxury and grandeur. To emphasize a stately and aristocratic property, use propiedad señorial. For informal speech, use casoplón to describe a huge, impressive house or chalet to describe a large, luxurious house.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, casona is frequently used to describe a large, old and distinguished house. In Colombia, the term caserón is commonly used to refer to an old or grand house.
How does it change in a sentence?
mansión is a feminine noun. Its plural form is mansiones. Both casoplón and palacete are masculine nouns and use masculine articles such as el or un.
How do you pronounce it?
/manˈsjon/
Did you know?
- The word mansión actually shares a common ancestor with the Spanish word mesón, which refers to an inn or a tavern.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, calling a house a chalet does not necessarily imply a wooden mountain cabin, but rather a large, luxurious detached house.
- The adjective señorial in residencia señorial comes from señor, linking the house directly to the concept of lordship and nobility.
Examples in context
- No es una verdadera mansión.It is not a real mansion.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of the word mansión in a negative context.Tatoeba #902014 by Shishir, translation #322218 by CC
- Los padres de Tom viven en una mansión.Tom's parents live in a mansion.This sentence shows how to use mansión to describe where someone lives.Tatoeba #7315615 by Shishir, translation #7310251 by CK
- Era tan sombrío dentro de la mansión como deslumbrante era la luz del sol en el exterior.It was as gloomy inside the mansion as the sunlight was dazzling outside.This sentence provides a way to use mansión when describing the atmosphere of a building.Tatoeba #6034263 by albrusgher, translation #369623 by blay_paul
- Adquirió una residencia señorial en la avenida principal de la ciudad.He acquired a manorial residence on the main avenue of the city.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are looking at real estate photos online.
- Mateo¿Viste esa mansión en la revista?Did you see that mansion in the magazine?
- LucíaSí, es una mansión preciosa, Mateo.Yes, it is a beautiful mansion, Mateo.
- MateoEs demasiado grande para nosotros.It is too big for us.
- LucíaTienes razón, es muy costosa.You are right, it is very expensive.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mansion” translations and entries mansión, casoplón, palacete, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries casoplón, mansión, palacete, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
