colchón
/kolˈt͡ʃon/masculine
The Spanish word for mattress is colchón.
The word colchón is a masculine noun used to describe a pad on which a person can recline and sleep.
Meaning: a pad on which a person can recline and sleep (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina and Uruguay, the term colchoneta is used to refer specifically to a thin or portable mattress.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of colchón is colchones.
How do you pronounce it?
/kolˈtʃon/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers sometimes mistakenly use colchón to refer to a mat or a pad, such as a yoga mat. However, in Spanish, colchón refers specifically to a sleeping mattress.
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word colchón is used figuratively to describe a 'financial cushion' or a reserve of money saved for emergencies.
- The word colchón is actually a 'super-sized' version of the word colcha, which means 'bedspread' or 'quilt'.
Examples in context
- Este colchón es muy duro.This is a very hard mattress.This sentence is useful for describing the firmness of a colchón.Tatoeba #2268939 by Shishir, translation #2268938 by _undertoad
- Tom durmió en el colchón inflable.Tom slept on the inflatable mattress.This sentence is useful for describing how someone used a colchón that was inflatable.Tatoeba #2977661 by marcelostockle, translation #2730775 by Hybrid
- Ponemos la sábana sobre el colchón.We put the sheet over the mattress.This sentence is useful for describing placing a sheet over a colchón.Tatoeba #11981612 by carlosalberto, translation #11981601 by carlosalberto
- ¿Podría darme información sobre los colchones disponibles?Could you give me information about the available mattresses?
- Voy a llevar mi colchoneta para acampar en la montaña.I'm going to bring my camping mattress to sleep in the mountains.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are shopping for furniture in a store.
- Daniel¿Qué te parece este colchón?What do you think of this mattress?
- ElenaMe gusta, pero es muy caro.I like it, but it is very expensive.
- DanielEs verdad, busquemos uno más barato.That's true, let's look for a cheaper one.
- ElenaVale, vamos a la otra sección.Okay, let's go to the other section.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mattress” translations and entries colchón, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries colchón, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
