servicio a la habitación
/seɾbiθjo a la abitaθjon/from spelling rules
The English phrase "room service" is servicio a la habitación in Spanish.
Servicio a la habitación is the most common and widely understood expression used to describe the provision of food and drink to a guest room.
Meaning: provision of food and drink to a guest room (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of servicio (service), a la (to the) and habitación (room).
Which one should you use?
While servicio a la habitación is the standard, you may encounter servicio al cuarto in many Latin American countries. In some regions, servicio en la habitación is also used as an alternative way to request the service.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, Central America or parts of the Caribbean, you might hear the variation servicio en el cuarto. In other parts of Latin America, servicio al cuarto is a common alternative.
How do you pronounce it?
/seɾbiθjo a la abitaθjon/
Did you know?
- The word servicio descends from the Latin servitium, which originally described the state of being a slave or servant.
- While you might use habitación to mean 'room', it is also the root for the English word 'habitat' because both come from the Latin verb for 'to dwell'.
- In Spain, using cuarto to request room service can sound overly casual or imply a bedroom in a private home rather than a professional hotel setting.
Examples in context
- ¿Todavía está disponible el servicio a la habitación?Is room service still available?This sentence is useful for asking if the servicio a la habitación is still available.Tatoeba #7917754 by fpp, translation #29560 by CK
- Quiero pedir el servicio a la habitación.I want to order room service.
- El servicio a la habitación es muy rápido.The room service is very fast.
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are in a hotel room late at night.
- ElenaTengo mucha hambre, ¿pedimos servicio a la habitación?I am very hungry, shall we order room service?
- AlejandroSí, veamos qué comida tienen.Yes, let's see what food they have.
- ElenaEl menú de servicio a la habitación es excelente.The room service menu is excellent.
- AlejandroPerfecto, yo llamo ahora mismo.Perfect, I will call right now.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, habitación, la, servicio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
