cuento
/ˈkwento/masculine
The English phrase 'short story' is translated into Spanish as cuento. Wiktionary also lists relato corto and narrativa breve.
Meaning: work of fiction (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| cuento | /ˈkwento/ | masculine |
| relato corto | /relato koɾto/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| narrativa breve | /naratiba bɾebe/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
In Spanish, this refers to a work of fiction.
Which one should you use?
cuento is the most common term, but it can also mean a 'tale' or a 'story' in a general sense. relato corto is a more precise and slightly more formal way to specify the brevity of the narrative. narrativa breve is a technical or literary term used specifically to describe the genre of short fiction.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the masculine form cuento plural, use cuentos. For the masculine form relato corto, the plural is relatos cortos. The feminine form narrativa breve becomes plural as narrativas breves.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkwento/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using historia to mean a short story. In Spanish, historia usually refers to a historical account or a factual story.
Did you know?
- The word cuento shares a root with the English word 'compute'. It comes from the Latin computus, which refers to a calculation or an account.
- In Spanish, the word cuento is often used in the idiom no me vengas con cuentos, which means 'don't tell me stories' or 'don't lie to me'.
- While cuento is the standard term for a short story, a filmmaker might simply refer to a short film as a corto.
Examples in context
- Tom escribió un cuento.Tom wrote a short story.This sentence shows the use of cuento as the object of the verb 'escribir'.Tatoeba #13722474 by ecorralest101, translation #6671209 by Hybrid
- Lily lee un cuento.Lily read a short story.This sentence shows the use of cuento as the object of the verb 'leer'.Tatoeba #12251720 by opalandwoof, translation #12082782 by Amastan
- He ganado el premio al mejor cuento corto del año.I have won the award for the best short story of the year.
- Ana escribe relatos breves de gran potencia narrativa.Ana writes short stories of great narrative power.
- Me gustaría escribir una historia corta para nuestro próximo encuentro literario.I would like to write a short story for our next literary encounter.
- El cuento es muy interesante.The short story is very interesting.
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are discussing a book at a café.
- Daniel¿Terminaste de leer el cuento?Did you finish reading the short story?
- LucíaSí, me gustó mucho la historia.Yes, I liked the story a lot.
- DanielEl final fue muy sorprendente.The ending was very surprising.
- LucíaEs verdad, no lo esperaba.It is true, I didn't expect it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “short story” translations and entries cuento, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries breve, corto, cuento, relato, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
