Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| suelo | /ˈswelo/ | Spain, masculine |
| piso | /ˈpiso/ | Latin America, masculine |
Both words refer to the bottom part of a room. While piso is a very common and widely used term for floor, you may also encounter planta when referring to a floor in a more formal context.
Which one should you use?
The choice between these words often depends on what you mean. Piso is used to refer to the level or story of a building. In Spain, piso is frequently used to mean an apartment, while suelo is the standard way to refer to the physical surface of a floor in a room. In Latin America, piso is commonly used to refer to the surface you walk on as well as the level of a building.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, suelo is commonly used for the floor of a room. In Latin America, piso is a widely used term for the floor and is also the standard word for a level or story of a building.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both suelo and piso are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈswelo/
Did you know?
- The word suelo shares its roots with the English word 'soil'. Both descend from the Latin 'solum', meaning 'ground' or 'foundation'.
- While piso and suelo are common, the word planta is used in architecture to describe the floor plan or a specific level of a building.
- Spanish uses suelo not just for the floor of a building but also for the ground outdoors, whereas English distinguishes between 'floor' and 'ground'.
Examples in context
- Se cayó al suelo.He fell down on the floor.This sentence uses suelo to describe falling to the floor.Tatoeba #882492 by Shishir, translation #299628 by CK
- Tom miró al piso.Tom looked at the floor.This sentence uses piso to describe looking at the floor.Tatoeba #4392194 by pchamorro, translation #1868062 by CK
- ¿En qué piso vives?What floor do you live on?This sentence uses piso to ask about the level of a building someone lives on.Tatoeba #1408394 by marcelostockle, translation #1169896 by etoile
- El despacho del gerente se encuentra en el primer piso.The manager's office is located on the first floor.
- Nuestro restaurante se encuentra en la segunda planta del hotel.Our restaurant is located on the second floor of the hotel.
- La oficina está en el tercer piso.The office is on the third floor.
- Mi piso está en el cuarto piso del edificio.My apartment is on the fourth floor of the building.
- 251 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are in a living room.
- MateoSofía, ¿has visto mi móvil?Sofía, have you seen my phone?
- SofíaCreo que está en el suelo.I think it is on the floor.
- MateoSí, lo he encontrado.Yes, I found it.
- SofíaQué bueno, Mateo.That's good, Mateo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “floor” translations and entries suelo, piso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries piso, suelo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
