How to Say "The Stairwell" in Spanish

el hueco de la escalera

/el weko de la eskaleɾa/from spelling rules

In Spanish, the phrase for the stairwell is el hueco de la escalera.

This phrase specifically refers to the architectural void or shaft through which the stairs pass, rather than just the steps themselves.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is composed of el hueco (the hollow/gap/void) and de la escalera (of the stairs).

It is common to use the plural el hueco de las escaleras instead of the singular la escalera when referring to the stairwell.

The word hueco comes from the Latin occāre, which means 'to harrow'. This connects the 'void' of a stairwell to the agricultural act of breaking up soil.
In some architectural contexts, el hueco can refer to the 'eye' of a spiral staircase, known in English as the 'well' of the stairs.
The word escalera is a close relative of the Portuguese word 'escaleira', showing how staircase terminology is consistent across much of the Iberian Peninsula.

Por favor, sube por la escalera al segundo piso.
Please take the stairwell to the second floor.
El acceso a la azotea se encuentra al final de la escalera.
Access to the rooftop is located at the end of the stairwell.
No dejes basura en el hueco de la escalera.
Do not leave trash in the stairwell shaft.
La iluminación en el hueco de la escalera es insuficiente.
The lighting in the stairwell shaft is insufficient.
¡Nos vemos abajo en las escaleras del edificio!
Let's meet downstairs in the building's stairwell!
Hay mucha luz en el hueco de la escalera.
There is a lot of light in the stairwell.
El hueco de la escalera es muy estrecho.
The stairwell is very narrow.
Dejaron las cajas en el hueco de la escalera.
They left the boxes in the stairwell.

Lucía and Alejandro are walking through their apartment building.

Lucía

¿Viste el paquete en el hueco de la escalera?
Did you see the package in the stairwell?
Alejandro

No, no he pasado por el hueco de la escalera.
No, I haven't passed through the stairwell.
Lucía

Está justo al lado de tu puerta.
It is right next to your door.
Alejandro

Ah, iré a buscarlo ahora mismo.
Ah, I will go look for it right now.

Sources

IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, el, escalera, hueco, la, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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