sala
/ˈsala/feminine
In Spanish, the word for a hospital ward is sala or pabellón.
Meaning: part of a hospital where patients reside (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| sala | /ˈsala/ | feminine |
| pabellón | /pabeˈʝon/ | masculine |
The term refers to a part of a hospital where patients reside. When using sala, it is common to use the phrase sala de hospital to specify that you are referring to a hospital ward rather than a general room or a living room.
Which one should you use?
sala is used to refer to a specific room or ward within a hospital setting. In contrast, pabellón is used when referring to a larger ward or a separate building or wing dedicated to a specific department.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the terms distrito or barrio may be used for 'ward'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
sala is a feminine noun and pabellón is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈsala/
Did you know?
- The word pabellón actually derives from a word for a 'butterfly' in Latin, originally referring to the light, wing-like shape of a pavilion.
- In certain Spanish contexts, distrito is used for an electoral ward, which is entirely unrelated to the medical meaning of sala.
- The root of sala comes from the Proto-Indo-European word for a 'human settlement' or 'village'.
Examples in context
- La sala está muy limpia.The ward is very clean.
- ¿Dónde está la sala de pediatría?Where is the pediatric ward?
- Hay tres camas en esta sala.There are three beds in this ward.
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are talking at a hospital entrance.
- MateoSofía, ¿sabes dónde está la sala de maternidad?Sofía, do you know where the maternity ward is?
- SofíaSí, la sala está al final del pasillo.Yes, the ward is at the end of the hallway.
- MateoGracias, voy hacia allá ahora.Thanks, I am going there now.
- SofíaDe nada, espero que todo esté bien.You're welcome, I hope everything is okay.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ward” translations and entries sala, pabellón, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pabellón, sala, CC BY-SA 4.0.
