Spanish house vocabulary: rooms and furniture guide

Learning Spanish house vocabulary is one of those practical topics that actually comes up in real conversations. Whether you're describing your apartment to a new friend, looking for a place to rent in Madrid, or just trying to tell someone where you left your keys, knowing the names of rooms and furniture makes life way easier. This guide covers everything from la cocina to el dormitorio, with all the furniture and fixtures you'll find in each room.

Basic words for house in Spanish

Before we dive into specific rooms, let's cover the main word you'll use for house. The most common term is "casa", which works for pretty much any type of home. You'll hear this constantly: "mi casa" (my house), "tu casa" (your house), "vamos a mi casa" (let's go to my house).

There are other words too. "Hogar" means home in a more emotional sense, like the place where you belong. "Vivienda" is the formal term for dwelling or residence, the kind of word you'd see on official documents. "Domicilio" is another formal option, usually for addresses and legal stuff.

For apartments specifically, you'd say "apartamento" or "piso" (more common in Spain). A "departamento" is what they call apartments in Mexico and some Latin American countries.

Room vocabulary in Spanish

Let's start with the basic rooms you'll find in most houses. These are the foundation of Spanish house vocabulary.

La sala or el salón means living room. In some regions, people say "la sala de estar" to be more specific. El dormitorio is bedroom, though you'll also hear "la habitación" or "el cuarto" used the same way. La cocina is kitchen. El baño is bathroom. El comedor is dining room, though many homes combine this with the living room as "sala-comedor".

Some other useful rooms: el estudio (study or home office), la oficina (office), el garaje (garage), el sótano (basement), el ático (attic), la lavandería (laundry room), and el pasillo (hallway or corridor).

Living room furniture and items

The living room is where you'll probably spend a lot of time, so here's what you'll find there.

El sofá is the couch or sofa. A smaller version is un sillón (armchair). La mesa de centro is the coffee table, literally "center table". If you have a TV, that's el televisor or la televisión. The TV stand is la mesa para televisor or el mueble de TV.

For storage and decoration: la estantería (bookshelf), el librero (bookcase, more common in Latin America), la lámpara (lamp), la lámpara de pie (floor lamp), las cortinas (curtains), la alfombra (rug or carpet), and el cuadro (picture or painting on the wall).

You might also have una mesita auxiliar (side table), un cojín (cushion or throw pillow), and una manta (blanket or throw).

Bedroom essentials

The bedroom has its own set of vocabulary that's super useful to know.

The bed is la cama. The mattress is el colchón. You sleep with una almohada (pillow) and under las sábanas (sheets) and una manta or cobija (blanket). The comforter or duvet is el edredón.

For storage: el armario (wardrobe or closet), la cómoda (dresser or chest of drawers), and la mesita de noche or el buró (nightstand). Many bedrooms also have un espejo (mirror), either hanging on the wall or attached to the dresser.

The alarm clock is el despertador. If you have a reading lamp by your bed, that's la lámpara de noche. Some people have un tocador (vanity table) in their bedroom too.

Kitchen and dining vocabulary

The kitchen has tons of vocabulary because there's just so much stuff in there. Let's start with furniture and major items.

La mesa is the table, whether it's in the kitchen or dining room. Las sillas are chairs. El mantel is the tablecloth. For storage, you have los gabinetes or los armarios (cabinets) and la alacena (pantry or cupboard).

Major appliances: la estufa or la cocina (stove), el horno (oven), el refrigerador or la nevera (refrigerator), el microondas (microwave), el lavavajillas (dishwasher), and la cafetera (coffee maker).

The sink is el fregadero or la pila. The counter is la encimera or el mostrador. You might also have un aparador (sideboard or buffet table) in the dining room for storing dishes and serving food.

Bathroom fixtures and features

Bathrooms have pretty specific vocabulary that's good to know, especially if you're traveling or looking for a place to live.

The main fixtures: la bañera (bathtub), la ducha (shower), el inodoro or el váter (toilet), and el lavabo or el lavamanos (sink). The mirror is el espejo, often part of el botiquín (medicine cabinet).

Other bathroom items: la toalla (towel), el toallero (towel rack), la cortina de baño (shower curtain), el tapete de baño (bath mat), and el papel higiénico (toilet paper).

Some bathrooms have un bidé (bidet), more common in Spain and Argentina. The faucet is el grifo or la llave. If there's storage, you might have un armario or estantes (shelves).

Descriptive words for furniture

Knowing how to describe furniture makes your Spanish way more useful. Here are common adjectives you'll use.

For materials: de madera (wooden, made of wood), de metal (metal), de plástico (plastic), de vidrio (glass), de cuero (leather), and de tela (fabric or cloth).

For style and condition: moderno (modern), antiguo (antique or old), nuevo (new), viejo (old), cómodo (comfortable), incómodo (uncomfortable), grande (big), pequeño (small), and mediano (medium-sized).

Colors come up a lot too: blanco (white), negro (black), gris (gray), marrón or café (brown), azul (blue), rojo (red), verde (green), amarillo (yellow).

You can combine these: "un sofá de cuero negro" (a black leather sofa), "una mesa de madera antigua" (an antique wooden table), "una silla moderna y cómoda" (a modern and comfortable chair).

House structure and parts

Beyond rooms and furniture, you should know the basic parts of a house structure.

La puerta is door. La ventana is window. El techo is ceiling or roof (context dependent). Las paredes are walls. El piso or el suelo is the floor. La escalera means stairs or staircase. El balcón is balcony. La terraza is terrace or patio.

The front door specifically is la puerta principal or la puerta de entrada. The back door is la puerta trasera. Windows can be described as la ventana de la sala (living room window), la ventana del dormitorio (bedroom window), etc.

Other structural elements: la chimenea (fireplace or chimney), el jardín (garden or yard), el patio (patio or courtyard), and la cerca or la valla (fence).

Laundry and utility spaces

These areas often get overlooked, but they're part of everyday life.

La lavandería is the laundry room. The washing machine is la lavadora. The dryer is la secadora. You might hang clothes on un tendedero (clothesline or drying rack). The iron is la plancha, and the ironing board is la tabla de planchar.

For cleaning supplies, you'd store them in un armario de limpieza (cleaning closet). The broom is la escoba, the mop is el trapeador or la fregona, and the vacuum is la aspiradora.

Common phrases about houses

Knowing individual words is great, but here are some phrases you'll actually use in conversation.

"¿Dónde está el baño?" (Where is the bathroom?) is probably the most important phrase to know. "Mi casa tiene tres dormitorios" (My house has three bedrooms) is how you'd describe your place. "Necesito comprar muebles nuevos" (I need to buy new furniture) comes up when you're moving or redecorating.

"La cocina es muy pequeña" (The kitchen is very small), "El sofá es cómodo" (The sofa is comfortable), "Voy a limpiar la sala" (I'm going to clean the living room). These simple sentences use the vocabulary in context.

If you're looking for something: "¿Dónde dejé mis llaves?" (Where did I leave my keys?), "Está en la mesa de la cocina" (It's on the kitchen table), "Lo dejé en mi dormitorio" (I left it in my bedroom).

Regional variations you should know

Spanish varies quite a bit depending on where you are. In Spain, people say "piso" for apartment, while in Mexico it's "departamento". The word for bedroom changes too: "dormitorio" is universal, but "recámara" is super common in Mexico, while "habitación" or "cuarto" work everywhere.

Kitchen items vary a lot. The refrigerator is "nevera" in Spain but "refrigerador" in Latin America. The stove can be "cocina" or "estufa" depending on the region. Even the word for closet changes: "armario" in Spain, "clóset" in Mexico (borrowed from English).

These differences won't stop people from understanding you, but knowing them helps you sound more natural in specific regions.

Tips to learn Spanish house vocabulary faster

Here's the thing: vocabulary sticks better when you connect it to real things around you. Walk through your actual house and name everything you see in Spanish. Touch the mesa, sit on the silla, open the armario. The physical connection helps your brain remember.

Label things with sticky notes if that helps. Put "la puerta" on your door, "la ventana" on your window, "el refrigerador" on your fridge. You'll see these words dozens of times a day, and that repetition works.

Practice describing your daily routine using house vocabulary: "Me despierto en mi dormitorio, voy al baño, desayuno en la cocina, veo televisión en la sala". This puts the words in context instead of just memorizing lists.

When you're watching Spanish content, pay attention to scenes that take place in homes. You'll hear this vocabulary naturally and see how native speakers actually use these words.

Why this vocabulary matters for language learning

House vocabulary is genuinely useful because it covers stuff you deal with every day. You're not learning random words you'll never use. You're learning how to talk about your actual life and surroundings.

This vocabulary also gives you a foundation for more advanced topics. Once you know the basic furniture words, you can learn how to talk about interior design, moving, home repairs, shopping for furniture, and real estate. It's a stepping stone to more complex conversations.

Plus, house vocabulary comes up in almost every Spanish learning resource. TV shows have scenes in homes. Reading materials describe rooms and furniture. Knowing this stuff helps you understand way more content, which speeds up your overall learning.

Moving beyond basic vocabulary

Once you've got the basics down, you can expand into more specific areas. Modern home technology adds new vocabulary: el termostato inteligente (smart thermostat), el asistente de voz (voice assistant), la cerradura inteligente (smart lock), el timbre con cámara (video doorbell).

You can also learn more specific furniture terms. Instead of just "mesa", you could learn mesa de comedor (dining table), mesa de trabajo (work desk), mesa plegable (folding table). Instead of just "silla", there's silla de oficina (office chair), silla plegable (folding chair), silla mecedora (rocking chair).

Decorating vocabulary opens up another whole area: los cojines decorativos (decorative pillows), las plantas de interior (houseplants), los adornos (decorations or ornaments), las velas (candles), los jarrones (vases).

Anyway, if you want to actually practice this vocabulary with real Spanish content, Migaku's browser extension lets you look up words instantly while watching shows or reading articles. You can create flashcards from the house vocabulary you encounter naturally, which beats memorizing random lists. There's a 10-day free trial if you want to check it out.