Key points about describing accommodation in Spanish
Video - Accommodation
Watch the video of Lolo talking about travelling in Southern Spain and discussing different accommodation options.
Vocabulary - Talking about accommodation and different places
Useful nouns for talking about accommodation and interiors include:
Spanish | English | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|---|
Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | accommodation | Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | image, picture |
Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | tree | Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | place, position |
Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | architecture | Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | light |
Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | bathroom | Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | table |
Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | bed | Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | apartment, floor (of building) |
Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | house | Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | floor, plant (ground floor) |
Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | kitchen, cooking | Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | ground floor |
Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | building | Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | door |
Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | space, room | Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | chair, seat |
Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | room, bedroom | Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | living room |
Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | home |
Other useful vocabulary includes:
Spanish | English |
---|---|
Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | pollution |
Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | large town, city |
Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | technology |
Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | pollution |
Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | village, small town |
Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | noise |
Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | tent, shop |
Useful verbs include:
Spanish | English |
---|---|
Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | to increase |
Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | to pollute |
Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | to improve |
Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | to live |
Grammar - Opinion phrases
Useful simple opinions in Spanish include:
Me gusta - I like
No me gusta - I don鈥檛 like
Me encanta - I love
Using these opinion phrases with plural nouns:
These three opinion phrases change their ending depending on whether the item you are describing is singular or plural.
Add n to the end of gusta and encanta when talking about a plural noun.
For example:
Me gusta el hotel. - I like the hotel .
Me gustan las casas blancas 迟铆辫颈肠补s. - I like the typical white houses.
Me encantan los restaurantes italianos. - I love Italian restaurants.
Other opinion phrases include:
Spanish | English |
---|---|
Odio | I hate |
Prefiero | I prefer |
Pienso que | I think that |
Creo que | I believe that |
En mi opini贸n | In my opinion |
For example:
Odio la lluvia. - I hate the rain.
Prefiero ir de vacaciones al extranjero. - I prefer going on holiday abroad.
Pienso que Espa帽a es un pa铆s bonito. - I think Spain is a pretty country.
Creo que los colombianos son muy simp谩ticos. - I believe that Colombians are very friendly.
En mi opini贸n el hotel es muy c贸modo. - In my opinion the hotel is very comfortable.
More complex opinion phrases include:
Spanish | English | Example |
---|---|---|
Es mejor | It鈥檚 better | Esta casa es mejor que el piso. - This house is better than the apartment. |
Es peor | It鈥檚 worse | Viajar en coche es peor que viajar en tren. - Travelling by car is worse than travelling by train. |
Una ventaja es | One advantage is | Una ventaja es la variedad de actividades en la ciudad. - One advantage is the variety of activities in the town/city. |
Una desventaja es | One disadvantage is | Una desventaja es el ruido del tr谩fico. - One disadvantage is the sound of the traffic. |
Me parece | It seems to me that | Me parece que la calidad de las instalaciones es buena. - It seems to me that the quality of the facilities is very good. |
Me acuerdo con | I agree with | Me acuerdo contigo. - I agree with you. |
Apoyo | I support | Apoyo la idea de m谩s energ铆a verde. - I support the idea of more green energy. |
鈥 me molesta | 鈥 bothers me | La contaminaci贸n en la ciudad me molesta mucho. - The pollution in the town/city bothers me a lot. |
Opinion phrases followed by infinitives:
Se puede鈥 - you can, one can鈥 . For example:
Se puede caminar a la playa. - You can walk to the beach.
Hay que 鈥 - You must, one must鈥 .
For example:
Hay que probar la paella. - You must try the paella.
Se necesita鈥 meaning 'you need to鈥' or 'one needs to鈥', can be followed by a nounThe name of a thing such as an object, a place or a person. Nouns are often described as naming words. or a verb in the infinitiveForm of the verb that has not been conjugated. Usually translated with 'to' in English, eg to play. form.
For example:
Se necesita ver esta playa estupenda - You need to see the marvellous beach.
Further complex opinion phrases include:
Spanish | English |
---|---|
Por una parte鈥 por otra parte | On one hand鈥 on the other hand |
No aguanto | I can鈥檛 stand |
Me preocupo por | I鈥檓 worried about |
For example:
Por una parte me gusta ir de camping 鈥 pero por otra parte prefiero quedarme en un hotel porque es m谩s c贸modo. - On one hand I like camping but on the other hand I prefer staying in a hotel because it鈥檚 more comfortable.
No aguanto el camping. - I can鈥檛 stand camping.
Me preocupo por los efectos del turismo en este pueblo. - I鈥檓 worried about the effects of tourism in this village.
Opinion phrases - Mini quiz
Translate the following sentences into Spanish:
I love beaches.
Me gustan las playas.
Gusta needs an n on the end as playas (beaches) is plural.
The noise in the city bothers me a lot.
El ruido en la ciudad me molesta mucho.
To say something bothers you, put the noun first (what bothers you) followed by the phrase me molesta.
I鈥檓 worried about the pollution.
Me preocupo por la contaminaci贸n.
To say you are worried about something, use the phrase me preocupo por followed by the noun that you are worried about.
Reading practice
You receive an email from your friend who has just been to stay in an amazing house.
Read the text and answer the questions that follow.
El fin de semana pasado fui a M谩laga, en el sur de Espa帽a, para quedarme con mis primos.
Su casa es mi casa ideal. Es enorme. Hay siete dormitorios y cada dormitorio tiene un ba帽o. En mi casa s贸lo hay dos ba帽os para toda la familia.
Adem谩s, la mayor铆a de las habitaciones tienen 颈苍肠谤别铆产濒别s vistas a la playa.
En la segunda planta hay una gran cocina moderna y un gran sal贸n.
En la planta baja hay muchos sof谩s y sillas c贸modas y un cine donde vimos una pel铆cula.
En el exterior, en el jard铆n hay una piscina y un jacuzzi.
Nadamos cada d铆a y tomamos el sol, pero no nos sentamos en el jacuzzi porque tuvimos demasiado calor. Fue realmente relajante.
Espero volver con mi amiga pronto.
Lola
- Whose house did Lola go to last weekend?
Her cousins鈥 house
The text says: 鈥ara quedarme con mis primos. 鈥 鈥o stay with her cousins.
- How many bedrooms are there in the house?
Seven
The text says: Hay siete dormitorios鈥 鈥 There are seven bedrooms鈥
- How many bathrooms are there in her own house?
Two
The text says: En mi casa s贸lo hay dos ba帽os. 鈥 in my house there are only two bathrooms.
- What can you see from most of the bedrooms?
The beach
The text says: 鈥a mayor铆a de las habitaciones tienen 颈苍肠谤别铆产濒别s vistas a la playa. - 鈥ost rooms have incredible beach views.
- Where is the cinema?
On the ground floor
The text says En la planta baja hay muchos sof谩s y sillas c贸modas y un cine. - On the ground floor there are lots of sofas and comfortable chairs and a cinema.
- Why didn鈥檛 they use the jacuzzi?
They were too hot
The text says: 鈥o nos sentamos en el jacuzzi porque tuvimos demasiado calor. 鈥 鈥e didn鈥檛 sit in the jacuzzi because we were too hot.
Vocabulary - Describing accommodation and places
Useful adjectives for describing the physical appearance of buidlings and accomodation include:
Spanish | English | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|---|
alto/a | tall, high | grande | big, great |
antiguo/a | ancient | hermoso/a | beautiful |
bajo/a | short, low | 丑颈蝉迟贸谤颈肠辞/补 | historic |
enorme | enormous | 辫别辩耻别帽辞/补 | small |
feo/a | ugly | viejo/a | old |
Other useful adjectives include:
Spanish | English | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|---|
agradable | pleasant, nice | 颈苍肠谤别铆产濒别 | incredible |
alegre | cheerful | genial | great |
animado/a | lively | limpio/a | clean |
bonito/a | pretty, nice | situado/a | situated, located |
caro/a | expensive | sucio/a | dirty |
肠贸尘辞诲辞/补 | comfortable | 迟铆辫颈肠辞/补 | typical |
emocionante | exciting | tranquilo/a | calm, quiet, relaxed |
famoso/a | famous |
All Foundation Tier vocabulary listed in this guide can be found on the vocabulary sheet below.
Grammar - How to use adjectives
Adjectives can be used to describe someone or something.
In Spanish, adjectives usually go after the noun. For example:
Hay una casa (noun) 迟铆辫颈肠补 (adjective). (There is a typical house.)
Es un hotel (noun) famoso (adjective). (It鈥檚 a famous hotel.)
In Spanish, adjectives must agree with the nounThe name of a thing such as an object, a place or a person. Nouns are often described as naming words.. For regular adjectivesFollow the regular pattern with regard to their endings, when they agree with a noun. , change the o to a when using it for a feminine noun, and add s for a plural noun. For example:
Masculine | Feminine | English | |
---|---|---|---|
Singular | Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | famous |
Plural | Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | famous |
Adjectives that end in a consonant, such as l, do not change ending whether the noun is singular and masculine or singular and feminine.
For plural nouns ending in a consonant, add es. For example:
Masculine | Feminine | English | |
---|---|---|---|
Singular | Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | ideal |
Plural | Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | ideal |
For example:
El hotel tiene dormitorios (noun) ideales (ideal). - The hotel has ideal bedrooms.
Es una ciudad industrial. - It鈥檚 an industrial town.
Adjectives that go before a noun
Some adjectives can go before the noun they are describing, but they still have to agree. For example:
la segunda planta - the second floor
muchos hoteles - lots of hotels
Common adjectives that usually come before the noun include:
Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | a little | Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | none |
Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | a lot | Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | first |
Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | next | Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | second |
Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | last | Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | third |
Sorry, something went wrongCheck your connection, refresh the page and try again. | some, any |
Adjectives - Mini quiz
Complete the following phrases:
La _____ ______.
The famous beach.
La playa famosa.
laya means 鈥榖each鈥 and is feminine singular and so the ending famosa, meaning 鈥榝amous鈥, is a.
Adjectives usually follow the noun in Spanish, so famosa comes after playa.
Las _____ ______.
The white houses.
Las casas blancas.
Casas means 鈥榟ouse鈥 and is feminine plural and so the ending on blancas, meaning 'white鈥, is as.
Adjectives usually follow the noun in Spanish, so blancas comes after casas.
La ______ ______.
The ideal town.
La ciudad ideal.
Ciudad means 鈥榯own鈥. Ideal is an adjective that does not change its ending according to whether it is masculine or feminine.
La ______ ______.
The third floor.
La tercera planta.
Tercera means third and ends in a to agree with planta, meaning floor.
Tercera is one of the few adjectives that does not follow the regular pattern and comes before the noun.
To find out more about using adjectives in Spanish, have a look at the Adjectives in Spanish and Position of adjectives guides.
Listening practice
Listen to this advert for a holiday villa and answer the questions in English about it.
- What does the advert describe about the villa's location and amenities?
The villa's garden and patio allow for enjoying the sun throughout the day.
The advert mentions: La casa tiene su propio jard铆n y patio donde se puede disfrutar del sol durante todo el d铆a. - The house has its own garden and patio where you can enjoy the sun all day long.
- What is the duration of the walk from the villa to the sea, according to the advert?
It takes only five minutes to walk from the villa to the sea.
The advert states: Camina por un camino hermoso entre 谩rboles y casas, 隆y llegar谩s al mar en tan solo cinco minutos! - Walk along a beautiful path between trees and houses and you will get to the sea in just five minutes!
- What does the advert say about the ongoing renovations at the villa?
The advert suggests that although there are ongoing works, they are worth it.
The advert mentions: Aunque hay algunas obras en curso 隆te aseguramos que vale la pena! - Although there are some building works going on we assure you they are worth it!
- What feature of the villa means there is no need for a pool?
The villa is very close to the coast so there is no need for a pool.
The advert mentions: 驴Piscina?隆No es necesaria! Estamos a pocos pasos de la costa, as铆 que puedes nadar en el mar sin preocupaciones. - Swimming pool? It's not necessary! We are a few steps away from the coast so you can swim in the sea, no problem.
Click or tap on Show more to read the transcript and translation of what the advert says.
Transcript
隆Descubre nuestra villa vacacional de tus sue帽os! 驴Quieres visitarla ahora mismo? Est谩 lista para impresionarte. Aunque hay algunas obras en curso 隆te aseguramos que vale la pena!
La casa tiene su propio jard铆n y patio, donde se puede disfrutar del sol durante todo el d铆a. 驴Piscina? 隆No es necesaria! Estamos a pocos pasos de la costa, as铆 que puedes nadar en el mar sin preocupaciones.
Camina por un camino hermoso entre 谩rboles y casas, 隆y llegar谩s al mar en tan solo cinco minutos! Incre铆ble 驴verdad? Esta es la oportunidad perfecta para vivir una experiencia 煤nica cerca del mar. 隆Te esperamos para vivir unas vacaciones maravillosas!
Translation
Discover the holiday villa of your dreams! Do you want to visit right now? We are ready to impress you. Although there are some building works going on we assure you they are worth it!
The house has its own garden and patio where you can enjoy the sun all day long. Swimming pool? It's not necessary! We are a few steps away from the coast so you can swim in the sea, no problem.
Walk along a beautiful path between trees and houses and you will get to the sea in just five minutes! Incredible, isn't it? This is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a unique experience by the sea. We are waiting for you to enjoy a wonderful holiday.
Vocabulary sheet
Click or tap on the image below for a list of useful vocabulary to use when describing accommodation.
Higher Tier - Grammar - Opinions phrases
Higher Tier opinion phrases include:
础驳谤补诲别锄肠辞鈥 followed by the infinitive - I am grateful for鈥 For example:
Agradezco poder quedarme en un hermoso hotel - I am grateful for being able to stay in a beautiful hotel.
隆叠补蝉迟补! - Enough!
Vale la pena, vale la pena followed by infinitive - it's worth it, it鈥檚 worth 鈥ng.
For example:
Vale la pena ver la fuente en esta casa antigua. - It鈥檚 worth seeing the fountain in this old house.
Now you have revised the vocabulary and grammar needed to talk about accommodation in Spanish, have a look at the Describing transport options in Spanish guide.
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