Are you familiar with the Spanish preposition hacia? While its most common translation is "toward(s)," whether referring to direction or one's attitude, it can mean different things in different contexts, such as "approximately" or "about" when referring to time. Let's explore these meanings further with a multitude of examples from Yabla's Spanish video library. 

Hacia to Indicate Movement in a Particular Direction

When referring to movement with a particular direction or destination, the Spanish preposition hacia can function as the equivalent of not only the English "toward(s)" but also additional prepositions like "for" or "to." Let's take a look at several examples.

Fue una mañana que yo iba caminando hacia la facultad

It was one morning when I was walking toward my college department [building],

Caption 5, Soledad Raspi

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para animarles y desearles suerte antes de su salida hacia el campo.

to encourage them and wish them luck before their departure for the field.

Caption 82, Viajando con Fermín Final Copa del Rey

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Hoy fue extraditado hacia los Estados Unidos, otro miembro del cartel de Medellín,

Today, another member of the Medellin cartel was extradited to the United States,

Caption 6, Los Tiempos de Pablo Escobar Capítulo 1 - Part 13

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Hacia When Used With Direction Words

When used with direction words like abajo (down), adelante, (forward), arriba (up) or atrás (back), or directions like norte (north), sur (south), etc., hacia can be thought of like the English suffix "ward(s)." Let's take a look:

siempre tiene que ir hacia arriba, y cuando haces un trazo grueso, siempre tiene que ir hacia abajo.

it always has to go upward, and when you do a thick stroke, it always has to go downward.

Captions 34-36, Adriana Lettering - Part 2

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Y vamos a fondear toda la isla por la costa... yendo hacia el norte.

And we're going to drop anchor all around the island along the coast... going northwards.

Caption 11, El Trip Ibiza

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It should be noted that the translations for Spanish sentences like these could also be expressed in English without "ward(s)," for example, one could simply say "it has to go up" or "down" or "going north."

Hacia to Indicate Direction Without Movement

In the absence of movement, the Spanish preposition hacia is frequently used to mean "in the direction of" when indicating orientation or location. Let's take a look:  

de manera que hacia la cama también tenemos otra puerta corredera,

so that towards the bed, we also have another sliding door,

Caption 51, Viajando con Fermín Caravaning - Part 3

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Hacia to Describe an Attitude About Something

With varying translations like "toward(s)" "to," "for" and more, the Spanish preposition hacia can additionally express one's point of view with regards to someone or something.

y sobre todo mucha gratitud hacia todos los que elegimos visitar este hermoso rincón de Andalucía.

and, above all, a lot of gratitude for all of us who choose to visit this beautiful corner of Andalusia.

Captions 47-48, Viajando con Fermín El Día del Turista de Mijas

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que encuentras un público muy abierto hacia ti,

when you encounter an audience that's very open to you,

Caption 37, Circo Berlín Lucas - Part 2

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yo sentí cierto rechazo hacia ella,

I felt a kind of rejection towards her

Caption 33, Soledad Los prejuicios

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Hacia to Indicate Approximate Time 

When used to talk about time, the Spanish preposition hacia means "around," "approximately" or "about."

Iré hacia las cinco.

I'll go around five. 

Actualmente se celebran manifestaciones del orgullo anualmente por todo el mundo, hacia finales de junio,

Currently, pride demonstrations take place annually throughout the world, towards the end of June,

Captions 55-56, Maoli La revuelta de Stonewall

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Hacía (With an Accent)

To conclude today's lesson, we'll mention that you shouldn't confuse the Spanish preposition hacia with hacía (with an accent), the extremely frequently-employed imperfect tense of the verb hacer, which means "to make" or "do." Let's see it in a couple of captions:

¿Usted qué hacía en el salón de ese profesor? ¿Ah?

What were you doing in that teacher's classroom? Huh?

Caption 19, Pablo Escobar, el patrón del mal Capítulo 1 - Part 6

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porque mi abuela hacía muchas croquetas.

because my grandma used to make a lot of croquettes.

Caption 37, Con Marta por Madrid El tapeo - Part 1

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We hope that this lesson has shed some light on several of the many contexts in which the Spanish preposition hacia can be used as well as many of its translations. Don't forget to write us with your questions and suggestions.

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Welcome to our beginner-friendly guide to the parts of the house in Spanish! Whether you’re a new learner or brushing up on your vocabulary, this lesson will teach you the Spanish words for different rooms and areas in a house. Plus, you’ll learn how to pronounce each term clearly and naturally.

Why Learning the Parts of the House in Spanish Is Useful

Knowing the names of the rooms and parts of the house in Spanish is essential for describing your daily life, discussing where things are located, or even giving a house tour. This vocabulary is practical, especially if you’re traveling, living abroad, or interacting with Spanish-speaking friends and family.

But before we dive into all the different parts of the house, let's start with the most important word - do you know how to say "house" in Spanish?

House | la casa (lah KAH-sah)

Todo el mundo tiene afán de llegar a la casa por lo del toque de queda.

Everyone is eager to get home because of the curfew thing.

Caption 3, La Sucursal del Cielo Capítulo 3 - Part 9

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Vocabulary for the Parts of the House in Spanish

Let’s start with the basics! Below is a list of key rooms and parts of the house in Spanish, along with video clips for each term. Listen carefully to each clip, then try saying the word out loud to get comfortable with the pronunciation.

Living room | la sala (lah SAH-lah)

Mire, joven, esta es la sala,

Look, young man, this is the living room,

Caption 18, Otavalo Departamento

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Kitchen | la cocina (lah koh-SEE-nah)

Ay, pues, mija, déjesela ahí en la cocina.

Oh, well, dear, leave them there for him in the kitchen.

Caption 27, Confidencial: Broma pesada Capítulo 1 - Part 6

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Bathroom | el baño (el BAH-nyoh)

En este vehículo en concreto, el baño es muy característico

In this particular vehicle, the bathroom is very distinctive

Caption 46, Viajando con Fermín Caravaning - Part 3

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Bedroom | el dormitorio (el dor-mee-TOH-ree-oh)

"Usa el dormitorio exclusivamente para dormir.

"Use the bedroom exclusively for sleeping.

Caption 27, Aprendiendo con Silvia Consejos para dormir mejor - Part 1

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Dining Room | el comedor (el koh-meh-DOR)

Aquí tenemos el comedor;

Here we have the dining room;

Caption 55, Otavalo Proyecto Hayni - Part 2

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Additional Parts of the House in Spanish

Below are additional important parts of the house in Spanish, each accompanied by a video clip to help you learn the correct pronunciation.

House Structure and Outdoor Areas

Yard/Garden | el jardín (el har-DEEN)

Hábleme de ese dinero que tiene usted enterrado en el jardín.

Talk to me about that money you have buried in the garden.

Caption 93, Los casos de Yabla El examen - Part 3

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Balcony | el balcón (el bal-KOHN)

Tomo unos mates en el balcón

I have some servings of mate on the balcony

Caption 10, GoSpanish La rutina diaria de Sol

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Garage | el garaje (el gah-RAH-heh)

se quedaba en el garaje de la casa de él.

was staying in the garage at his house.

Caption 27, Tu Voz Estéreo Embalsamado - Part 5

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Roof | el tejado (el teh-HAH-doh) or el techo (el TEH-cho)

Please, keep in mind that tejado refers to the exterior roof, especially in Spain, while techo generally means ceiling or roof, commonly used across Latin America.

Entonces, toda, eh... las ventanas, las escaleras, el tejado

So, all, um... the windows, the staircases, the roof

Caption 22, Sevilla, España Hotel Kivir - Part 1

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Ahorita, bueno, le faltó el techo...

Right now, well, the roof is missing...

Caption 75, Playa Adícora Francisco - Part 6

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Basement | el sótano (el SOH-tah-noh)

y ni siquiera sabía porqué estaba entrando en el sótano.

and I didn't even know why I was entering the basement.

Caption 11, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 7 - Part 1

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Key Parts Inside the House

Wall | la pared (lah pah-RED)

solo por culpa de una humedad en la pared.

just because of a damp patch on the wall.

Caption 45, Tu Voz Estéreo Feliz Navidad - Part 6

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Floor | el suelo (el SWEH-lo) or el piso (el PEE-soh)

In Spain, "floor" (of a house) is typically referred to as suelo. In Latin America, while suelo is also used for floor surfaces, piso is often the preferred term to describe the floor of a house or a building.

"El que tiene muchas sillas para sentarse acaba sentándose en el suelo".

"He who has many chairs to sit on ends up sitting on the floor."

Captions 8-9, Soledad Refranes - Part 2

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Había una cantidad de fotos en el piso

There were a bunch pictures on the floor

Caption 5, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 2 - Part 8

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Window | la ventana (lah ven-TAH-nah)

Y mi hermana y yo corríamos a la ventana

And my sister and I would run to the window

Caption 27, Aprendiendo con Silvia Recuerdos de infancia - Part 1

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Door | la puerta (lah PWEHR-tah)

No. -Ni pa abrir la puerta. Hm!

No. -Not even to open the door. Hmm!

Caption 8, Confidencial: Broma pesada Capítulo 1 - Part 6

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Stairs | las escaleras (lahs eh-skah-LEH-rahs)

ya que las escaleras interiores son muy estrechas y empinadas.

since the interior stairs are very narrow and steep.

Caption 21, Viajando con Fermín Ámsterdam - Part 3

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Using Parts of the House Vocabulary in Sentences

Here are some common ways to talk about different parts of the house in Spanish. Practice these sentences for everyday conversation:

Mi cocina es grande.

My kitchen is big.

La sala tiene un sofá.

The living room has a sofa.

El jardín está detrás de la casa.

The garden is behind the house.

El balcón tiene una vista hermosa.

The balcony has a beautiful view.

El baño está al final del pasillo. 

The bathroom is at the end of the hallway.

El comedor es perfecto para cenas familiares. 

The dining room is perfect for family dinners.

Mi dormitorio tiene una cama cómoda. 

My bedroom has a comfortable bed.

Congratulations! You now know the vocabulary for different parts of the house in Spanish and how to pronounce each word naturally. Practice using these terms in daily conversations to reinforce what you’ve learned. Remember, every time you use these words, you’ll sound more confident and fluent! And don't forget to write us with your questions and comments.

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