Today’s Spanish word of the day is “cuarto”.
It means “fourth” or “quarter”, and is used when telling the time, for example:
- Son las cinco menos cuarto. – It’s a quarter to five.
It also means “room”, in particular a bedroom. It’s thought the word acquired the meaning “room” because houses were traditionally divided into four parts.
The word “cuarto” comes from Latin quartus, which also meant “fourth”. This is also the root a few English words, including “quarter”, “quartile” and “quartet”.
Example sentences
El cuarto de baño está ocupado.
The bathroom is occupied.
Me gusta mi cuarto porque es acogedor.
I like my room because it’s cozy.
Mi cuarto es tan pequeño que si me tropiezo, salgo por la ventana.
My room is so small that if I trip, I fall out the window.
Son las tres y cuarto de la tarde.
It’s a quarter past three in the afternoon.
Limpié mi cuarto y encontré civilizaciones perdidas bajo la cama.
I cleaned my room and found lost civilizations under the bed.
