Buildings and premises in Spanish
21 words Spanish words on the topic “buildings and premises”: el parque — park, la biblioteca — library, el museo — museum, el teatro — theater. 21 words can be played from recordings.
21 words on the topic
- el parqueparkMasculine even ending in -e. El parque de atracciones — an amusement park
- la bibliotecalibraryThe false friend in reverse: la librería is a bookshop, not a library
- el museomuseumMasculine. Many Spanish museums are free at set hours: entrada gratuita
- el teatrotheaterThe building and the art form. Hacer teatro figuratively means to put on an act
- el cinecinemaBoth the movie house and film as art. Ir al cine — to go to the movies
- la iglesiachurchThe building and the church as an institution. A big cathedral is la catedral
- el estadiostadiumMasculine. The same word means a stage of a process, though in that sense etapa is more usual
- la embajadaembassyThe consulate is a separate word: el consulado, masculine
- la comisaríapolice stationLiterally a 'commissariat'. This is where you go to file a theft report
- el ayuntamientocity hallThe building and the city government alike. The mayor is el alcalde
- la estación de autobusesbus stationThe intercity kind; a city bus stop is la parada. In Mexico the same place is la central camionera
- el embarcaderopierWhere you board a small boat. A real port with ships is el puerto
- la casa de cambiocurrency exchangeLiterally a house of exchange. On the sign it's usually the single word Cambio, no article
- el zoozooIn Spain the short el zoo; in Latin America the full el zoológico is more common
- el circocircusWorks for a mess too, just like in English: que circo! — what a circus!
- el parque de bomberosfire stationParque here is not a park but where the trucks park. The firefighters themselves are los bomberos, from la bomba, a pump
- el lavadero de cochescar washIn Latin America el lavadero de autos; Mexico collapses it into one word, el autolavado
- la agencia de viajestravel agencyLiterally an agency of trips: the word turístico never appears in the name
- la calle principalmain streetPrincipal as in most important. Calle Mayor means the same, but there it's a proper name
- la taquilla de billetesticket officeThe same word as a locker in a changing room, which is why at stations they add de billetes. A shop's till is la caja
- la salahallA big room for people: la sala de espera, la sala de conciertos. The living room at home is the familiar el salón, a gym is el gimnasio
How it sounds in a sentence
A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.
- Los niños juegan en el parque hasta la cenaThe children play in the park until dinner
- Estudio en la biblioteca los sábadosI study in the library on Saturdays
- El museo abre gratis los domingos por la tardeThe museum is free on Sunday afternoons
- Hemos sacado entradas para el teatroWe've got tickets for the theater
- Esta noche vamos al cineWe're going to the cinema tonight
- La iglesia del pueblo es del siglo doceThe village church is from the twelfth century
What is worth knowing about these words
el parque — park. Masculine even ending in -e. El parque de atracciones — an amusement park
la biblioteca — library. The false friend in reverse: la librería is a bookshop, not a library
el museo — museum. Masculine. Many Spanish museums are free at set hours: entrada gratuita
el teatro — theater. The building and the art form. Hacer teatro figuratively means to put on an act
Test yourself
First by ear — the way you will meet the word in conversation. Click the speaker and pick the translation.
- What is this word?
It is el parque — park.
- What is this word?
It is la iglesia — church.
- What is this word?
It is la estación de autobuses — bus station.
- What is this word?
It is el parque de bomberos — fire station.
- What is this word?
It is la sala — hall.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “park” in Spanish?
Masculine even ending in -e. El parque de atracciones — an amusement park
- How do you say “church” in Spanish?
The building and the church as an institution. A big cathedral is la catedral
- How do you say “bus station” in Spanish?
The intercity kind; a city bus stop is la parada. In Mexico the same place is la central camionera
- How do you say “fire station” in Spanish?
Parque here is not a park but where the trucks park. The firefighters themselves are los bomberos, from la bomba, a pump
- How do you say “hall” in Spanish?
A big room for people: la sala de espera, la sala de conciertos. The living room at home is the familiar el salón, a gym is el gimnasio
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Where to go and what is done there. These words are read off a sign more often than they are spoken.
A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.
- Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many timesAdesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
- This holds not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many timesMawson & Kang, 2025, Behavioral Sciences 15(6):771 · 22 studies, d = 0.54 (confidence interval 0.31–0.77). The authors warn that individual studies disagree widely.
Frequently asked
How do you say “park” in Spanish?
«el parque». Masculine even ending in -e. El parque de atracciones — an amusement park. It is one of 21 words in the set “buildings and premises” — the rest are in the table above.
How many words for buildings and places do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 21 words on this page covers nearly every everyday case on the topic — but it is best taken a few at a time, not all at once.
Is there audio?
Yes, 21 words on this page can be played — click the speaker next to the word. The sound works on any phone, and nothing needs to be installed.