Furniture (Junior Cert Spanish): Revision Notes
Furniture (Los muebles)
Learning vocabulary for household furniture and appliances is essential for describing your home and discussing daily life in Spanish. This topic covers the main items you'll find in different rooms of a house, along with useful prepositions to describe their location.
Essential furniture vocabulary
Furniture and appliances vary by room, so it's helpful to learn them in groups. This approach makes memorisation easier and helps you organise your vocabulary by context. Here are the most important items you'll need to know:
Learning Tip: When studying these vocabulary tables, try to visualise each room in your own home and point to each item as you say the Spanish word. This creates a stronger memory connection between the word and the object.
Kitchen and dining room
| Spanish | Article | English |
|---|---|---|
| el frigorífico | el | fridge |
| el congelador | el | freezer |
| el horno | el | oven |
| el microondas | el | microwave |
| el lavavajillas | el | dishwasher |
| la mesa | la | table |
| la silla | la | chair |
Bathroom
| Spanish | Article | English |
|---|---|---|
| el lavabo | el | sink/washbasin |
| la ducha | la | shower |
| la bañera | la | bath/bathtub |
| el aseo | el | toilet |
| el espejo | el | mirror |
| las persianas | las | blinds |
Living room
| Spanish | Article | English |
|---|---|---|
| el sofá | el | sofa |
| el sillón | el | armchair |
| el televisor | el | television |
| la alfombra | la | rug/carpet |
| la lámpara | la | lamp |
| la estantería | la | bookshelf |
| la chimenea | la | fireplace |
| el cojín | el | cushion |
| las cortinas | las | curtains |
Bedroom
| Spanish | Article | English |
|---|---|---|
| la cama | la | bed |
| el armario | el | wardrobe |
| la mesita de noche | la | bedside table |
| la almohada | la | pillow |
| la manta | la | blanket |
| la secadora | la | tumble dryer |
| la lavadora | la | washing machine |
Example sentences with furniture
Understanding how to use furniture vocabulary in context is crucial for natural communication. Here are practical sentences using furniture vocabulary that you can adapt for your own use:
Worked Example: Using Furniture Vocabulary in Sentences
Spanish sentences:
- La mesa está en la cocina.
- El sofá es muy cómodo.
- Las cortinas son rojas.
- Mi dormitorio tiene una cama grande.
- El armario está al lado de la ventana.
English translations:
- The table is in the kitchen.
- The sofa is very comfortable.
- The curtains are red.
- My bedroom has a big bed.
- The wardrobe is beside the window.
Grammar Note: Notice how the verb estar (to be) is used to describe the location of furniture, while ser (to be) describes what something is like. This distinction is crucial in Spanish and affects meaning significantly.
Prepositions for describing furniture location
When describing where furniture is located, you'll need these essential prepositions. Mastering these will allow you to give precise descriptions of room layouts and help others locate items in your home.
Key prepositions
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| delante de | in front of |
| detrás de | behind |
| entre | between |
| encima de / sobre | on top of / above |
| debajo de | under / below |
| al lado de | beside / next to |
| a la izquierda de | to the left of |
| a la derecha de | to the right of |
| en | in / on |
Using prepositions with furniture
These examples demonstrate how prepositions work with furniture vocabulary in real contexts:
Worked Example: Prepositions with Furniture
Spanish examples:
- El perro está debajo de la mesa.
- La lámpara está encima de la mesita de noche.
- El armario está entre la cama y la ventana.
- Los libros están en la estantería.
English translations:
- The dog is under the table.
- The lamp is on top of the bedside table.
- The wardrobe is between the bed and the window.
- The books are on the bookshelf.
Critical Grammar Point: When the preposition de comes after a word ending in a vowel and is followed by el (the masculine article), they combine to form del.
Formula: de + el = del
Example: "delante del armario" (in front of the wardrobe)
This contraction is mandatory in Spanish and forgetting it is a common error that marks you as a beginner.
Phrase bank for describing rooms
These versatile mini-sentences will help you talk confidently about your home and ask questions about others' living spaces:
Useful Phrases for Home Descriptions:
- Mi habitación favorita es... (My favourite room is...)
- En el salón hay... (In the living room there is/are...)
- Mi dormitorio es pequeño/grande. (My bedroom is small/big.)
- La cocina tiene una mesa grande. (The kitchen has a big table.)
- ¿Dónde está el baño? (Where is the bathroom?)
- El armario está lleno de ropa. (The wardrobe is full of clothes.)
Practice these phrases by substituting different furniture items and room names to create your own descriptions.
Translation practice
Test your understanding with these translation exercises. Remember to pay attention to verb choice and preposition contractions:
Translation Practice Exercises
Spanish to English:
- La profesora está detrás de la mesa.
- El ordenador está encima de la mesa.
English to Spanish: 3. The cushions are on the sofa. 4. The washing machine is in the kitchen.
Common errors and fixes
Learning from common mistakes will help you avoid them and speak more naturally. Here are the most frequent errors students make with furniture vocabulary:
Error 1: Using ser for location instead of estar
- ❌ La mesa es en la cocina.
- ✅ La mesa está en la cocina.
- Fix: Always use estar to describe where something is located.
Error 2: Forgetting to contract de + el = del
- ❌ El gato está debajo de el sofá.
- ✅ El gato está debajo del sofá.
- Fix: Always combine de + el to make del. This is not optional in Spanish.
Error 3: Mixing up encima de and sobre
Both mean "on top of/above", but sobre is more commonly used for "about" in other contexts.
- Fix: Use encima de for physical location: "encima de la mesa" (on top of the table).
Answers
Translation Practice Answers:
- The teacher is behind the table.
- The computer is on top of the table.
- Los cojines están en el sofá.
- La lavadora está en la cocina.
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- Learn furniture vocabulary by room to make it easier to remember
- Always use the correct article (el or la) with each noun
- Use estar when describing where furniture is located
- Remember that de + el = del when using prepositions
- Practice describing your own room using these new words and phrases
- Pay attention to the ser vs. estar distinction - it changes the meaning completely