sala de estar
Portuguese
Noun
sala de estar f (plural salas de estar)
- living room (room in a house used for social and leisure activities)
Spanish
Pronunciation
Noun
sala de estar f (plural salas de estar)
- living room (room in a house used for social and leisure activities)
- Synonyms: cuarto de estar, living, salón
Usage notes
Both sala de estar and salón can be used to mean "living room", which can confuse a lot of English speakers. Depending on the size of the house, sometimes both words can be used to describe the same exact room, and other times they are two disparate rooms. The difference lies in the following. The salón is the room of a house where guests are received. If someone is hosting a party, this is where the guests will go after they enter the house to mingle and relax. In English, we have terms for this like sitting room or parlor, but in the United States, those terms have somewhat become outdated, and "living room" is used to describe any room for lounging. But again, the emphasis is on the place where guests are received.
For sala/sala de estar on the other hand, the emphasis is on the principal or main room of the house. In your typical one-story house, your salón and sala are one and the same room. However, in bigger homes and mansions, your salón and sala are two distinct rooms. The salón is typically more public, and by inviting anyone into your home, you are giving them access to it, whereas your sala de estar is more private. Your guests would only go there if you as host invite them. Again, this can vary from region to region, but hopefully the distinction in connotation clarifies any confusion.