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May 3, 2020 by Michelle Margaret Fajkus Spanish for Kids, Spanish Vocabulary 0 comments

Todo Sobre Las Medidas: Measurements and Dimensions in Spanish

Whether you’re calculating the area of a room, measuring the distance between two places or trying out a new recipe, being able to understand measurements is essential. Being able to read and comprehend terms related to measurements in Spanish is a great way to get further on the road to fluency. Let’s get started!

First, we’ll take a quick look at the systems of measurement both in the U.S. and the Spanish-speaking world. Next, we will dive into vocabulary and practice activities related to measuring length, width and height as well as calculating dimensions. Then, we’ll explore distance, volume, and weight. Finally, you’ll have a chance to do some practice exercises to test your new knowledge of measurement in Spanish.

Metric Versus American 

When it comes to measuring distance, weight, and volume, people in the United States use a system of measurements known as the American or “standard” system. This differs from el sístema métrico—the metric system—which is used by the rest of the world, including Spain and Latin America. 

Although American measurements occasionally appear in certain instances (like bulk food being sold by the pound in most markets throughout Latin America), the metric system is universally understood in the Spanish-speaking world. Interestingly, Puerto Rico widely uses the metric system, despite the fact that it is a U.S. territory.

Dimensions

When calculating the dimensions of any object in the Spanish-speaking world, you’ll want to look at the side of your ruler or tape measure that denotes millimeters and centimeters, as opposed to inches and feet. Use the tables below for assistance with your conversions.

The Metric System

SpanishEnglishConverts to
milímetromillimeter1/1,000th of a meter or 0.039 inches
centímetrocentimeter1/100th of a meter or 0.39 inches
metrometer39 inches or 3.2 feet
kilómetrokilometer1,000 meters or 0.62 miles

The American System

SpanishEnglishConverts to
pulgadainch2.54 centimeters
piefoot0.3 meters or 12 inches
yardayard0.91 meters or 3 feet
millamile1.6 kilometers or 5,280 feet

Dimensions Vocabulary in Spanish

In order to calculate the dimensions (las dimensiones) of anything, it’s helpful to learn the related vocabulary words. Here’s a handy list of important words to learn to calculate the dimensions of a certain item or space.

SpanishEnglishPronunciation
largo / longitudlengthlar-go / lon-hee-tood
ancho / anchurawidthan-cho / an-choo-rah
alto / alturaheightal-toe / al-too-rah
estaturaheight (of a person)es-tat-ooh-rah
perímetroperimeterpear-ee-met-roh
circunferenciacircumferenceseer-coon-fer-en-see-ah
diámetro diameterdee-ah-meht-roh
áreaareaair-ay-uh
volumenvolumebol-ooh-men
medirto measuremed-eer
reglarulerray-glah
cinta métricatape measureseen-tah met-ree-kah

Spanish Sentences and Questions

Here are some examples of how you could use this vocabulary in everyday life.

Vamos a medir con el metro. 
We are going to measure with the tape measure.

¿Cuántos palmos mide? 
How many hands does it measure?

¿Cuántos centímetros mide de ancho? 
How many centimeters wide is it?

Necesito la cinta métrica para medir la longitud de la ventana antes de comprar la cortina.
I need the tape measure to measure the length of the window before buying the curtain.

Usa la regla para medir el largo y el ancho de la pared y calcular su área.
Use the ruler to measure the length and width of the wall and calculate its area.

2-D and 3-D Notation

2D and 3D

When talking about the dimensions in length, width, or height of any object or space, we usually use the word “by” as the verbal substitution for the x between units of measurement. 

Example: 2 x 4 / “two by four”

In Spanish, you use the word por instead of “by” as the verbal substitution for x. Therefore, using the above example, you’d say dos por cuatro.

Here’s how to translate the notation for expressing square or cubic measurements when calculating area or volume. Use cuadrado when referring to area and cúbico with regard to volume.

SpanishEnglishShorthand notation
metros cuadradossquare metersm²
metros cúbicoscubic metersm³

Units of Measurement: Distance

la distancia – distance

el milimetro – millimeter

el centímetro – centimeter

el metro – meter

el kilómetro – kilometer

la pulgada – inch

el palmo – handspan

el pie – foot

la yarda – yard

la milla – mile

Desde el aeropuerto hasta el hotel son unos 45 kilómetros.
It’s about 45 kilometers from the airport to the hotel.

¿Cuántas yardas se extiende una cancha de fútbol americano?
How many yards long is a football field?

Distance Versus Dimension

The difference between distance and dimension is that a dimension is the single aspect of a given thing (as in length, width, height, area or volume) while distance is the amount of space between two (usually geographical) points, typically (though not always) measured along a straight line.

Activity Time

Put your new knowledge to use!

The Vamos a medir (Let’s measure) online activity for kids guides students to measure a table and a rug twice each, once with palmos (handspans) and again with un metro (a tape measure). Record your findings on una tabla (a table). Decide what to measure with first, palmos o metro, then measure the table. When you click to measure, el largo, el ancho or el alto, tool icons will appear on the right side of the screen.

Measuring Volume and Weight in Spanish

Spanish-speakers also use the metric system to calculate el volumen de líquidos (liquid volume) and el peso (weight).

Units of Measurement: Liquid Volume 

Use these measurements when talking about the amount of liquid in a container or how heavy a package is.

el volumen – volume

la cucharadita – teaspoon

la cucharada – tablespoon

la taza – cup

la pinta – pint

el cuarto de galón – quart

el galón – gallon

el mililitro – milliliter

el litro – liter

El médico recomienda que tome dos litros de agua todos los días.
The doctor recommends that I drink two liters of water a day.

La receta pide 2 cucharadas de aceite de coco y 2 cucharaditas de canela.
The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon.

Units of Measurement: Weight

el peso – weight

el miligramo – milligram

el gramo – gram

el kilo – kilogram

la onza – ounce

la libra – pound

la tonelada – ton

Bajo mi nuevo régimen de dieta vegana, perdí ocho libras en un solo mes.
Under my new regimen of a vegan diet, I lost eight pounds in just one month.

El elefante pesa 4 toneladas.
The elephant weighs 4 tons.

Important note: the word tonelada is only appropriate to use when referring to something’s physical weight. The translation for “a ton of information”, “a ton of people” or a ton of anything (referring to a large amount), isn’t una tonelada de información, but rather un montón de información. 

Practice Questions and Answer Key

After taking the time to study measurements and dimensions in Spanish, quiz yourself to find out how much information you’ve retained. (See answers at the bottom of this article.)

¿Como se dice…?

  1. To measure 
  2. Meter
  3. Mile
  4. Ruler
  5. Four by four (4 x 4)
  6. Cubic feet
  7. Quart
  8. Milliliter
  9. Pound
  10. Gram

Translate from Spanish to English

  1. El hombre más grande del mundo tenía 2 metros 29 de estatura y un peso de 201 kilogramos. 
  2. El país de México abarca una superficie de 1,960,189 kilómetros cuadrados. 
  3. La velocidad de la luz en el vacío es 299,792,458 metros por segundo. 

Translate from English to Spanish

  1. Hotels in this zone should have rooms of at least 12 square meters in area. 
  2. The difference of 4 inches is neither noticeable nor important.
  3. There are almost 13,000 kilometers between London and Johannesburg. 

Answer Key

Vocabulary

  1. Medir
  2. El metro
  3. La milla
  4. La regla
  5. Cuatro por cuatro
  6. Pies cúbicos
  7. El cuarto de galón 
  8. El mililitro
  9. La libra
  10. La grama

Spanish to English Sentences

  1. The tallest man in the world was 2.29 meters tall and weighed 201 kilograms.
  2. The country of Mexico covers an area of 1,960,189 square kilometers.
  3. The speed of light in a vacuum is 299,792,458 meters per second.

English to Spanish Sentences

  1. Los hoteles de esta zona deben tener la habitación de 12 metros cuadrados mínimo.
  2. La diferencia de 4 pulgadas no se percibe ni importa. 
  3. Hay casi 13,000 kilómetros entre Londres y Johannesburgo. 

Go the Distance

Attaining fluency in Spanish takes dedication and concentrated effort. Take advantage of a personalized, one-on-one session with one of our professional teachers, all of whom are native speakers from Guatemala. Sign up for a free class today to further discuss weights and measures in Spanish—along with any other topic that interests you!

Would you like to read other great Spanish resources? Check these out!

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    Michelle Margaret Fajkus
    Editor & Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy
    Michelle Margaret Fajkus is a bilingual writer and longtime yoga teacher. A former advertising copywriter turned bilingual elementary school teacher, she is now a freelance writer, editor and translator. A native Texan, Michelle has Mexican roots and learned Spanish in middle and high school. She has become more fluent thanks to living as an expat in Guatemala. She lives with her family on beautiful Lake Atitlan. Learn more about Michelle and her work at yogafreedom.org.
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