As we survey the language landscape around us, here’s an opportunity to relax and soak in the different uses of some more similar-looking Spanish words. Today it’s the turn of terraza and terrazo.
Starting with terraza (feminine), you can listen to how it’s pronounced here:
If your home has una terraza, it is that part of it that is open (or partly open) to the sky, from where you can survey the scenery, the passers-by and the birds while perhaps drying your washing in the sun. It may be a balcony attached to the side of the building, a roof terrace on top of it or sometimes a patio area outside it:
La familia se relaja en la terraza de su piso y apura los últimos rayos de sol de esta tarde de otoño.
The family is relaxing on the balcony of their flat, soaking up the last rays of sunshine of this autumn evening.
El edificio cuenta con seis niveles, un sótano y además una terraza privada en el último nivel.
The building has six levels, a basement and additionally a private roof terrace on the top floor.
Posee tres pisos, donde los dos superiores contienen terrazas abalconadas.
It has three floors, of which the upper two have balconied roof terraces.
Un terreno en el exterior de su estudio fue reconvertido en una terraza y un jardín.
An area of land outside his office was turned into a patio and garden.
Una terraza is also an area with tables and chairs outside a bar or restaurant, where customers can eat and drink while enjoying the open air and the view – a terrace:
Hay un bar con terraza.
There’s a bar with a terrace or an outside seating area.
Cuenta con numerosos cafés con terrazas sobre la calzada.
It has a great many cafes with pavement terraces.
In hilly or mountainous places, una terraza is one of the flat areas built up in steps on which crops are often grown – a terrace:
Es una zona montañosa con laderas escarpadas, de manera que se cultiva la viña en terrazas.
It’s a mountainous area with steep sides, so the vines are grown on terraces.
En Mallorca, las terrazas con olivos constituyen uno de los paisajes más emblemáticos y típicos de la isla.
In Mallorca, terraces with olive trees are one of the most emblematic and typical landscapes of the island.
El palacio está situado en la cima de una pequeña colina rodeada por un jardín en terrazas con fuentes, estanques y césped.
The palace is situated at the top of a small hill surrounded by a terraced garden with fountains, lakes and lawns.
Moving on to terrazo (masculine), you can listen to how it’s pronounced here:
Terrazo is a type of flooring or other surface made of marble or stone chips set in cement and polished. The English equivalent (borrowed from Italian) is terrazzo with two Zs:
El suelo está pavimentado con baldosas de terrazo.
The floor is covered with terrazzo tiles.
El suelo de terrazo se empezó a utilizar en Venecia a mediados del siglo XV, como método para aprovechar los trozos sobrantes de la construcción de suelos de mármol.
Terrazzo floors were first used in Venice in the mid-15th century as a way to use up leftover pieces from marble floor construction.
To polish up your knowledge of the way some more Spanish nouns are used, join us again next week.
