A guide to saying it like a local
How to Say "Fourth" in Spanish
Use 'cuarto' for 'fourth' when talking about order, fractions, or room numbers in Spanish.
cuarto
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This is your go-to for 'fourth' when listing things in order, like the fourth item on a list. It's also used for the fraction 'one-fourth' (un cuarto) and to refer to a room, especially a bedroom.
Alternatives
- cuartaUse when referring to a feminine noun, like 'la cuarta vez' (the fourth time).
- cuarto pisoSpecifically means 'fourth floor' when talking about buildings.
Ways to get it wrong
Confusing 'cuarto' with 'cuarta'
Remember to match the ending ('-o' or '-a') to the gender of the noun you're describing.
Pronunciation of 'c'
In most of Latin America, the 'c' in 'cuarto' sounds like 'k', not like 's'.
A small cultural note
In some places, 'cuarto' can also refer to a small apartment or a studio apartment.
When you'd actually say this
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Checking into a hotel room
You're at the front desk of a small hotel in Guadalajara, bags at your feet, and the receptionist asks which floor your reservation is on. You glance at your confirmation email and say, 'Estoy en el cuarto piso, habitación cuarenta y dos.' The elevator doors are right behind her and you're already calculating how many steps you'll climb if it's broken.
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Splitting a restaurant bill
Four of you have just finished lunch at a comedor in Mexico City and your friend slides the receipt across the table. You do the mental math and say, 'Un cuarto cada uno — son ochenta pesos.' The waiter is hovering nearby and someone is already digging through their wallet.
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Describing an apartment layout
You're video-calling your family back home and walking them through the apartment you just rented in Buenos Aires. You pan the phone toward a small room off the hallway and say, 'Este es mi cuarto — es chico pero tiene buena luz por la mañana.' The afternoon sun is cutting across the bare mattress as you say it.
Related ways to say it in Spanish
- la cuarta parte — one-fourth / a quarter (of something)
- Use this in formal or written contexts when referring to a fraction of a whole, such as in recipes, reports, or legal documents, rather than the shorthand 'un cuarto'.
- el cuarto de hora — a quarter of an hour
- Fixed time expression used in everyday speech across Latin America and Spain; more natural than saying 'quince minutos' when estimating wait times or scheduling.
- cuartito — small room / tiny bedroom
- Affectionate or diminutive form common in Argentina, Uruguay, and Mexico; implies the room is small, sometimes cramped, but the tone is neutral or even fond rather than critical.
- en cuarto lugar — in fourth place / fourthly
- Use this when ranking items in a list or argument, especially in formal speech or writing; more explicit than a bare 'cuarto' and signals you are continuing a numbered sequence.
Notes for English speakers
- English speakers often expect 'cuarto' to mean 'quarter' only in a monetary sense, but Spanish uses it freely for any one-fourth fraction — a quarter of an hour, a quarter of a pizza — so the overlap with the room meaning can catch you off guard mid-sentence.
- Because English 'quarter' ends in '-er', learners sometimes unconsciously add a vowel and say 'cuartero', which is not a standard word; the correct form stays 'cuarto' and never takes that suffix.
- In Spain, 'cuarto' as a standalone word for 'bedroom' sounds dated or regional; Spaniards more commonly say 'habitación' or 'dormitorio', so using 'cuarto' for a room works best in Latin American contexts.
Frequently asked
how to say fourth place in Spanish
You would say 'el cuarto lugar' for fourth place. This uses the masculine form 'cuarto' to agree with the masculine noun 'lugar'.
what does un cuarto mean
'Un cuarto' means 'one-fourth' when referring to a fraction. It can also mean 'a room'.
how do you say fourth in Spanish for ordinal numbers
For ordinal numbers, 'cuarto' is used for masculine nouns and 'cuarta' for feminine nouns. For example, 'el cuarto libro' (the fourth book) and 'la cuarta página' (the fourth page).
How do you say 4th in Spanish?
The Spanish word for fourth is 'cuarto' when used as an ordinal number. For example, 'el cuarto piso' means 'the fourth floor'.
Is four in Spanish quatro or cuatro?
The correct Spanish spelling for the number four is 'cuatro'. 'Quatro' is not a Spanish word.
How do you say 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th in Spanish?
The Spanish ordinal numbers are: first - 'primero', second - 'segundo', third - 'tercero', fourth - 'cuarto', and fifth - 'quinto'.
