Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say Square in Spanish
Cuadrado · noun/adjective · kwah-DRAH-doh
The geometric shape or adjective "square" translates to cuadrado in Spanish, while the public open area in a city — a town square — is a plaza. Both are common, everyday words, but they belong to completely different semantic fields. Cuadrado also has a mathematical sense: el cuadrado de un número (the square of a number).
kwah-DRAH-doh (shape) / PLAH-sah (town square)
Dibuja un cuadrado perfecto en tu cuaderno.
Draw a perfect square in your notebook.
Square in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for square, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| cuadrado | square | kwah-DRAH-doh | Default, widely understood |
| plaza | square | town square / public square |
How Native Speakers Use Cuadrado
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Geometry
Un cuadrado tiene cuatro lados iguales.
A square has four equal sides.
Cuadrado as a noun refers to the four-sided geometric shape with equal sides and right angles.
Town square
Nos vemos en la plaza a las seis de la tarde.
Let's meet at the square at six in the evening.
Plaza is the open public space typically found at the center of Spanish and Latin American cities.
Shape as adjective
La mesa es cuadrada, no redonda.
The table is square, not round.
As an adjective, cuadrado agrees in gender: cuadrada for feminine nouns like mesa.
Mathematics
El cuadrado de cinco es veinticinco.
The square of five is twenty-five.
In math, cuadrado refers to squaring a number — raising it to the power of two.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Cuadrado
Using cuadrado for town square
Incorrect: Caminamos hasta el cuadrado del pueblo.
Correct: Caminamos hasta la plaza del pueblo.
Cuadrado only refers to the geometric shape. An open public space in a town is always plaza. Using cuadrado here would sound like you walked to a giant geometric shape.
Forgetting adjective agreement
Incorrect: La habitación es cuadrado.
Correct: La habitación es cuadrada.
When cuadrado functions as an adjective, it must agree with the noun's gender. Habitación is feminine, so the adjective becomes cuadrada.
Lock in Square Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Cuadrado used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using cuadrado in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Dibuja un cuadrado perfecto en tu cuaderno. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
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Common Questions About Square in Spanish
- Can plaza mean anything other than 'square'?
- Plaza extends well beyond the town-square meaning: it can refer to a parking spot (plaza de aparcamiento), a job position (plaza vacante), or a seat on a plane (plaza de avión). The public-square sense is the most common, but surrounding words will steer you to the right interpretation.
- How do I say 'Times Square' in Spanish?
- Proper names are generally kept as-is: Times Square. However, in descriptive contexts you might hear la plaza de Times Square. Translating it to Cuadrado de los Tiempos would be incorrect.
- What is 'square root' in Spanish?
- Square root is raíz cuadrada. Note that cuadrada is feminine to agree with raíz: la raíz cuadrada de dieciséis es cuatro (the square root of sixteen is four).