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cabin and Spanish cabina
In English
cabin
a small wooden house / a cottage
In Spanish
cabina
de avión o de teléfono
Spanish "cabina" means: booth / cockpit
Why they get mixed up Spanish "cabina" is a small enclosed space: an airplane cockpit, a photo booth, a phone booth. English "cabin" can mean that too, but the most common use is a wooden cottage in the woods or mountains.
If you want to say...
- cabin (house)cabaña
- phone boothcabina
- cabin (on a ship)camarote
Examples
We rented a cabin in the woods.
Rentamos una cabaña en el bosque.
The cabin had a fireplace.
La cabaña tenía chimenea.
We spent the weekend in a cozy mountain cabin.
Pasamos el fin de semana en una acogedora cabaña de montaña.
The cabin crew served dinner on the plane.
La tripulación de cabina sirvió la cena en el avión.
Common mistakes in Spanish
Incorrect: Pasamos el fin de semana en una cabina de madera.
Correct: Pasamos el fin de semana en una cabaña de madera.
Cabina is a booth, cockpit or enclosed space. A cabin in the woods is una cabaña.
Incorrect: Llamé desde una cabaña telefónica.
Correct: Llamé desde una cabina telefónica.
A phone booth is una cabina telefónica.
Phrases you will hear
- a log cabinuna cabaña de madera
- a cabin in the woodsuna cabaña en el bosque
- the cabin crewla tripulación de cabina
- a cruise cabinun camarote de crucero
- a phone boothuna cabina telefónica
- the cockpitla cabina del piloto
In a conversation
- A:
Where did you stay on vacation?
¿Dónde te quedaste de vacaciones?
- B:
In a log cabin near the lake.
En una cabaña de madera junto al lago.
- A:
Was there a fireplace?
¿Tenía chimenea?
- B:
Yes, and the cabin had a great view.
Sí, y la cabaña tenía una vista genial.
Test yourself
"A log cabin" is...
To remember it
Cabin = a wooden cottage (or a ship's berth). A phone booth (Spanish "cabina") = booth.
Frequently asked questions
What does Spanish "cabina" mean?
Spanish "cabina" means "booth / cockpit". It looks like the English "cabin", which is exactly why it gets confused, but "cabin" means "a small wooden house / a cottage".
Does English "cabin" mean the same as Spanish "cabina"?
Spanish "cabina" is a small enclosed space: an airplane cockpit, a photo booth, a phone booth. English "cabin" can mean that too, but the most common use is a wooden cottage in the woods or mountains.