Spanish Conversation · Level 39
74 words
Spanish word
cuento
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈkwento/
Meaning
- masculine nounstory
Example
Me contó un cuento antes de dormir.
He told me a story before bed.
More examples
En la clase, leímos un cuento corto.
In class, we read a short story.
Core concept
A short fictional or real anecdote told for entertainment or instruction.
Common phrases
contar un cuento
tell a story
inventar un cuento
make up a story
cuento corto
short story
Similar words
historia: Account of past events or a sequence of connected happenings covering a span of time.
relato: Concise sequential account that narrates events in order.
narración: Written or spoken presentation of events as a continuous story.
anécdota: Brief amusing or striking incident from real life, told to illustrate or entertain.
Definition in Spanish
Relato corto, real o imaginario, que se cuenta para entretener, enseñar o ilustrar una idea.
Word origin
From the verb contar 'to tell', tracing back to Latin computare 'to count', cuento forms as the noun 'what is told' and is used for short tales or anecdotes.
Usage tips
- When used about truth value, cuento can imply fabrication, so expressions like 'eso es un cuento' label something as made up.