Spanish word

litera

Pronunciation

IPA/liˈteɾa/

Meaning

  • feminine nounbunk bed

Example

Mi hermano duerme en la litera.

My brother sleeps in the bunk bed.

Illustration for litera (bunk bed)

More examples

En el albergue, tuvimos que compartir la litera.

At the hostel, we had to share a bunk bed.

Core concept

Two-tier sleeping beds forming a top bunk and a bottom bunk.

Common phrases

  • compartir litera

    share a bunk bed

  • litera compartida

    shared bunk bed

Similar words

cama: General bedroom bed for lying down and sleeping, typically a single or double mattress.
camarote: Sleeping berth on a ship or train, placed in a small cabin or compartment for passengers to rest.

Definition in Spanish

Cama en la que una cama está colocada encima de otra, habitual en dormitorios infantiles, albergues y vehículos para aprovechar el espacio.

Word origin

Litera derives from Latin lectica 'portable bed', which originally meant a carried sleeping couch and later came to mean a sleeping place applied to stacked berths.

Usage tips

  • When assigning bunks, speakers commonly say la litera de arriba or la litera de abajo to clarify top versus bottom.

Word lists with this word