nounmasculineplural: los sofásstress on the last syllable
"Couch" in Spanish is el sofá. It ends in -a but it's masculine, so you say el sofá es cómodo. The stress falls on the last syllable, soh-FAH, and a couch that opens into a bed is el sofá cama.
Written by Isabella García, Language Content Manager at WordyUpdated October 4, 2026
Hear "sofá" in a real scene
One scene, one classic threat. The video starts and stops on that line.
Pero hoy duermes en el sofá.
But tonight you're sleeping on the couch.
A woman calls this after the doctor as he hurries down the hallway, threatening the classic punishment at home: a night on el sofá instead of the bed.
From Dr. House · Spanish audio
Sofá, sillón or butaca?
Spanish has a few words for things you sit on in the living room.
Spanish
English
Good to know
el sofá
couch, sofa
The standard word in every Spanish-speaking country.
el sofá cama
sofa bed
The plural is los sofás cama. Only the first word changes.
el sillón
armchair
In Spain it seats one person. In Argentina people also use it for a couch.
la butaca
armchair, seat
Also the word for a seat in a theater or a movie theater.
Tip: Lounging on the couch all afternoon has a casual phrase in Spain: estar tirado en el sofá.
Grammar: el sofá, los sofás
Four points about a word that looks feminine.
Masculine with an -a ending
el sofá, un sofá, like el día. Adjectives follow the article: un sofá blanco, el sofá es cómodo.
Plural: just add -s
los sofás. The accent mark stays in the plural, so the stress stays on -fás.
On the couch is en el sofá
Spanish uses en for sitting or sleeping on it: Mi hermana está en el sofá.
Sit down, lie down
sentarse en el sofá is to sit down on the couch. tumbarse en el sofá is to lie down on it.
Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
El sofá es muy cómodo.
The couch is very comfortable.
Es solo un sofá.
It's just a couch.
Mi hermana está en el sofá con el ordenador.
My sister is on the couch with her computer.
Yo duermo en el sofá.
I'll sleep on the couch.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗la sofá
✓el sofá
The final -a is misleading here. Sofá takes el and masculine adjectives: un sofá nuevo.
✗SOH-fah (pronunciation)
✓soh-FAH
English stresses the first syllable of sofa. The accent mark in Spanish moves the stress to the end.
✗Duermo sobre el sofá
✓Duermo en el sofá
Sobre sounds like something lying on top of the couch, such as a coat. People sit and sleep en el sofá.
Real conversation: where do I sleep?
A short dialog with a guest who's staying the night.
An old friend is sleeping at your place tonight. Fernando has just arrived with his bag.
F
Bueno, ¿y yo dónde duermo?
Okay, so where do I sleep?
You
Pues aquí, en el sofá, ¿vale?
Well, right here on the couch, okay?
F
¿En el sofá? ¿No hay otro dormitorio?
On the couch? Isn't there another bedroom?
You
F
Your turn to answer
In the app you reply in Spanish for the last 2 lines.
El sofá, stressed on the last syllable: soh-FAH. The same word covers couch and sofa.
Is sofá masculine or feminine?
Masculine, even with the -a ending: el sofá, los sofás, un sofá cómodo.
What's the difference between sofá and sillón?
In Spain a sofá seats two or more people and a sillón is an armchair for one. In Argentina, sillón is also an everyday word for a couch.
How do you say sofa bed in Spanish?
El sofá cama. In the plural only sofá changes: los sofás cama.
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