Tengo el cuaderno de Kazmo.
I have Kazmo's notebook.
The article tells you the gender of a Spanish noun, and this -o word takes el, so learn it as el cuaderno from day one.
From Las crónicas de Spiderwick · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "notebook" in Spanish
el cuaderno
nounmasculineplural: los cuadernos
"Notebook" in Spanish is el cuaderno, and two or more are los cuadernos. For a smaller notepad many people say la libreta. If you mean a notebook computer, that's a different word: el portátil in Spain, la laptop in much of Latin America.
Hear "cuaderno" in real movie scenes
Two scenes, two notebooks with owners. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Susan, quita tu cuaderno de la mesa, por favor.
Susan, take your notebook off the table, please.
A notebook is lying where it shouldn't, so Susan gets a polite request, and tu cuaderno means "your notebook".
From Nacido el cuatro de julio · Spanish audio
Cuaderno, libreta and other things to write in
Paper or screen, each one has its own word.
| Spanish | English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| el cuaderno | notebook | The standard word for a school or work notebook. |
| la libreta | small notebook, notepad | Very common in Spain and Mexico, often for a pocket-size one. |
| la agenda | planner, datebook | A notebook with dates for your appointments. It can also mean your schedule. |
| el bloc de notas | notepad | Sheets you tear off one by one. |
| el portátil / la laptop | laptop, notebook computer | El portátil in Spain, la laptop or la computadora portátil in much of Latin America. |
Tip: In a store you'll pick between a cuaderno de cuadros (squared paper) and one de rayas (lined paper).
Grammar: el cuaderno, los cuadernos
Four points for talking about notebooks.
Masculine, ends in -o
el cuaderno, un cuaderno. This word follows the usual pattern: -o ending, masculine article.Add -s for more
los cuadernos, unos cuadernos. An adjective goes plural with it: Los cuadernos son pequeños.A notebook for a subject
Put the subject after de: el cuaderno de matemáticas is the math notebook.My notebook, your notebook
mi cuaderno, tu cuaderno, mis cuadernos. With mi or tu there's no el in front.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
el cuaderno
the notebook
Es el cuaderno de Ana.
It's Ana's notebook.
¿Puedes al menos traer mis cuadernos?
Can you at least bring my notebooks?
Los cuadernos son pequeños.
The notebooks are small.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗la cuaderno
✓el cuaderno
Cuaderno is masculine, so it takes el and un.
✗koo-ah-DER-noh (pronunciation)
✓kwah-DEHR-noh
Cua is a single syllable that starts like the qua in quarter.
✗mi cuaderno (meaning my laptop)
✓mi portátil
A cuaderno is made of paper. For the computer, say portátil in Spain or laptop in Latin America.
Practice: 3 quick exercises
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1 of 3 · Watch and choose
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The other 30 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Cuaderno starts with the same sound as quad. Picture a notebook with four bright corners, and the kwa sound comes back to you.
Questions about "notebook" in Spanish
How do you say notebook in Spanish?
El cuaderno. For a small notepad you'll also hear la libreta.
Is cuaderno masculine or feminine?
Masculine: el cuaderno, los cuadernos. Adjectives agree with it, as in un cuaderno nuevo.
How do you say laptop or notebook computer in Spanish?
El portátil in Spain, and la laptop or la computadora portátil in much of Latin America.
How do you pronounce cuaderno?
Say kwah-DEHR-noh. Cua is one syllable, and the stress falls on der.
