This chapter covers the core Spanish vocabulary for talking about volume and capacity, including common nouns, adjectives, verbs, and prepositions used to describe quantities, containers, and measurements.
Key Vocabulary
- Singular and plural nouns that denote units of volume (e.g., litro, mililitro), types of containers (e.g., botella, vaso), and related concepts (e.g., capacidad, cantidad).
- Common adjectives to describe size and quantity (e.g., lleno, vacío, grande).
- Useful verbs for measuring and describing volume (e.g., medir, llenar, vaciar).
- Prepositions and phrases that help express relationships between quantities (e.g., de, con, hasta).
Usage Tips
- In Spanish, litro (liter) is a common unit, along with mililitro (milliliter) and centilitro (centiliter).
- Containers are often described by the volume they hold (e.g., una botella de un litro).
- Use de to indicate "of" when specifying contents or volume (e.g., un vaso de agua).
- Adjectives usually follow the noun (e.g., botella grande).
Examples
- Quiero un vaso de agua. (I want a glass of water.)
- La botella tiene capacidad para dos litros. (The bottle has a capacity of two liters.)
- Llena el recipiente hasta la mitad. (Fill the container halfway.)
- El jugo viene en envases de 500 mililitros. (The juice comes in 500-milliliter containers.)
La botella tiene capacidad para dos litros.
- The bottle has a capacity of two liters.
- The bottle can hold two liters.
The sentence means the bottle can hold up to two liters (capacity). It does not mean the bottle is full or weighs that amount.
El tanque tiene cinco litros.
- The tank holds five liters.
- The tank has five liters.
The sentence indicates the tank contains or holds five liters, not its weight or cost.
Summary
The vocabulary for volume and capacity in Spanish revolves around three main areas: units of measurement, containers, and descriptive words for quantity and state. Mastery of these words allows you to accurately describe and ask about amounts in everyday contexts.
Base Sets
The following tables contain 10 or more vocabulary items in each of the four categories: nouns, adjectives, verbs, and prepositions.
Nouns
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Example (Spanish) | Example (English) | Audio (Spanish) | Audio (English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| litro | litros | liter | liters | Compro un litro de leche. | I buy a liter of milk. | litro | liter |
| mililitro | mililitros | milliliter | milliliters | Añade 200 mililitros de agua. | Add 200 milliliters of water. | mililitro | milliliter |
| botella | botellas | bottle | bottles | La botella está llena. | The bottle is full. | botella | bottle |
| vaso | vasos | glass | glasses | Quiero un vaso de jugo. | I want a glass of juice. | vaso | glass |
| taza | tazas | cup | cups | Tomo una taza de té. | I have a cup of tea. | taza | cup |
| recipiente | recipientes | container | containers | El recipiente es de plástico. | The container is made of plastic. | recipiente | container |
| capacidad | capacidades | capacity | capacities | ¿Cuál es la capacidad de la botella? | What is the bottle’s capacity? | capacidad | capacity |
| cantidad | cantidades | quantity | quantities | Necesito una cantidad exacta. | I need an exact quantity. | cantidad | quantity |
| galón | galones | gallon | gallons | Compré un galón de agua. | I bought a gallon of water. | galón | gallon |
| litro | litros | liter | liters | El tanque tiene cinco litros. | The tank holds five liters. | litro | liter |
Adjectives
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Example (Spanish) | Example (English) | Audio (Spanish) | Audio (English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| lleno | llenos | full | full | El vaso está lleno. | The glass is full. | lleno | full |
| vacío | vacíos | empty | empty | La botella está vacía. | The bottle is empty. | vacío | empty |
| grande | grandes | big | big | Necesito un recipiente grande. | I need a big container. | grande | big |
| pequeño | pequeños | small | small | Usa un vaso pequeño. | Use a small glass. | pequeño | small |
| medio | medios | half | half | Llena hasta media botella. | Fill up halfway. | medio | half |
| completo | completos | complete | complete | El tanque está completo. | The tank is full. | completo | complete |
| suficiente | - | sufficient | - | Hay suficiente agua. | There is enough water. | suficiente | sufficient |
| exacto | exactos | exact | exact | Necesito una cantidad exacta. | I need an exact amount. | exacto | exact |
| más | - | more | - | Quiero más jugo. | I want more juice. | más | more |
| menos | - | less | - | Pon menos agua. | Put less water. | menos | less |
Verbs
| Spanish Base | Spanish Yo Form | Spanish English Form | English Base | English Spanish Form | Spanish Example | English Example | Audio (Spanish) | Audio (English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| medir | mido | I measure | measure | medir | Mido dos litros de agua. | I measure two liters of water. | medir | measure |
| llenar | lleno | I fill | fill | llenar | Llena la botella, por favor. | Fill the bottle, please. | llenar | fill |
| vaciar | vacío | I empty | empty | vaciar | Vacía el vaso. | Empty the glass. | vaciar | empty |
| contener | contengo | I contain | contain | contener | El recipiente contiene agua. | The container contains water. | contener | contain |
| caber | quepo | I fit | fit | caber | ¿Cuánto cabe en la botella? | How much fits in the bottle? | caber | fit |
| verter | vierto | I pour | pour | verter | Vierte el jugo en el vaso. | Pour the juice into the glass. | verter | pour |
| agregar | agrego | I add | add | agregar | Agrega un poco más de agua. | Add a little more water. | agregar | add |
| usar | uso | I use | use | usar | Uso un vaso pequeño. | I use a small glass. | usar | use |
| transportar | transporto | I transport | transport | transportar | Transporto dos galones de agua. | I transport two gallons of water. | transportar | transport |
| medir | mido | I measure | measure | medir | Mido la capacidad con una jarra. | I measure the capacity with a jug. | medir | measure |
Prepositions and Phrases
| Spanish | English | Spanish Example | English Example | Audio (Spanish) | Audio (English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| de | of | Un vaso de agua. | A glass of water. | de | of |
| con | with | Botella con jugo. | Bottle with juice. | con | with |
| hasta | up to | Llena hasta arriba. | Fill up to the top. | hasta | up to |
| por | by | Compra dos litros por favor. | Buy two liters please. | por | by |
| en | in | Vierte en el vaso. | Pour into the glass. | en | in |
| más | more | Quiero más jugo. | I want more juice. | más | more |
| menos | less | Pon menos agua. | Put less water. | menos | less |
| que | than | Cinco litros que dos. | Five liters than two. | que | than |
| aproximadamente | approximately | Son aproximadamente tres litros. | It’s approximately three liters. | aproximadamente | approximately |
| sobre | about / over | Hay sobre dos litros en la jarra. | There’s about two liters in the jug. | sobre | about |
Additional Practice
Try using the following prompts to solidify your understanding of volume and capacity vocabulary in context:
- Describe how you would measure out 500 milliliters of water using everyday containers.
- Write a short paragraph about the different types of containers you have at home and their capacities.
- Translate the following sentence into Spanish: "The cup is half full of juice."
- Create a dialogue between two people discussing how much water is left in a bottle.
- Practice using the verbs llenar, vaciar, and medir in sentences related to cooking or cleaning.
Common Mistakes
- Forgetting to use de when specifying the contents of a container (e.g., un vaso de agua, not un vaso agua).
- Mixing up singular and plural forms, especially with units (e.g., dos litros, not dos litro).
- Confusing capacidad (capacity) with cantidad (quantity); capacidad refers to maximum volume, while cantidad refers to the amount present.
- Using adjectives before nouns, which is less common in Spanish (e.g., botella grande, not grande botella).
Mastering this vocabulary will help you confidently discuss and manage quantities in everyday Spanish situations.
Next Steps
Continue building your Spanish vocabulary with related topics:
Summary
Volume and capacity vocabulary in Spanish includes units of measurement, container names, descriptive adjectives, and common verbs. These words help you talk about quantities precisely in everyday life.
Flashcards (1 of 40)
- English Singular: liter
- English Plural: liters
- Example (English): I buy a liter of milk.
- Audio (English): [liter](/audio/English-liter.mp3)
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
