cuento

story

noun KWEN-toh Less Common

Also means

tale

Usage Note

Cuento typically means a short fictional story or fairy tale (cuento de hadas), as distinct from historia (history or a longer narrative) or novela (novel). The phrase ¡Eso es un cuento! means 'That's a made-up story!' — a useful idiom for calling out an excuse. Also homophonous with the first-person present of contar (to count/tell), but context always clarifies.

Examples

"Mi abuela me leía un cuento cada noche."

Natural Translation

My grandmother would read me a story every night.

Related Words

Explore Spanish by topic

SpanishNow

Spanish Accent Marks: 3 Rules for Every Word

A Spanish word needs an accent mark in just three cases: it breaks the default stress, it's a homophone, or a weak vowel splits off. Here are all three rules.

June 3, 2026 6 min read

SpanishNow

Spanish Subjunctive Explained Simply for Beginners

The Spanish subjunctive is a mood, not a tense — use it after a WEIRDO trigger plus que. Learn the one rule, the yo-form recipe, and the lines you already say.

June 9, 2026 5 min read

SpanishNow

How to Introduce Yourself in Spanish: 12 Real Phrases

Introduce yourself in Spanish with 12 ready-to-speak phrases — name, origin, age, and job — in both tú and usted, with the verb traps that trip up beginners.

June 9, 2026 5 min read

SpanishNow

Tener in Spanish: Why You're Hungry, Cold & 30 Years

In Spanish you HAVE hunger, cold, and 30 years — not are them. Master tener expressions like tengo hambre, tengo frío, and tengo 30 años in one rule.

June 9, 2026 5 min read