Breakdown of La clase es en el segundo piso.
ser
to be
en
on
la clase
the class
el piso
the floor
segundo
second
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Spanish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about La clase es en el segundo piso.
Why is it es and not está?
In Spanish, the location of an event (class, meeting, party, concert) uses ser: La clase es en el segundo piso. Use estar for the location of physical objects/places: El salón (aula) está en el segundo piso.
Would saying La clase está en el segundo piso be wrong?
It’s not standard when you mean the session/event. Most natives prefer es for events. Está tends to shift the meaning to a physical thing, so say El salón de clase está en el segundo piso or El aula está en el segundo piso if you mean the classroom.
Why en and not a?
En expresses static location (in/on/at): en el segundo piso = on the second floor. Use a for movement: Voy al segundo piso (I’m going to the second floor).
Why en el and not en la?
Because piso is masculine singular, so you need el: en el piso. If the noun were feminine, you’d say en la segunda planta (with planta, which is feminine).
Does en el ever contract like al or del?
No. Only a + el → al and de + el → del contract. En + el stays en el.
What does piso mean in Latin America?
Primarily “floor/story” of a building. In Spain, piso can also mean “apartment.” In much of Latin America, “apartment” is departamento or apartamento.
Can I use planta or nivel instead of piso?
Yes, but with nuance:
- Planta is very common in Spain; you’ll hear it in Latin America too, especially planta baja (ground floor).
- Nivel is common in malls/parking garages: segundo nivel.
How do floor numbers compare to English (US vs UK)?
Typical Latin American signage: planta baja (PB) = ground, then primer piso (1 above ground), segundo piso (2 above ground).
- US: ground is “first floor,” so segundo piso often corresponds to the US “third floor.”
- UK: ground, first, second, so segundo piso = UK “second floor.” Note: Some places don’t use planta baja and call the ground level primer piso—check the building’s signage.
Do ordinal numbers agree with the noun?
Yes. Segundo matches masculine singular piso. With a feminine noun: segunda planta; plural: segundos pisos / segundas plantas.
Can I say piso dos instead of segundo piso?
Yes. Both segundo piso and piso dos (or piso 2) are common in speech and signage.
Can I put the ordinal after the noun (el piso segundo)?
That order exists in formal or set phrases (e.g., legal texts, book chapters: capítulo segundo), but for everyday talk about floors, el segundo piso is the norm.
Why is it la clase? Is clase always feminine?
Yes. Clase is a feminine noun: la clase, las clases.
What if I mean the classroom, not the class session?
Use estar with a place word: El salón (de clases) está en el segundo piso. You can also say El aula está en el segundo piso (note: el aula takes el but remains feminine: el aula grande).
Could I drop the article and say La clase es en segundo piso?
Generally no; Spanish normally needs the article with specific places: en el segundo piso. You might see article-less versions on signs, but in sentences, keep el.
Any pronunciation tips?
- clase: CLÁ-se (the c before e is an S sound in Latin America).
- es en el: flows together like “e-se-nel.”
- segundo: se-GÚN-do (the g is a hard/soft “g” sound, not like English “j”).
- piso: PÍ-so (S sound, not “th”).