Learn Spanish (Spain): Vivo en la planta baja.

Vivo en la planta baja.

I live on the ground floor.

Breakdown of Vivo en la planta baja.

bajo

short / low

in / on / by (means of transport) / about (after pensar)

vivir

to live

la planta

the floor (of a building)

Questions & Answers about Vivo en la planta baja.

Why does the sentence start with Vivo instead of Yo vivo?

In Spanish, the ending of the verb tells us who is doing the action. The -o ending in vivo already means "I live", so adding yo (I) is usually not needed unless you want to emphasize it.

Why does it use en? Doesn't en mean "in"?

Yes, en often means "in", but it is also the standard word for "on" and "at". While in English you say you live "on" a floor, Spanish just uses en for general locations like this.

I thought planta meant "plant". Does it also mean "floor"?

Yes, it does! planta can mean a botanical plant, but when talking about buildings, it means a floor, story, or level.

Why is it planta baja instead of baja planta?

In Spanish, descriptive words (adjectives) usually come after the thing they describe. So, instead of "low floor" or "ground floor", the structure is "floor low" (planta baja).

Why is it baja ending in "-a" instead of bajo?