About sala de estar

Question

Since sala can express the meaning of living room itself, why say sala de estar, and what does estar mean in this phrase? Thanks a lot.

Correct spelling is mandatory on this forum, thanks. - 00494d19, Aug 30, 2009

Answer 1

It means "living room" in English. When translated it literally means, "the room of being".

It would make more sense if it was "sala de vivir", but just like we have weird phrases in English, so the Spanish have the same.

My only logical guess, since there are a lot of things one can do in the living room, it is just a room of constantly changing states of being, therefore "estar" would be used.

I hope that may have helped!

interesting hypothisis as living would be one state of "being" (for an antimate object) the states being either: live or dead). - 0074b507, Aug 30, 2009

Answer 2

I quite agree with Heidita, but I want to add something. Sometimes, we only say "sala" when you are referring to "sala de estar" and you know or are assuming that there is not another "sala". We call it "sala de estar" and it is considered to be the place of meeting of all the members of the family. And also, it is the place where we receive the visitors or friends. (I am not sure about how this last expression is in English. I hope not to be wrong).

"The place where we receive visitors or friends is perfectly good. You didn't need "the" before visitors, but it was easily understood. - Goyo, Aug 30, 2009

Thank you, Greg. When I write in English, sometimes, I feel as I was writing blindly. - nila45, Aug 30, 2009

Nila45, your English is almost perfect! - --Mariana--, Aug 30, 2009

Answer 3

HI zhou, well, sala is a general term for big room. So we can talk about a sala de baile, sala de gimnasia....

Sala de estar would be salón in Spanish from Spain.

mucho gracias - zhoujian, Aug 30, 2009