Techo vs Tejado

Question

Can anyone please confirm the difference between these two words for 'roof'?

One reference work said that 'tejado' is only for tiled rooves whereas 'techo' is just roof in general, is this correct?

That was worrying me I could not get tejado to mean roof , but techo yes, so i went with tejado to be ornery. - ray76, SEP 29, 2010

Answer 1

Hola Marie, pues en España no:

techo - ceiling

tejado - roof

ah thanx :) - Kiwi-Girl, JUL 9, 2010

Answer 2

I suppose that technically it is as your reference says, since those red clay tiles are called tejas. So it follows that roofing a building with tejas would result in a tejado.

In practice though, in the places where I have lived people just use the word "techo" to refer to roof. I'm not sure how many people consciously differentiate between both words. Me, I hadn't thought about it until now.

whereas Heidita would use tejado for roof and techo means ceiling in her part of the world. - Kiwi-Girl, JUL 9, 2010

In Spain we'd never use those two words interchangeably, "techo" always means ceiling, and "tejado" always means roof, no matter what kind. - bill1111, SEP 29, 2010

Funny this thread should be revived just now. A few minutes ago I was talking to my boss, and I just told him how I had to climb to "el techo" to clear some leaves that were obstructing the drainage. So I definitely use "techo" for "roof". - Gekkosan, SEP 29, 2010

Answer 3

So if I understand it well:

In Spain:

techo = ceiling

tejado = roof

but in all the other spanish speaking countries they are interchangeable?

I wouldn't dare generalize. I know where I'm from in Latin America, that's the way we use the terms. But I really don't know how many countries and regions have that same understanding. - Gekkosan, SEP 29, 2010

Answer 4

As with Marianne I've heard techo for ceiling in Mexico when asked about my work, enlucido paredes y techos.

Answer 5

In Ecuador, roof is techo and ceiling is tumbado. I've never heard anyone say tejado, but tiled roofs are uncommon.

Answer 6

Soy el techero viejo, ahora jubilado. I am the old roofer, now retired.

Answer 7

In southern México I heard "techo" for both roof and ceiling.

Answer 8

Techo y tejado...

Techo = roof and ceiling.

Cielo = ceiling

Tejado is what's on top of the techo (roof) and is a bunch of tejas (tiles)

tejado in some countries is the same as techo.

I left you exactly in the same spot! LOL

Answer 9

My Mexican contractor calls the ceiling "cielo".

I've learned in my Spanish class (Mexican dialect) that roof is "tejado".

Answer 10

techo - roof or ceiling (the content of the sentence will tell the person which one)

What about piso?

piso - floor or apartment (España)

How about that?

Answer 11

Piso, una cosita para sentarse... ;^)

Answer 12

Techo -> Techo

Tejado-> Tejado

Piso (Latinoamerica) Suelo (España) -> Piso - Suelo

Piso (España) -> Piso