la planta vs. el piso

Question

What's the semantic difference between la planta (meaning a floor, i.e. the first floor, etc.) and el piso? the dict says they both may mean a floor, so is there a certain context to use one or another or can I use it interchangeably? And if la planta baja is the first floor and el primer piso is already the second floor, how do I say the first floor using el piso?

Answer 1

For the purposes of avoidance of floorial error making:

In US English the floor at ground level is the first, the next the second and so on.

In British English the floor at ground level is the ground floor, the next the first and so on.

I would conjecture, maybe wildly, that this comes from the fact that the first houses had only one floor, which was the ground, the earth, and therefore there was no need to name it otherwise. When arrived the necessity to construct other levels, the first constructed floor was named thus. As I said, maybe wildly...

Answer 2

Welcome to the forum.

You'd use "planta baja" for the first floor of a building and "primer piso" for the second floor.

Is that the same as the ground floor and the first floor? - afowen, Sep 13, 2011

I guess it must be afowen. For years I thought PB in a lift meant Piso baja.- but no. :) - ian-hill, Sep 13, 2011

Planta baja ( normally where there are plants) obvious really :) - ian-hill, Sep 13, 2011

Oddly enough, I'm told that you know when a hotel is a 'love hotel' by the fact that it has lots of green foliage outside, on the ground floor... - afowen, Sep 13, 2011

Well, I think that the "planta baja" is rather the "piso cero", and "el primer piso" is the first floor. :) - LuisCache, Sep 13, 2011