Which floor is "el piso principal" in Spain and Argentina?

Question

Okay, I'm thoroughly confused. I know that in some countries, like Spain, what we, in the United States, call the first floor (el primer piso) is the second floor. What is the American English equivalent of "el piso principal" if one was using the Spanish of Spain and Argentina? I keep getting the "main floor" when I look it up, but is that the street level floor or the second floor?

En mexico el primer piso se refiere a lo que está arriba de la planta baja o sea ''the second floor'' - Ox-Y-Gen, Dec 8, 2012

Answer 1

I think it is: Planta baja.

Answer 2

Yes. Planta Baja is the Ground Floor. And there are usually no apartments on that floor. You will find the concierge and the mailroom as well as storage there. However, I have friends whose apartments are on the Planta Baja (older buildings). And their apartment #s are PB-1, PB-2 (Planta Baja 1, Planta Baja, 2, etc.)

The Planta Baja can also house commercial space (with or without street access). So an office could be located at PB-1, PB-3, etc. Business owners need to buzz in visitors through an intercom system located outside the building.

The first floor is expressed as Primera (1a.) Planta in Spain and Primer (1er) Piso in Argentina. In Spain, the word piso means apartment. Hence, their use of the word Planta.

I hope this helps.

Is planta baja the same as el piso principal? - Helind, Dec 9, 2012