Spanish Measurements — The Metric System, Dimensions and Cooking Units

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Key takeaways

Spanish-speaking countries use the metric system — metros, kilogramos, litros, grados Celsius.

To describe how something measures: [object] mide [number] [unit] de [dimension] — La mesa mide dos metros de largo.

Key verb: medir (to measure) — ¿Cuánto mide? (How long/tall is it?)

Cooking measurements mix metric and traditional: la taza (cup), la cucharada (tablespoon), la cucharadita (teaspoon).

Temperature is in Celsius: grados Celsius or grados centígrados — no Fahrenheit in everyday use outside the US.

You're reading a Spanish recipe and it calls for 250 gramos de harina and dos cucharadas de azúcar. Or you're shopping at a market and the vendor asks ¿Cuánto quiere? and you need to order by weight. Or you're looking at an apartment listing and trying to understand how big 45 metros cuadrados actually is.

Measurement vocabulary in Spanish is practical in ways that sneak up on you. It appears in recipes, real estate, shopping, weather, health, construction, and science. And unlike vocabulary for objects or actions, measurement language connects directly to numbers — requiring a clear mental model of the metric system and how Spanish expresses quantities.

This guide covers distance, weight, volume, temperature, area, cooking measurements, and the grammar of describing dimensions in Spanish.

The metric system in Spanish

All Spanish-speaking countries use el sistema métrico (the metric system). The imperial system is standard only in the United States, though US Spanish speakers may use some imperial terms in everyday life.

Prefix	Spanish	Meaning
kilo-	kilo-	1,000 (el kilómetro = 1,000 meters)
hecto-	hecto-	100 (el hectolitro = 100 liters)
deca-	deca-	10
(base)	metro / gramo / litro	meter / gram / liter (base units)
deci-	deci-	0.1
centi-	centi-	0.01 (el centímetro = 0.01 meters)
mili-	mili-	0.001 (el milímetro = 0.001 meters)

Distance and length measurements

Spanish	English	Example
el milímetro (mm)	millimeter	La pantalla tiene un borde de dos milímetros. — The screen has a two-millimeter border.
el centímetro (cm)	centimeter	El bebé mide 50 centímetros al nacer. — The baby measures 50 centimeters at birth.
el metro (m)	meter	La habitación mide cuatro metros de largo. — The room is four meters long.
el kilómetro (km)	kilometer	Queda a diez kilómetros del aeropuerto. — It's ten kilometers from the airport.

Imperial equivalents (for US context):

la pulgada — inch (2.54 cm)
el pie / los pies — foot / feet (30.48 cm)
la yarda — yard (91.44 cm)
la milla — mile (1.609 km)

Language note: Monitors and TVs are measured in inches (pulgadas) even in metric countries — una pantalla de 55 pulgadas. Pipe diameters and some hardware also use inches. These are the main exceptions where imperial units appear in everyday Spanish outside the US.

Weight measurements

Spanish	English	Example
el miligramo (mg)	milligram	Contiene 500 miligramos de vitamina C. — It contains 500 milligrams of vitamin C.
el gramo (g)	gram	Añade 200 gramos de harina. — Add 200 grams of flour.
el kilogramo / el kilo (kg)	kilogram / kilo	Necesito un kilo de tomates. — I need a kilogram of tomatoes.
medio kilo	half a kilo / 500g	Deme medio kilo de queso. — Give me half a kilo of cheese.
la tonelada (t)	ton / tonne	El camión transporta diez toneladas de carga. — The truck transports ten tons of cargo.
la libra	pound (US / Puerto Rico)	Pesa 150 libras. — She weighs 150 pounds.

Talking about weight:

¿Cuánto pesa? — How much does it weigh?
Pesa tres kilos. — It weighs three kilos.
Mi peso es de 70 kilogramos. — My weight is 70 kilograms.
Perdí cinco kilos. — I lost five kilos.

Volume and liquid measurements

Spanish	English	Example
el mililitro (ml)	milliliter	Toma 10 mililitros del jarabe. — Take 10 milliliters of the syrup.
el centilitro (cl)	centiliter	Una copa de vino tiene unos 15 centilitros. — A glass of wine has about 15 centiliters.
el decilitro (dl)	deciliter	El nivel de azúcar es de 90 miligramos por decilitro. — The blood sugar level is 90 milligrams per deciliter.
el litro (l)	liter	Compré dos litros de leche. — I bought two liters of milk.
el galón	gallon (US context)	El tanque tiene capacidad para veinte galones. — The tank has a capacity of twenty gallons.

Area measurements

Area in Spanish is expressed by adding cuadrado/a (squared) after the unit. Since cuadrado is an adjective, it agrees with the gender of the unit.

el metro cuadrado (m²) — square meter: El apartamento tiene 60 metros cuadrados. — The apartment has 60 square meters.
el kilómetro cuadrado (km²) — square kilometer: España tiene 505,990 kilómetros cuadrados. — Spain has 505,990 square kilometers.
el centímetro cuadrado (cm²) — square centimeter
la hectárea (ha) — hectare (10,000 m² — for land): La finca tiene 50 hectáreas. — The farm has 50 hectares.

Practical note: In Spanish real estate, apartment sizes are always expressed in metros cuadrados. A typical one-bedroom apartment in Spain or Latin America might be listed as 45 m² or 45 metros cuadrados. Land is measured in hectáreas for farms or metros cuadrados for urban plots.

Temperature in Spanish

Spanish-speaking countries use grados Celsius (also called grados centígrados) for temperature. Fahrenheit is not used outside the United States.

Spanish	English
los grados Celsius / grados centígrados	degrees Celsius / centigrade
bajo cero	below zero
la temperatura	the temperature

Common temperature expressions:

Hoy hace 28 grados. — It's 28 degrees today.
La temperatura ha bajado a 5 grados. — The temperature has dropped to 5 degrees.
Hay tres grados bajo cero. — It's three degrees below zero.
El horno está a 180 grados. — The oven is at 180 degrees.
Tengo 38 grados de fiebre. — I have a fever of 38 degrees.

Celsius to Fahrenheit reference points:

0°C = 32°F (freezing / punto de congelación)
20°C = 68°F (comfortable room temperature / temperatura agradable)
37°C = 98.6°F (body temperature / temperatura corporal normal)
100°C = 212°F (boiling / punto de ebullición)

Cooking measurements in Spanish

Recipes in Spanish use a mix of metric units and traditional kitchen measures that are common in both English and Spanish cooking contexts.

Spanish	English	Example
la taza	cup	Añade una taza de arroz. — Add one cup of rice.
la cucharada	tablespoon	Mezcla dos cucharadas de aceite. — Mix two tablespoons of oil.
la cucharadita	teaspoon	Añade media cucharadita de sal. — Add half a teaspoon of salt.
la pizca	pinch	Una pizca de pimienta negra. — A pinch of black pepper.
al gusto	to taste	Sal y pimienta al gusto. — Salt and pepper to taste.
el puñado	handful	Un puñado de nueces picadas. — A handful of chopped walnuts.
media taza	half a cup	Media taza de leche desnatada. — Half a cup of skim milk.

How to describe dimensions in Spanish

The verb medir (to measure) is the key verb for describing dimensions. The structure is:

[Object] + mide + [number] + [unit] + de + [dimension word]

La mesa mide 120 centímetros de largo y 80 de ancho. — The table is 120 centimeters long and 80 wide.
El edificio mide 40 metros de altura. — The building is 40 meters tall.
El río mide 500 metros de ancho en este punto. — The river is 500 meters wide at this point.

Dimension vocabulary:

el largo / la longitud — length
el ancho / la anchura / la amplitud — width
el alto / la altura — height
la profundidad — depth
el diámetro — diameter
el grosor / el espesor — thickness

Asking about dimensions:

¿Cuánto mide de largo? — How long is it?
¿Cuánto mide de alto? — How tall is it?
¿Cuáles son las medidas? — What are the measurements?
¿Qué tamaño tiene? — What size is it?

Speed and other measurements

Spanish	English	Example
kilómetros por hora (km/h)	kilometers per hour	La velocidad máxima es 120 km/h. — The speed limit is 120 km/h.
metros por segundo (m/s)	meters per second	El viento sopla a 20 metros por segundo. — The wind blows at 20 meters per second.
el porcentaje (%)	percentage / percent	El IVA en España es del 21 por ciento. — VAT in Spain is 21 percent.
por ciento	percent	El precio bajó un diez por ciento. — The price dropped ten percent.

How to practice measurement vocabulary in Spanish

Cook from Spanish recipes: Find a recipe in Spanish and follow it — 200 gramos de mantequilla, una cucharada de azúcar, horno a 180 grados — all practical measurement vocabulary in real context.
Read the weather in Spanish: Check the weather forecast in Spanish daily — great for Celsius practice and temperature expressions.
Measure things at home in Spanish: Pick up a tape measure and describe the dimensions of objects in Spanish — Esta silla mide 45 centímetros de ancho.
Read Spanish real estate listings: Apartment sizes in metros cuadrados, room dimensions, and floor area — great measurement practice in a meaningful context.
Use AI conversation practice: Apps like Promova offer conversation practice that includes everyday contexts — shopping, cooking, and travel — where measurement vocabulary appears naturally.

Summary

Measurement vocabulary in Spanish is organized around el sistema métrico — meters for distance, kilograms for weight, liters for volume, and grados Celsius for temperature. The metric prefix system (mili-, centi-, kilo-) applies across all measurement types.

The key verb is medir — ¿Cuánto mide? (How long/tall is it?), with the structure [object] mide [number] [unit] de [dimension]. Area is expressed with cuadrado/a — metros cuadrados for apartments and urban spaces, hectáreas for land.

Cooking uses both metric (gramos, litros) and traditional measures (taza, cucharada, pizca, al gusto). Temperature uses Celsius everywhere in the Spanish-speaking world — knowing that 20°C is comfortable room temperature and 37°C is body temperature gives you the practical reference points you need.

FAQ

What measurement system do Spanish-speaking countries use?

Spanish-speaking countries use the metric system (el sistema métrico). This includes meters for distance, kilograms for weight, and liters for volume. The imperial system (el sistema imperial) is used in the United States, so US Spanish speakers may be familiar with miles, pounds, and Fahrenheit, but the metric system is standard everywhere else in the Spanish-speaking world.

How do you say "meter," "kilometer" and "centimeter" in Spanish?

"Meter" in Spanish is el metro, "kilometer" is el kilómetro, and "centimeter" is el centímetro. The full distance scale: el milímetro (millimeter), el centímetro (centimeter), el decímetro (decimeter), el metro (meter), el kilómetro (kilometer). Example: La habitación mide tres metros de largo (The room is three meters long).

How do you describe dimensions in Spanish?

To describe dimensions in Spanish, use the verb medir (to measure) or tener (to have): La mesa mide 120 centímetros de largo y 80 de ancho (The table is 120 centimeters long and 80 wide). Key dimension words: el largo/la longitud (length), el ancho/la anchura (width), el alto/la altura (height), la profundidad (depth). The structure is: [object] mide [number] [unit] de [dimension].

How do you say weight measurements in Spanish?

Weight in Spanish uses the metric system. El gramo (gram), el kilogramo/kilo (kilogram), and la tonelada (ton) are the main units. El peso means "the weight." To say how much something weighs: Pesa dos kilos (It weighs two kilos). La libra (pound) is used in the US and Puerto Rico — worth knowing for bilingual contexts. In markets: ¿Cuánto pesa? (How much does it weigh?) and Deme medio kilo de tomates (Give me half a kilo of tomatoes).

How do you talk about temperature in Spanish?

Temperature in Spanish uses Celsius (grados Celsius or grados centígrados) across all Spanish-speaking countries except when communicating with the US. To talk about temperature: La temperatura es de 25 grados (The temperature is 25 degrees), Hay veinte grados afuera (It's twenty degrees outside), Hoy hace mucho calor — son treinta y cinco grados (It's very hot today — it's thirty-five degrees). Water freezes at cero grados and boils at cien grados.

How do you say cooking measurements in Spanish?

Cooking measurements in Spanish use both metric and traditional measures. Key terms: la taza (cup), la cucharada (tablespoon), la cucharadita (teaspoon), el gramo (gram), el kilogramo/kilo (kilogram), el litro (liter), el mililitro (milliliter), la pizca (pinch), and al gusto (to taste). In recipes: Añade una taza de harina (Add a cup of flour), Mezcla dos cucharadas de azúcar (Mix two tablespoons of sugar).