vecino
nounCEFR B1
What does “vecino” mean in English?
1.neighbour
neighbour (person who lives nearby or in the same building)
2.neighbour
neighbour (person who lives nearby or in the same building)
Example sentences
Los vecinos del quinto llamaron a la puerta para quejarse de que nuestra música se oía en todo el rellano a las once de la noche.
The neighbours on the fifth floor knocked on the door to complain that our music could be heard throughout the landing at eleven at night.
En este edificio todos los vecinos se conocen desde hace años y se ayudan cuando alguien necesita algo.
In this building all the neighbours have known each other for years and help each other when someone needs something.
Tuve que dejarle las llaves a mi vecina de enfrente para que le abriera la puerta al fontanero mientras yo trabajaba.
I had to leave my keys with my neighbour across the hall so that she could open the door for the plumber while I was at work.
How to use it
Vecino / vecina means 'neighbour' — a person who lives near you or in the same building. In a block of flats, los vecinos are the other residents. Common spatial collocations: el vecino de arriba (upstairs neighbour), el vecino de abajo (downstairs), el vecino de al lado (next door). At B1, vecino appears in noise complaints, building meetings, and everyday community interactions. Do not confuse with cercano (nearby, adjacent — adjective of distance).
Common mistake
Vecino de arriba / de abajo / de al lado are fixed locative collocations that English speakers often over-translate as 'neighbour from above' etc. Say them directly: 'el vecino de arriba', not 'el vecino que vive arriba'. The preposition de is part of the fixed phrase.