Cuento (en. Tale)

/ˈkwento/

Meaning & Definition

EnglishSpanish

noun

Literary narration that can be fictional or real.

I read a fairy tale before sleeping.

Leí un cuento de hadas antes de dormir.

Short story with a moral or educational ending.

The tale of the deer and the lions teaches about friendship.

El cuento del ciervo y los leones enseña sobre la amistad.

Narrative that is told informally or as gossip.

That story you tell is not true.

Ese cuento que cuentas no es verdad.

From the Latin 'computum', which means 'calculation' or 'tale'.

tall tale

Incredible or misleading story or news.

cuento chino

to tell tales

To speak in an exaggerated manner or to invent stories.

contar cuentos

to give an account

To inform or warn someone about something.

dar cuento

storyteller

Person who tells stories.

cuentista

short tale

Short or unimportant tale.

cuentecillo

storyteller

Person who tells stories, especially to children.

cuentacuentos

False or exaggerated story.

They told me a tale that there was a hidden treasure here.

Me contaron un cuento de que había un tesoro escondido aquí.

Unbelievable excuse or reason.

I don't buy that story you told to justify yourself.

No me trago ese cuento que dijiste para justificarte.