noun

el patio

yard · patio

Es un espacio al aire libre dentro de una casa o edificio, donde las personas pueden descansar o jugar.

Patio is a masculine Spanish noun for an open-air area, usually enclosed or surrounded by a building.

Its meaning depends on context:

A courtyard or paved outdoor area in a house, apartment building, or other property.
A schoolyard or playground, especially in the phrase patio escolar .
In patio de butacas , the seating area on the main floor of a theater.
In patio de luces , an open shaft or light well inside a building that brings in light and air.

Patio is masculine: el patio. Its plural is patios. It has no written accent.

The word is thought to have come through Provençal or Occitan pati, related to Latin patēre, “to be open.”

There is no exact antonym for patio. Depending on context, interior (“inside”) may contrast with it, but it is not a direct opposite.

Possible near-synonyms vary by setting:

corral : an enclosed yard, often associated with rural or service areas; it is not usually interchangeable with a residential courtyard.
terraza : an outdoor terrace, often elevated or attached to a building; unlike a patio, it need not be enclosed.
jardín : a garden, typically planted with vegetation; a patio may be mostly paved.