Turn this distinction into automatic recall
Falando teaches Brazilian Portuguese through grammar, vocabulary, audio, examples, and spaced review, so confusing pairs stop feeling like guesses.
Quick answer
Andar is the everyday word for a building storey; piso usually names the surface or flooring, though it can formally mean a level.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
What each word does
andar
storey or floor level
Use andar for a level of rooms in a building.
piso
floor surface or level
Use piso for the material underfoot, and in formal contexts a building level.
How to choose
- andar: Choose andar if the sentence points to a level of rooms in a building.
- piso: Choose piso if the sentence points to the material underfoot, and in formal contexts a building level.
Examples
Moro no terceiro andar.
I live on the third floor.
O piso da cozinha é de madeira.
The kitchen floor is wood.
Common trap
O terceiro piso is possible, especially in formal naming, but andar is the safer everyday choice for where an apartment is.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with andar, then once with piso. If both versions feel possible, name the meaning shift.
Turn this distinction into automatic recall
Falando teaches Brazilian Portuguese through grammar, vocabulary, audio, examples, and spaced review, so confusing pairs stop feeling like guesses.