Costado

Costado is a masculine noun in Spanish that denotes the side or flank of a person, animal, object, or structure. It can refer to the lateral part of the body, such as el costado derecho or el costado izquierdo, and it can describe the outer side of an object, for example el costado de una casa. Beyond the physical sense, costado is used metaphorically to indicate an aspect, angle, or viewpoint of a topic, as in “desde otro costado de la historia.”

Etymologically, costado derives from costa, meaning side or rib, with the suffix -ado forming a noun that identifies a part or location. The term is common across Spanish dialects, though in many contexts the more general palabra lado is often used.

Usage notes include its typical prepositional constructions: a un costado, al costado de, del costado. In everyday language it frequently appears to emphasize the exterior or lateral position of something, rather than merely the inner or central part. In anatomy or medical language, more precise terms such as costilla or flanco may be used, depending on the region and context.

Related terms include lado and flanco, which can be interchangeable in some situations but do not carry exactly the same nuance. Costado tends to foreground the external or side aspect of an entity, while lado is a broader synonym for “side.”