yarda

Yarda, or yard in English, is a unit of length used in the imperial and United States customary measurement systems. It is defined as exactly 0.9144 meters, equal to 3 feet or 36 inches. The term is used for short distances in construction, surveying, sports field dimensions, and everyday measurements in regions that still employ imperial units.

Historically, the yard emerged in medieval England as a practical measure tied to everyday objects and pacing, and over time the length was standardized in terms of feet. In the 1950s and 1960s, international agreements established the yard as exactly 0.9144 meters, aligning the U.S. customary and British imperial systems. Today, the yard remains a recognized unit in international contexts where imperial measurements persist, even as metric units are dominant in most scientific and governmental settings.

Common uses include measuring long small distances, fabric and land area in square yards, and various dimensions in construction and engineering projects. In real estate and landscaping, prices and areas are sometimes expressed in square yards. The plural form “yards” is used for both singular and plural quantities, with the symbol yd in technical contexts.

In Spanish, yarda is the direct translation of the unit and may appear in technical texts or when discussing imperial measurements in Spanish-language materials. The term can also refer more generally to outdoor spaces described as a yard in English, though that meaning is influenced by regional vocabulary for yards, gardens, or courtyards.