📚 Bookstores - Librerías

Aa ⏱ ≈ 15 minutes

Beginner Spanish · Bookstores and school supplies

At a Bookstore in Spanish

Bookstore Spanish becomes practical when you can explain what kind of book you need, ask where a section is, check whether a title or edition is available, and pick up a few basic school supplies.

Your next small win: look for a book by topic or author, ask where a section is, request a particular format or edition, and say which school supplies you need.

Start with books

Core Bookstore Vocabulary

These words cover the people and items you are most likely to mention in a bookstore.

librería
Bookstore
libro
Book
novela
Novel
diccionario
Dictionary
autor / autora
Author
sección de libros
Book section

Name four bookstore words

Say “bookstore, book, novel, and dictionary” in Spanish.

More reading vocabulary
revista
Magazine
libro infantil
Children's book
libro de texto
Textbook
página
Page

Tell someone what you need

Buscar and Finding Book Sections

Use buscar to say what kind of book you want, then ask where that book or section is located.

Estoy buscando un libro de historia.
I'm looking for a history book.
Busco un diccionario de español.
I'm looking for a Spanish dictionary.
Estoy buscando un libro de esta autora.
I'm looking for a book by this author.
¿Dónde puedo encontrar libros de historia?
Where can I find history books?
¿En qué sección están las novelas?
Which section are the novels in?

Two useful patterns: use Estoy buscando... to explain what you want and ¿Dónde puedo encontrar...? when you need help locating it.

Looking for a book

A
Disculpe, estoy buscando un libro de esta autora.
Excuse me, I'm looking for a book by this author.
B
Claro. Sus libros están en la sección de novelas.
Of course. Her books are in the novels section.
A
Gracias. ¿Dónde está esa sección?
Thank you. Where is that section?

Find a book

Say that you are looking for a Spanish dictionary, then ask where the novels are.

Ask whether the store has the version you want

Authors, Editions, and Book Formats

Use tener to ask whether the bookstore has a title, author, edition, or format.

¿Tienen libros de este autor?
Do you have books by this author?
¿Tienen algún libro de esta autora?
Do you have any books by this author?
¿Tienen este diccionario en una edición más reciente?
Do you have this dictionary in a more recent edition?
¿Tienen este libro en tapa blanda?
Do you have this book in paperback?
¿Tienen este libro en tapa dura?
Do you have this book in hardcover?

Book formats: tapa blanda means paperback and tapa dura means hardcover.

Ask for another version

Ask whether the bookstore has the book in paperback and whether it has a more recent edition of the dictionary.

Pick up a few school supplies

School and Writing Supplies

Use necesitar to say which supplies you need for class or another activity.

cuaderno
Notebook
lápiz
Pencil
bolígrafo
Pen
goma de borrar
Eraser
regla
Ruler
mochila
Backpack
Necesito un cuaderno para mi clase.
I need a notebook for my class.
Necesito comprar lápices y bolígrafos.
I need to buy pencils and pens.
¿Dónde están los cuadernos y los bolígrafos?
Where are the notebooks and pens?
¿Tienen cuadernos más pequeños?
Do you have smaller notebooks?

Buying school supplies

A
Necesito comprar algunas cosas para la escuela.
I need to buy a few things for school.
B
¿Qué necesitas?
What do you need?
A
Dos cuadernos, unos lápices y un bolígrafo azul.
Two notebooks, some pencils, and a blue pen.

Make a short supply list

Say that you need a notebook, pencils, and a blue pen.

Your turn · 8 quick questions

Practice: At a Bookstore

Choose the answer that best fits each situation. Focus on books, authors, sections, editions, formats, and basic school supplies.

Audio uses your device's Spanish text-to-speech voice. Listen to each phrase, then practice finding books, asking about editions or formats, and buying basic school supplies.