🏪 Convenience Stores
In this section, you'll learn useful Spanish vocabulary and everyday expressions for shopping at convenience stores. You'll learn how to talk about drinks, snacks, bottled water, ice, basic necessities, store hours, and how to ask where items are or whether the store has what you need.
🟢 Basic Convenience Store Vocabulary
🏪 Convenience store → Tienda de conveniencia
🥤 Drink → Bebida
🍫 Candy / Sweets → Dulces
🍿 Snack → Aperitivo
💧 Bottled water → Agua embotellada
🧊 Ice → Hielo
🟡 Common Convenience Store Items
🥪 Sandwich → Sándwich
☕ Coffee → Café
🥤 Soft drink / Soda → Refresco
🍪 Cookies → Galletas
🧻 Toilet paper → Papel higiénico
🔋 Batteries → Pilas
🔵 Useful Store Vocabulary
⛽ Gas station → Gasolinera
💰 Cashier → Cajero / Cajera
🛒 Checkout / Register → Caja
🛍️ Bag → Bolsa
🕐 Opening hours → Horario
🌙 Open 24 hours → Abierto las veinticuatro horas
🧠 Asking for Things at a Convenience Store
💡 Use tener to ask whether the store has something you need.
¿Tienen agua fría?
Do you have cold water?
¿Tienen pilas?
Do you have batteries?
¿Tienen agua fría?
Do you have cold water?
¿Tienen pilas?
Do you have batteries?
💡 Use necesitar when asking for something you need.
Necesito una bolsa de hielo.
I need a bag of ice.
Necesito una botella de agua.
I need a bottle of water.
Necesito una bolsa de hielo.
I need a bag of ice.
Necesito una botella de agua.
I need a bottle of water.
💡 Use buscar when you're trying to find an item in the store.
Estoy buscando las bebidas frías.
I'm looking for the cold drinks.
Busco algo para comer.
I'm looking for something to eat.
Estoy buscando las bebidas frías.
I'm looking for the cold drinks.
Busco algo para comer.
I'm looking for something to eat.
❓ Useful Convenience Store Questions
🥤 ¿Dónde están las bebidas frías?
Where are the cold drinks?
Where are the cold drinks?
🧊 ¿Tienen bolsas de hielo?
Do you have bags of ice?
Do you have bags of ice?
☕ ¿Dónde está el café?
Where is the coffee?
Where is the coffee?
🛍️ ¿Me puede dar una bolsa, por favor?
Can you give me a bag, please?
Can you give me a bag, please?
🕐 ¿A qué hora cierra la tienda?
What time does the store close?
What time does the store close?
🌙 ¿Está abierta la tienda las veinticuatro horas?
Is the store open 24 hours?
Is the store open 24 hours?
💬 Common Convenience Store Phrases
🥤 Quiero comprar algo frío para beber.
I want to buy something cold to drink.
I want to buy something cold to drink.
🧊 Necesitamos una bolsa de hielo para mantener las bebidas frías.
We need a bag of ice to keep the drinks cold.
We need a bag of ice to keep the drinks cold.
🥪 Voy a comprar un sándwich porque necesito algo rápido para comer.
I'm going to buy a sandwich because I need something quick to eat.
I'm going to buy a sandwich because I need something quick to eat.
🔋 Estoy buscando pilas, pero no sé en qué parte de la tienda están.
I'm looking for batteries, but I don't know where they are in the store.
I'm looking for batteries, but I don't know where they are in the store.
💬 Everyday Conversations
Looking for something in the store
A: Disculpe, ¿tienen bolsas de hielo?
B: Sí, están en el congelador cerca de la entrada.
A: Perfecto, gracias.
A: Excuse me, do you have bags of ice?
B: Yes, they're in the freezer near the entrance.
A: Perfect, thank you.
A: Disculpe, ¿tienen bolsas de hielo?
B: Sí, están en el congelador cerca de la entrada.
A: Perfecto, gracias.
A: Excuse me, do you have bags of ice?
B: Yes, they're in the freezer near the entrance.
A: Perfect, thank you.
Buying a quick snack
A: ¿Dónde están los sándwiches?
B: Están en el refrigerador junto a las bebidas.
A: Gracias. También voy a llevar una botella de agua.
A: Where are the sandwiches?
B: They're in the refrigerator next to the drinks.
A: Thank you. I'm also going to get a bottle of water.
A: ¿Dónde están los sándwiches?
B: Están en el refrigerador junto a las bebidas.
A: Gracias. También voy a llevar una botella de agua.
A: Where are the sandwiches?
B: They're in the refrigerator next to the drinks.
A: Thank you. I'm also going to get a bottle of water.
📝 Example Sentences
🏪 Paramos en una tienda de conveniencia para comprar algunas cosas antes de continuar el viaje.
We stopped at a convenience store to buy a few things before continuing the trip.
We stopped at a convenience store to buy a few things before continuing the trip.
🥤 Compré una bebida fría y algo para comer porque tenía hambre.
I bought a cold drink and something to eat because I was hungry.
I bought a cold drink and something to eat because I was hungry.
⛽ La gasolinera tenía una pequeña tienda donde pudimos comprar agua y algunos aperitivos.
The gas station had a small store where we could buy water and some snacks.
The gas station had a small store where we could buy water and some snacks.
🧊 Compramos dos bolsas de hielo para mantener la comida y las bebidas frías durante el viaje.
We bought two bags of ice to keep the food and drinks cold during the trip.
We bought two bags of ice to keep the food and drinks cold during the trip.
🌙 Por suerte, encontramos una tienda que estaba abierta las veinticuatro horas.
Luckily, we found a store that was open 24 hours.
Luckily, we found a store that was open 24 hours.
☕ Entré en la tienda para comprar un café antes de volver a la carretera.
I went into the store to buy a coffee before getting back on the road.
I went into the store to buy a coffee before getting back on the road.
🏆 Final Practice
Try saying each phrase before pressing play.
- ¿Dónde están las bebidas frías?
- ¿Tienen bolsas de hielo?
- Necesito una botella de agua.
- Estoy buscando algo para comer.
- ¿A qué hora cierra la tienda?
- ¿Está abierta la tienda las veinticuatro horas?