un estuche
/un estut͡ʃe/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "a pencil case" is un estuche.
portaplumas means pen holder and is used interchangeably with estuche to refer to a pencil case.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Latin America, estuche is widely understood.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine article un can be replaced with the definite article el to mean "the pencil case" (el estuche). The plural form of un estuche is unos estuches.
How do you pronounce it?
/un estutʃe/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, a student might refer to their estuche as a cartuchera, a word derived from the word for a 'cartridge'.
- The word estuche shares a surprising history with the word 'study' or 'studying'. It comes from the Latin 'studium', meaning 'zeal' or 'application'.
- Depending on the country, a student might call their pencil case a lapicera, though in some regions this word actually means the pen itself.
Examples in context
- Necesito un estuche nuevo.I need a new pencil case.
- Necesito un estuche para la escuela.I need a pencil case for school.
- ¿Tienes un estuche azul?Do you have a blue pencil case?
- Compré un estuche nuevo hoy.I bought a new pencil case today.
Example conversation
Elena and Daniel are at a stationery shop.
- Elena¿Venden un estuche aquí?Do you sell a pencil case here?
- DanielSí, tenemos muchos modelos.Yes, we have many models.
- ElenaBusco un estuche para Daniel.I am looking for a pencil case for Daniel.
- DanielMira estos, son muy buenos.Look at these, they are very good.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries estuche, un, CC BY-SA 4.0.
