oficina
/ofiˈθina/
The Spanish word for bureau is oficina.
oficina refers to an office or a unit of governance.
Meaning: unit of governance, office (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, some people may use the word buró to refer to a bureau, especially when talking about an office.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of oficina is /ofiˈθina/.
Did you know?
- In Spanish, buró can refer to a bedside table or a nightstand rather than a government office.
- Spanish has a 'doublet' for oficina called usina, which also comes from the same Latin root but now refers to a factory or power plant.
- In some contexts, oficina can refer to the 'office' or duties performed by a priest during a religious service.
Examples in context
- Pasa al despacho del abogado, él te recibirá allí.Go to the lawyer's office, he will meet you there.
- Pasa a mi buró mañana para discutir los detalles de nuestro proyecto.Come to my office tomorrow to discuss the details of our project.
- Tienes algunos papeles en tu escritorio que necesitas firmar.You have some papers on your desk that need your signature.
- La oficina está en el tercer piso.The office is on the third floor.
- Tengo que ir a la oficina de correos.I have to go to the post office.
- Busco una oficina para alquilar.I am looking for an office to rent.
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are discussing where to meet for work.
- Mateo¿Dónde está tu nueva oficina, Lucía?Where is your new office, Lucía?
- LucíaEstá cerca de la estación de tren.It is near the train station.
- Mateo¡Qué bien! Puedo pasar a verte.That's great! I can stop by to see you.
- LucíaClaro, te espero en la oficina.Sure, I'll wait for you at the office.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry oficina, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries oficina, CC BY-SA 4.0.
