biblioteca
/bibljoˈteka/feminine
The Spanish word for library is biblioteca.
biblioteca refers to an institution that holds books for use or borrowing. If you are looking for a library that specifically specializes in newspapers and magazines, you would use the term hemeroteca.
Meaning: institution which holds books, etc. (noun)
Which one should you use?
While biblioteca is a place where you can borrow books, a librería is a place where you buy books.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In parts of Latin America, such as Mexico, Argentina and Uruguay, the word librería is used to refer to a bookstore.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word biblioteca is a feminine noun. Its plural form is bibliotecas.
How do you pronounce it?
/bibljoˈteka/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using librería to mean a library. This is a common mistake for English speakers. Librería actually means bookstore.
Did you know?
- Because biblioteca comes from the Greek 'biblion' for book, it is related to the word 'Bible', which originally meant 'the books'.
- In some contexts, the phrase biblioteca humana refers to a 'human library', where people 'borrow' a person to hear their life story to break prejudices.
- While biblioteca is used for a public building, a personal collection of books at home is also called a biblioteca.
Examples in context
- Fui a la biblioteca.I went to the library.This sentence uses biblioteca to describe having gone to the library.Tatoeba #3763456 by marcelostockle, translation #2547344 by CK
- Voy a la biblioteca.I'm going to the library.This sentence uses biblioteca to describe going to the library.Tatoeba #13698988 by Seael, translation #9246942 by CK
- ¿Es esto la biblioteca?Is this the library?This sentence uses biblioteca to ask if a place is the library.Tatoeba #10044483 by manufrutos, translation #10041139 by Amastan
- Voy a la biblioteca para estudiarI am going to the library to study
- ¡Vamos a la biblioteca para estudiar!Let's go to the library to study!
- Me encontré con Marta en la biblio.I bumped into Marta at the library.
- La hemeroteca de esta ciudad es muy completa.The newspaper library in this city is very comprehensive.
- ¡Buena suerte y que disfrutes de tus visitas a la biblioteca!Good luck and enjoy your visits to the library!
- 264 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Alejandro are talking about studying at a university.
- MaríaLa biblioteca es muy grande.The library is very large.
- Alejandro¿Hay una biblioteca cerca de aquí?Is there a library near here?
- MaríaSí, Alejandro, hay una muy buena.Yes, Alejandro, there is a very good one.
- AlejandroPerfecto, iré a la biblioteca a estudiar.Perfect, I will go to the library to study.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “library” translations and entries biblioteca, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
