pupitre
/puˈpitɾe/
The Spanish word pupitre means a student's desk.
pupitre refers specifically to the type of desk used by a student in a school setting.
How do you pronounce it?
/puˈpitɾe/
Did you know?
- Although pupitre is a student's desk, it is a 'doublet' of the word púlpito, which means a pulpit in a church.
- While pupitre is the standard term for a student desk, in some Latin American regions, the word banco is used for both the seat and the desk together.
- The term pupitre entered the Spanish language as a loanword from French, reflecting the heavy influence of French educational models on Spanish administration in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Examples in context
- La maestra escribió la lección en el pizarrón y luego se sentó en el pupitre.The teacher wrote the lesson on the blackboard and then sat at the desk.
- El pupitre está muy sucio.The desk is very dirty.
- Escribe tu nombre en el pupitre.Write your name on the desk.
- Mi pupitre es de color madera.My desk is wood-colored.
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are in a classroom.
- LucíaJavier, ¿está limpio tu pupitre?Javier, is your desk clean?
- JavierNo, tiene manchas de tinta.No, it has ink stains.
- LucíaUsa este trapo para limpiarlo.Use this cloth to clean it.
- JavierGracias, Lucía.Thanks, Lucía.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry pupitre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pupitre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
