How to Say "School Supplies" in Spanish

útiles escolares

/utiles eskolaɾes/from spelling rules

The English phrase "school supplies" is translated into Spanish as útiles escolares.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase literally means "useful school things". The word útiles comes from the adjective útil, meaning "useful".

In Argentina, the word cola is often used instead of pegamento to refer to glue.

While útiles escolares is the plural form, you can use the singular form útil escolar to refer to a single school supply.

The word útiles can be a bit of a 'false friend' if you are looking for 'utilities' in the sense of electricity or water. In Spanish, those are called servicios públicos.
In some Spanish-speaking regions, útiles is used as a noun to mean 'tools' or 'implements' in general, not just for school. This means a carpenter's tools could be described using the same root word as a student's pencils.
If you are in Mexico, you might hear people refer to school supplies as el estuche when discussing a small set of items like pens and pencils. This word technically refers to a pencil case or a small kit.

Necesito comprar útiles escolares para el curso.
I need to buy school supplies for the course.
Los útiles escolares están en la mochila.
The school supplies are in the backpack.
¿Dónde venden útiles escolares económicos?
Where do they sell cheap school supplies?

Lucía and Alejandro are making a list before going to the store.

Lucía

Alejandro, ¿tienes la lista de útiles escolares?
Alejandro, do you have the list of school supplies?
Alejandro

Sí, Lucía, la tengo en mi teléfono.
Yes, Lucía, I have it on my phone.
Lucía

Perfecto, busquemos los útiles escolares primero.
Perfect, let's look for the school supplies first.
Alejandro

De acuerdo, vamos a la papelería.
Agreed, let's go to the stationery store.

Sources

IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.

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