Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| tienda | /ˈtjenda/ | feminine |
| negocio | /neˈɡoθjo/ /neˈɡosjo/ |
masculine |
| comercio | /koˈmeɾθjo/ /koˈmeɾsjo/ |
masculine |
| almacén | /almaˈθen/ /almaˈsen/ |
masculine |
The term tienda is the most common and standard way to say shop in Spanish. While tienda refers to the physical location, the idiomatic phrase ir de compras is used to describe the activity of going shopping. If you want to refer affectionately to a small, cozy shop, you can use the diminutive form tiendita. Specific types of shops have their own names, such as joyería for a jewelry store.
Which one should you use?
tienda is the most common, everyday word for a retail shop or store. In contrast, negocio refers more broadly to a business or commercial enterprise rather than a physical retail shop. comercio refers to the concept of trade or commerce, or a commercial establishment in a more formal or technical sense. Finally, almacén can mean a warehouse, but in many Latin American countries, it is used to refer to a large store or a small local grocery shop.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of tienda is las tiendas. The plural form of negocio is los negocios. tienda is a feminine noun, while negocio, comercio and almacén are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtjenda/
Did you know?
- The word tienda shares a common ancestor with the English word 'tent'. This is because early shops were often temporary structures made of cloth.
- In Argentina and Uruguay, an almacén is often a small neighborhood grocery store where the owner knows all the customers by name, rather than a large warehouse.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, calling a shop a negocio implies it is a private venture or a side-hustle, whereas tienda is simply a place to buy things.
Examples in context
- ¡Ve a la tienda!Go to the shop.This sentence is useful for commanding someone to go to the shop using tienda.Tatoeba #1897567 by Shishir, translation #4021410 by hellosunshine
- Me voy a la tienda.I am going to the shop.This sentence is useful for expressing that you are going to the shop using tienda.Tatoeba #1239000 by marcelostockle, translation #654928 by cl
- Ha ido a la tienda.He went to the shop.This sentence is useful for describing that someone has gone to the shop using tienda.Tatoeba #2081261 by Shishir, translation #371435 by saeb
- 137 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are deciding where to buy a gift.
- SofíaJavier, ¿conoces una tienda de regalos?Javier, do you know a gift shop?
- JavierSí, hay una tienda muy bonita cerca de aquí.Yes, there is a very pretty shop near here.
- Sofía¡Qué bien! Vamos a la tienda ahora.Great! Let's go to the shop now.
- JavierDe acuerdo, vamos.Agreed, let's go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shop” translations and entries tienda, negocio, comercio, almacén, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries almacén, comercio, negocio, tienda, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
