Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| grapadora | /ɡɾapaˈdoɾa/ | Spain, feminine |
| abrochadora | /abɾot͡ʃaˈdoɾa/ | Argentina, Uruguay, feminine |
| corchetera | /koɾt͡ʃeˈteɾa/ | Chile, feminine |
| cosedora | /koseˈdoɾa/ | Colombia, feminine |
| engrapador | /enɡɾapaˈdoɾ/ | Peru, masculine |
| engrapadora | /enɡɾapaˈdoɾa/ | Mexico, Venezuela, feminine |
A stapler is a device used to bind paper together. engrapadora is a widely understood formal term across most of Latin America.
What does it mean word for word?
The word grapadora is derived from grapa, which means 'staple'.
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish between the device and the individual metal fasteners: grapadora refers to the stapler itself, while grapa refers to the staple.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The word for stapler varies significantly by region: • In Spain, grapadora is the most common term. • In Mexico and Venezuela, engrapadora is used. • In Peru, the masculine form engrapador is used. • In Argentina and Uruguay, the word is abrochadora. • In Chile, the word is corchetera. • In Colombia, the word is cosedora.
How does it change in a sentence?
The gender of the word varies by region: grapadora, abrochadora, corchetera, engrapadora and cosedora are feminine, while engrapador is masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡɾapaˈdoɾa/
Did you know?
- In Colombia, the word cosedora comes from the verb coser, which means 'to sew'.
- If you ask for an abrochadora in Spain, people might think you are asking for a tool to fasten clothes rather than an office stapler.
- The word grapa refers to both a metal staple and a medical staple used to close wounds.
Examples in context
- ¿Me puedes prestar una grapadora?Can you lend me a stapler?This sentence is useful for asking to borrow a grapadora.Tatoeba #7309252 by UsuarioX, translation #860114 by piksea
- ¿Me pasas una engrapadora, por favor?Will you please lend me a stapler?This sentence is useful for asking for an engrapador.Tatoeba #1693320 by marcelostockle, translation #33416 by CK
- Tengo que meter grapas en la grapadora.I need to put more staples in the stapler.This sentence is useful for describing the action of putting staples into a grapadora.Tatoeba #10543067 by Shishir, translation #10619084 by sangelo
- Para unir los documentos, necesitarás una engrapadora nueva.To bind the documents, you will need a new stapler.
- No olvides llevar una grapadora a la reunión, la necesitaremos para los informes.Don't forget to bring a stapler to the meeting, we will need it for the reports.
- Puedes pasarme la maquinita de grapas, por favor?Could you pass me the stapler, please?
- Voy a comprar un grapador nuevo para la oficina.I am going to buy a new stapler for the office.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are in their shared office space.
- AlejandroSofía, ¿tienes una grapadora?Sofía, do you have a stapler?
- SofíaSí, la tengo aquí en mi mesa.Yes, I have it here on my desk.
- AlejandroGracias, necesito unir estas hojas.Thanks, I need to bind these sheets together.
- SofíaDe nada, Alejandro.You're welcome, Alejandro.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stapler” translations and entries grapadora, abrochadora, corchetera, cosedora, engrapador, engrapadora, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
