Finding blue folders in a shop | Learn Spanish in English

Spanish lesson set in a contemporary Madrid everyday setting: In a shop, a customer asks staff where to find blue folders and whether a pack is available..

EN → ES / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Finding blue folders in a shop to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Disculpe, ¿dónde está la sección de papelería?

dees-KOOL-peh, DON-deh ehs-TAH lah sehk-SYOHN deh pah-peh-leh-REE-ah Excuse me, where is the stationery section?
B

Está después del expositor de cuadernos, a la derecha.

ehs-TAH dehs-PWEHS del ehs-poh-SEE-tohr deh kwah-DEHR-nohs, ah lah deh-REH-chah It's past the notebook display on the right.
A

Busco carpetas azules.

BOOS-koh kar-PEH-tahs ah-SOO-lehs I'm looking for blue folders.
B

Déjeme comprobar si todavía están disponibles.

DEH-heh-meh kohm-proh-BAHR see toh-dah-BEE-ah ehs-TAHN dees-poh-NEE-blehs Let me check if they are still available.
A

¿Hay algunas disponibles hoy?

eye al-GOO-nahs dees-poh-NEE-blehs oy Are there any in stock today?
B

Tenemos algunas en la trastienda.

teh-NEH-mohs al-GOO-nahs ehn lah trahs-tee-EN-dah We have some in the back room.
A

¿Podría traerme un paquete?

poh-DREE-ah trah-ER-meh oon pah-KEH-teh Could you bring one pack for me?
B

Le traeré un paquete.

leh trah-eh-REH oon pah-KEH-teh I'll bring a pack over.
B

Por favor, espere cerca de este expositor.

pohr fah-BOHR, ehs-PEH-reh SEHR-kah deh EHS-teh ehs-poh-SEE-tohr Please wait near this display.

Word by Word

Disculpe “Disculpe” means “excuse me” here and politely gets a shop worker’s attention before a question. It is useful when addressing someone politely in a shop or asking for help. You can use it to begin a polite request or question.
dónde “dónde” asks where something is located in this question. It appears with “está” to ask for the location of “la sección de papelería”. Use “dónde” when asking about a place or position.
está “está” means “is located” in “¿dónde está la sección de papelería?” and “Está después del expositor de cuadernos”. It identifies the location of a place or object. Use it with a place or thing when asking or stating where it is.
la “la” means “the” before the feminine noun “sección” in “la sección de papelería”. It points to a specific section. Use it before a specific feminine noun.
sección “sección” means “section”, referring here to the stationery area of the shop. “la sección de papelería” names a particular area by what it contains. Use it for a defined area within a shop or another organized place.
de “de” links “sección” to “papelería” in “la sección de papelería”, meaning the section for or of stationery. It shows the relationship between the section and its contents. Use it to connect a place or category with what it concerns.
papelería “papelería” means “stationery” here and identifies the type of products in the section. In “la sección de papelería”, it specifies what the section sells. Use it when asking about or referring to stationery products or their shop section.
después “después” means “past” or “after” in “Está después del expositor de cuadernos”. It places the stationery section beyond the notebook display. Use it with a reference point when giving directions.
del “del” means “of the” in “después del expositor de cuadernos”. It connects “después” to the specific display used as the reference point. Use it before a masculine singular noun when expressing this kind of relationship.
expositor “expositor” means “display stand” in “el expositor de cuadernos” and “este expositor”. It refers to the shop display near which the customer should orient themselves or wait. Use it for a stand or display where products are presented.
cuadernos “cuadernos” means “notebooks” in “el expositor de cuadernos”. It identifies the products shown on the display. Use it after a product display expression to say what the display contains.
a “a” is part of “a la derecha”, which means “on the right” in the directions. It helps introduce the directional phrase. Use it in this expression when indicating a position on the right.
derecha “derecha” means “right” in “a la derecha”. It tells the customer which side to follow or look toward. Use it in “a la derecha” when giving directions.
Busco “Busco” means “I am looking for” in “Busco carpetas azules”. It tells the shop worker what item the customer wants to find. Use it before the object you are searching for.
carpetas “carpetas” means “folders” and is the item the customer is looking for in “Busco carpetas azules”. The plural form refers to folders as a type or quantity of item. Use it after a phrase such as “Busco” to name the product you want to find.
azules “azules” means “blue” and describes the folders in “carpetas azules”. It comes after the noun it describes in this phrase. Use it after a plural noun when specifying that the items are blue.
Déjeme “Déjeme” means “let me” in “Déjeme comprobar si todavía están disponibles”. It politely introduces the staff member’s action of checking availability. Use it before an action when offering to do something for someone.
comprobar “comprobar” means “check” in “Déjeme comprobar si todavía están disponibles”. It names the action the staff member will carry out to verify availability. Use it after an expression meaning “let me” when offering to verify information.
si “si” means “if” or “whether” in “comprobar si todavía están disponibles”. It introduces the information being checked: whether the folders are still available. Use it after a verb of checking when introducing the question or condition being verified.
todavía “todavía” means “still” in “si todavía están disponibles”. It asks whether the availability continues at this time. Use it before the phrase describing a situation that may continue.
están “están” means “are” in “todavía están disponibles”, describing the folders’ current availability. It links the subject to “disponibles”. Use it with a plural subject when describing its current state or condition.
disponibles “disponibles” means “available” in “todavía están disponibles”. It describes whether the folders can still be obtained in the shop. Use it after a form of “estar” to describe items that are available.
hoy “hoy” means “today” in “¿Hay algunas disponibles hoy?” and limits the availability question to the current day. It is useful when checking stock or another situation for a particular day. Use it to specify that something applies today.
Hay “Hay” means “there are” in “¿Hay algunas disponibles hoy?”. It asks whether any suitable folders exist or are available. Use it to ask or state that something is present or available in a place or situation.
algunas “algunas” means “some” or “any” here and refers to some folders in “¿Hay algunas disponibles hoy?”. It stands in for the already mentioned folders, so the noun does not need to be repeated. Use it when referring to an unspecified quantity of feminine plural items.
Tenemos “Tenemos” means “we have” in “Tenemos algunas en la trastienda”. It tells the customer that the shop has some folders available. Use it before an object when saying that you or your group has something.
en “en” means “in” in “en la trastienda”. It places the folders inside the back room. Use it before a place to say where something is located.
trastienda “trastienda” means “back room”, the area behind the shop floor where the folders are kept. In “en la trastienda”, it identifies where the available folders are. Use it when telling someone that an item is in a shop’s back room.
Podría “Podría” politely asks “could you” in “¿Podría traerme un paquete?”. It makes the request for a pack courteous rather than direct. Use it before an action when politely asking someone to do something.
traerme “traerme” means “bring me” in “¿Podría traerme un paquete?”. It combines the action of bringing with the person who will receive the item, “me”. Use it when asking someone to bring something to you.
un “un” means “a” or “one” before “paquete” in “un paquete”. It introduces one unspecified pack. Use it before a masculine singular countable noun when requesting or mentioning one item.
paquete “paquete” means “pack” in “un paquete” and refers to the quantity of folders requested. It is the object of the request to bring something. Use it to name a pack or package being requested or supplied.
Le “Le” means “to you” in “Le traeré un paquete”, marking the person who will receive the pack. It shows who benefits from or receives the action of bringing. Use it with a verb when saying that you will do something for or to someone politely addressed.
traeré “traeré” means “I will bring” in “Le traeré un paquete”. It promises that the staff member will bring the requested pack. Use it to state a future action of bringing something to someone.
Por “Por” contributes to the polite expression “Por favor”, meaning “please”. Together with “favor”, it softens the instruction “espere cerca de este expositor”. Use it at the beginning of a polite request or instruction.
favor “favor” contributes to “Por favor”, the polite expression meaning “please”. It helps make the request to wait sound courteous. Use it together with “Por” when making a polite request.
espere “espere” means “wait” in “Por favor, espere cerca de este expositor”. It politely asks the customer to remain in a particular place. Use it in a polite instruction when asking someone to wait.
cerca “cerca” means “near” in “cerca de este expositor”. It indicates that the customer should wait close to the display. Use it with “de” before the place or object that serves as the reference point.
este “este” means “this” in “este expositor”. It identifies the display that is near the speaker or otherwise being indicated. Use it before a masculine singular noun for a specific nearby item.

Grammar Points

hay + cantidad o sustantivo

¿Todavía hay algunas disponibles?

toh-dah-BEE-ah eye al-GOO-nahs dees-poh-NEE-blehs

Are there still some available?

Hay expresses existence ('there is/are') and does not change for singular or plural. Algunas and disponibles agree with the omitted noun.

¿Podría + infinitivo + pronombre?

¿Podría traerme algunas, por favor?

poh-DREE-ah trah-ER-meh al-GOO-nahs, pohr fah-BOHR

Could you bring me some, please?

Podría makes a polite request. In traerme, me is attached to the infinitive and shows who receives the items.

Spanish Vocabulary

azules adj
ah-SOO-lehs blue
busco verb
BOOS-koh I am looking for
carpetas noun
kar-PEH-tahs folders
comprobar verb
kohm-proh-BAHR to check
cuadernos noun
kwah-DEHR-nohs notebooks
derecha noun
deh-REH-chah right

a la derecha

disculpe verb
dees-KOOL-peh excuse me

Disculpe, ¿dónde está la sección de papelería?

dónde adv
DON-deh where
expositor noun
ehs-poh-SEE-tohr display
papelería noun
pah-peh-leh-REE-ah stationery
sección noun
sehk-SYOHN section
todavía adv
toh-dah-BEE-ah still

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I'm looking for blue folders.

Show AnswerBusco carpetas azules.

Let me check if they are still available.

Show AnswerDéjeme comprobar si todavía están disponibles.

Are there any in stock today?

Show Answer¿Hay algunas disponibles hoy?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

excuse me

Show Answerdisculpe

right

Show Answerderecha

I am looking for

Show Answerbusco

folders

Show Answercarpetas