No es una bolsa, señor.
It's not a bag, sir.
From behind the counter, the salesman politely corrects his customer: what he's getting is much fancier than a plain bolsa.
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "bag" in Spanish
la bolsa
nounfeminineplural: las bolsas
"Bag" in Spanish is la bolsa: a shopping bag, a plastic bag or a paper bag. In Spain a handbag is a different word, el bolso, with a masculine -o. A backpack is la mochila.
Hear "bolsa" in real movie scenes
A fussy gift wrap and a bag of money. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Dame la bolsa.
Give me the bag.
On the street at night, the man in the suit demands the bag of money, and dame la bolsa leaves no room for argument.
From 21 · Spanish audio
Bolsa phrases for everyday bags
Add de and say what the bag is made of or what it's for.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| la bolsa de plástico | plastic bag |
| la bolsa de papel | paper bag |
| la bolsa de la compra | shopping bag, grocery bag |
| la bolsa de basura | trash bag |
| la bolsita de té | tea bag |
| la mochila | backpack |
Tip: With a capital B, la Bolsa is the stock exchange: la Bolsa de Madrid.
Grammar: la bolsa, las bolsas
Four points to carry with you.
Feminine
la bolsa, una bolsa, las bolsas. Adjectives take -a: una bolsa nueva, las bolsas llenas.One letter, another object
la bolsa is a bag for carrying things. el bolso is a handbag in Spain. The ending changes the gender too.Asking for one
At the checkout: ¿Me da una bolsa? Can I have a bag? Cashiers often ask ¿Necesita bolsa?, with no article.In the bag
en la bolsa or dentro de la bolsa: Las llaves están en la bolsa. The keys are in the bag.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
La bolsa es de una persona amable.
The bag belongs to a kind person.
La bolsa es nueva.
The bag is new.
¡Uy! Entonces no es mi bolsa.
Oops! Then it's not my bag.
¿Quieres esta bolsa?
Do you want this bag?
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗un bolso de plástico (at the checkout)
✓una bolsa de plástico
In Spain a bolso is a handbag. Anything plastic or paper you get in a shop is a bolsa.
✗una bolsa nuevo
✓una bolsa nueva
Bolsa is feminine, so nuevo switches to nueva.
✗una bolsa de dormir (in Spain)
✓un saco de dormir
Spain calls a sleeping bag un saco de dormir. Bolsa de dormir is what you'll hear in much of Latin America.
Real conversation: whose bag is this?
A short dialog with a classmate before class. Tap to listen.
Before class, your classmate Paula is looking for the bag she packed for a weekend trip.
Perdona, ¿mi bolsa está aquí?
Excuse me, is my bag here?
Bueno, ¿es una bolsa grande?
Well, is it a big bag?
Sí, muy grande. Las llaves están dentro.
Yes, very big. The keys are inside.
Your turn to answer
In the app you reply in Spanish for the last 2 lines.
Continue the conversation in WordyPractice: 3 quick exercises
Free, and you don't need an account.
1 of 3 · Watch and choose
What do you hear in the video?
The other 34 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Bolsa starts like bulge. Picture a grocery bolsa bulging with oranges on the walk home.
Questions about "bag" in Spanish
How do you say bag in Spanish?
La bolsa, for shopping bags, plastic bags and paper bags. A backpack is la mochila, and a suitcase is la maleta.
What's the difference between bolsa and bolso?
In Spain, la bolsa is a bag for carrying things and el bolso is a handbag. In Mexico, people call a handbag la bolsa as well.
How do you say plastic bag in Spanish?
La bolsa de plástico. A paper one is la bolsa de papel.
How do you say "Do you need a bag?" in Spanish?
¿Necesita una bolsa? To answer, say Sí, por favor or No, gracias.
