Es un libro fantástico.
It's a fantastic book.
She loves this read so much that she has to recommend it to everyone. The adjective fantástico comes after libro.
From Todos a bailar · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "book" in Spanish
el libro
nounmasculineplural: los libros
"Book" in Spanish is el libro, and two or more are los libros. The b is soft, closer to a light v than to the b in book. A shop that sells libros is una librería, and the place where you borrow them is la biblioteca.
Hear "libro" in real movie scenes
One great book, then a whole shelf. Each video starts and stops on that line.
¿Los libros infantiles, por favor?
The children's books, please?
At the library she asks where the shelf is. She means more than one book, so it's los libros.
From Matilda · Spanish audio
Kinds of books in Spanish
Six words you'll find on shelves and in shop windows.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el libro de texto | textbook |
| el libro de cocina | cookbook |
| el libro de bolsillo | paperback |
| el libro electrónico | e-book |
| la novela | novel |
| el cuento | short story, children's story |
Tip: To ask a book's title, use the same verb as for a person's name: ¿Cómo se llama el libro?
Grammar: el libro, los libros
Four patterns you'll use every time you talk about books.
Masculine, plural in -s
el libro, un libro, los libros. For an unspecified few, say unos libros.Describing words follow
un libro fácil, un libro aburrido, mi libro favorito. The adjective matches: los libros infantiles.The topic after de
Spanish names the kind of book with de: un libro de poesía, un libro de historia.Whose book it is
There's no 's. Put the owner after de: el libro de Cameron, Cameron's book.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
El libro número quince es difícil y aburrido.
Book number fifteen is hard and boring.
Solo es un libro.
It's just a book.
¿Cómo se llama mi libro?
What's my book called?
Sí, tu nuevo libro.
Yes, your new book.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗Voy a la librería a leer (meaning the library)
✓Voy a la biblioteca a leer
A librería is a shop where you pay for books. The quiet place with free books is the biblioteca.
✗Cameron's libro
✓el libro de Cameron
Spanish shows the owner with de, after the thing they own.
✗Tengo dos libro
✓Tengo dos libros
With any number above one, the noun needs its -s.
Real conversation: old books in the attic
A short dialog in your grandmother's attic. Tap to listen.
You're digging through the old books in your grandmother's attic when your cousin Adrián comes up the stairs.
¡Hola! ¿Qué buscas?
Hi! What are you looking for?
Un libro viejo, por favor.
An old book, please.
Este libro es muy antiguo.
This book is very old.
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 33 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Libro and library share their first four letters, libr. Picture a library shelf where every spine is a libro.
Questions about "book" in Spanish
How do you say book in Spanish?
El libro, with the plural los libros. Say it LEE-broh with a soft b.
Is libro masculine or feminine?
Masculine: el libro, un libro nuevo, los libros viejos.
Does librería mean library?
No. La librería is a bookstore. A library, where you borrow books, is la biblioteca.
How do you say "my favorite book" in Spanish?
Mi libro favorito, with favorito after the noun. For several: mis libros favoritos.
